* IT execs become start-ups as they develop apps they created for previous employers
We all know that our time and talents are valuable, but have you ever stopped and thought how valuable they really are? This week’s Management Strategies story in Network World examines three IT professionals who found out, turning their knowledge and skills into start-ups.
The people profiled all made the jump from IT employee to businessman by furthering projects they began with a former employer. For example, Kirk Wolfe spent five years developing a handheld app for delivery drivers at his former company. When that business was acquired, he didn’t want to abandon the application on which he spent so much time and effort. Instead, he decided to form his own company and develop the application for another industry.
Dick Powers made a similar move. While working for the Defense Department he created a methodology to assist in optimization analysis. While it took the Defense Department a staggering 20 years to implement, Powers early on formed his own company around his findings and marketed his work to others.
While many tech companies have been formed by users-turned-vendors, their founders often find that the technical aspects of their work come much easier than the business, sales or marketing skills required. However, it’s something they must deal with as they move from the server room to the boardroom.
“It was interesting for me, an IT guy of 20 years, to find myself in a two-hour meeting to come up with an ad campaign,” says Chris Edden, another user-turned-businessman.
This week’s Management Strategies story offers a lot of insight into the move from user to vendor. Check out the store in its entirety at https://www.nwfusion.com/careers/2003/0120man.html
