Comments on: Starting a New Chapter for the Software Industry http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/ Jeff Nolan's take on investment, innovation, entrepreneurship and the technology industry Fri, 19 Mar 2010 05:50:28 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Socialtext 2.0: Usability vs. Usefulness| Zoli’s Blog http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-220379 Socialtext 2.0: Usability vs. Usefulness| Zoli’s Blog Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:05:56 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-220379 [...] My ‘dream setup’ for corporate collaboration: a wiki with an integrated Office 2.0 Suite. The next step will be the wiki integration with ‘traditional’ , transactional enterprise systems - that’s a little further away (although … reading this, who knows? [...] [...] My ‘dream setup’ for corporate collaboration: a wiki with an integrated Office 2.0 Suite. The next step will be the wiki integration with ‘traditional’ , transactional enterprise systems – that’s a little further away (although … reading this, who knows? [...]

]]> By: Venture Chronicles http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-36889 Venture Chronicles Fri, 03 Nov 2006 05:32:40 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-36889 [...] 3) Enormous goodwill is created toward CRV, especially when they are increasingly not on their home turf in Boston. I don’t want to get into another pissing match with anyone from Boston, but the fact remains that the amount of money being invested in Silicon Valley software, internet, entertainment, and mobile app companies simply dwarfs everywhere else and getting access to good deals is tough for any firm, even one with as strong a rep as CRV, but especially hard if you are viewed as not being “from here”. [...] [...] 3) Enormous goodwill is created toward CRV, especially when they are increasingly not on their home turf in Boston. I don’t want to get into another pissing match with anyone from Boston, but the fact remains that the amount of money being invested in Silicon Valley software, internet, entertainment, and mobile app companies simply dwarfs everywhere else and getting access to good deals is tough for any firm, even one with as strong a rep as CRV, but especially hard if you are viewed as not being “from here”. [...]

]]> By: Venture Geek » Quickie: “2.0″ Really Has Meaning? http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-32062 Venture Geek » Quickie: “2.0″ Really Has Meaning? Fri, 13 Oct 2006 05:26:28 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-32062 [...] I have started to loathe the “2.0″ meme. When I started researching the Internet and its cultural and commercial impact in 1994 people were saying all the same things about peer production, changes to social relationships, and all of the (non-technical) tenets espoused as “2.0″. From my perspective, it’s just that it took the shake out and those who just kept going despite it for most of the rest of the world to wake up and smell the mediascape. But, in that context, I think Jeff Nolan makes a reasonable case for why “2.0″ actually has meaning, at least in the enterprise. And even if you don’t buy that, it’s a great blog post (despite the snarky coastism). [...] [...] I have started to loathe the “2.0″ meme. When I started researching the Internet and its cultural and commercial impact in 1994 people were saying all the same things about peer production, changes to social relationships, and all of the (non-technical) tenets espoused as “2.0″. From my perspective, it’s just that it took the shake out and those who just kept going despite it for most of the rest of the world to wake up and smell the mediascape. But, in that context, I think Jeff Nolan makes a reasonable case for why “2.0″ actually has meaning, at least in the enterprise. And even if you don’t buy that, it’s a great blog post (despite the snarky coastism). [...]

]]> By: Jeff http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31628 Jeff Tue, 10 Oct 2006 18:51:15 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31628 there is a major shift underway but we are stuck in the period of uncertainty at the moment, which is why enterprise software venture capital is much like a graveyard... very quiet and really unsettling. there is a major shift underway but we are stuck in the period of uncertainty at the moment, which is why enterprise software venture capital is much like a graveyard… very quiet and really unsettling.

]]> By: Erik http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31611 Erik Tue, 10 Oct 2006 17:05:44 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31611 So, the crux seems to revolve around building ready-made solutions using OPS and lowering COGS by not fielding a traditional sales force. It all sounds good. But getting people out of the “1.0 mindset” can’t happen until you *prove* that the approach – with or without 2.0 technology statements – avoids OPS pitfalls VC people can recite in their sleep. I work on commercial ERP apps and agree it still feels like a dinosaur age despite at least 3 iterations of “ERP apps are dead” declarations by analysts in the last 15 years. Investors are obviously more skeptical than analysts and won’t usually bite unless you have something other don’t and won’t have (patentable?) or you show you are a first mover and have a workable model. The latter is harder for enterprise apps because, as you point out, customers are already automated and saturated. But I think Investors will change mindsets surprisingly fast if you can demonstrate genuine resonance in a user base, especially those on the left edge of the long tail that you imply are already over-served. So, the crux seems to revolve around building ready-made solutions using OPS and lowering COGS by not fielding a traditional sales force. It all sounds good. But getting people out of the “1.0 mindset” can’t happen until you prove that the approach – with or without 2.0 technology statements – avoids OPS pitfalls VC people can recite in their sleep.

I work on commercial ERP apps and agree it still feels like a dinosaur age despite at least 3 iterations of “ERP apps are dead” declarations by analysts in the last 15 years. Investors are obviously more skeptical than analysts and won’t usually bite unless you have something other don’t and won’t have (patentable?) or you show you are a first mover and have a workable model. The latter is harder for enterprise apps because, as you point out, customers are already automated and saturated. But I think Investors will change mindsets surprisingly fast if you can demonstrate genuine resonance in a user base, especially those on the left edge of the long tail that you imply are already over-served.

]]> By: tecosystems http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31527 tecosystems Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:26:30 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31527 <strong>links for 2006-10-10...</strong> Tom Candiotti fesses up: fantasy baseball scheme "Gettin' hit's part of the game," he said. "I've been hit for many reasons, so a rotisserie league (is no big deal)..." - this story is complete comedy (tags: Kent Candiotti baseball...... links for 2006-10-10…

Tom Candiotti fesses up: fantasy baseball scheme “Gettin’ hit’s part of the game,” he said. “I’ve been hit for many reasons, so a rotisserie league (is no big deal)…” – this story is complete comedy (tags: Kent Candiotti baseball……

]]> By: Update on Trends and Information » Enterprise Software Landscape http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31289 Update on Trends and Information » Enterprise Software Landscape Mon, 09 Oct 2006 20:43:01 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31289 [...] [via Sadagopan] Jeff Nolan writes: 1) Direct enterprise selling sucks, is highly inefficient, and makes you do unnatural things in your product strategy in order to drive higher deal sizes [...] [...] [via Sadagopan] Jeff Nolan writes: 1) Direct enterprise selling sucks, is highly inefficient, and makes you do unnatural things in your product strategy in order to drive higher deal sizes [...]

]]> By: Mission Creek / East Coast v West Coast VC http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31234 Mission Creek / East Coast v West Coast VC Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:15:47 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31234 [...] Here is an interesting discussion on east coast VC investing versus West Coast VC investing which was in response to this original post. [...] [...] Here is an interesting discussion on east coast VC investing versus West Coast VC investing which was in response to this original post. [...]

]]> By: AccMan / The company I keep http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-31003 AccMan / The company I keep Mon, 09 Oct 2006 02:52:25 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-31003 [...] Last week, all four of them were on a panel at Longworth Venture Capital, hosted by Harvard associate professor Andrew McAfee. That’s an astonishing testament to their intellectual and experiential value in the brave new world some of us call Enterprise 2.0. Each has their perspective on the event which amply demonstrates the diversity of opinion there is on single topic issues. [...] [...] Last week, all four of them were on a panel at Longworth Venture Capital, hosted by Harvard associate professor Andrew McAfee. That’s an astonishing testament to their intellectual and experiential value in the brave new world some of us call Enterprise 2.0. Each has their perspective on the event which amply demonstrates the diversity of opinion there is on single topic issues. [...]

]]> By: AccMan / Bigco software’s dog day over? http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-30603 AccMan / Bigco software’s dog day over? Sat, 07 Oct 2006 14:03:08 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/10/04/starting-a-new-chapter-for-the-software-industry/#comment-30603 [...] Now that he’s left SAP, Jeff Nolan is no longer on my ‘ding SAP’ list. Shame. Other targets will, I’m sure emerge. So now he sort of dings his former employer : Large enterprise software vendors are not the future. The whack-a-mole selling model where a handful of vendors (172 public companies in hardware and software) are fighting it out over approximately 50,000 business customers just can’t be the future! There are 38 million businesses in the U.S. alone that have less than 10 employees, there just has to be a way to grow our collective markets by appealing to these business users and I’m pretty confident in saying that it isn’t going to come from SAP, Oracle, or IBM. [...] [...] Now that he’s left SAP, Jeff Nolan is no longer on my ‘ding SAP’ list. Shame. Other targets will, I’m sure emerge. So now he sort of dings his former employer : Large enterprise software vendors are not the future. The whack-a-mole selling model where a handful of vendors (172 public companies in hardware and software) are fighting it out over approximately 50,000 business customers just can’t be the future! There are 38 million businesses in the U.S. alone that have less than 10 employees, there just has to be a way to grow our collective markets by appealing to these business users and I’m pretty confident in saying that it isn’t going to come from SAP, Oracle, or IBM. [...]

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