build a business not a product

A five slides presentation from the Team at Portfolio Software

Build a business not just a product

http://www.portfoliosoftware.co.uk/


1. When estimating sales, be realistic and work out the worst case, can the product still survive

2. Passive selling takes time, a website is not a sales tool, it is a brand

3. Building sales momentum requires cash, don’t scrimp on the sales budget

4. The sales projections are not linear, expect a slow take-up

5. Your sales budget is finite so don’t spread too thin, target your customers with accuracy

When estimating sales, be conservative then half it



1. You are at most vulnerable when you first release your product, support should not be one of your vulnerabilities

2. Resolve customer problems quickly, slow response means both one lost customer and one more nail in the coffin

3. Make it easy for your customers to contact you, make it just as easy for them to complain. Don’t hide behind an email address

4. Day 1 of an new product means you no longer have the luxury of delayed releases, you are now in the real world with real customers.

5. Give your customers quick feedback and always provide estimates for resolution

Don’t lose customers through lack of support



1. Decide in advance when to pull the plug on a failed product, and how

2. Work out a roadmap for a successful product and how long it is likely to be useful

3. Killing a failed product is easy but saving the few customers is much harder, give them an exist strategy and help them exit easily

4. Don’t rely on a single product making you rich, the odds are against you but do decide when you are ready to move to the next product

5. People investing in your product will expect to sell and move on at some point, work out the optimum time for them to move

Have an exit strategy for you and your product



1. Team work is great but a leader chooses the path

2. Business partners work well when both have a single area of the business to concentrate on

3. Coalition governments are middle of the road, people running businesses need to be slightly daring

4. Don’t complicate the business with complex decision making

5. Accept some decisions will be wrong, but at least it is a decision

Consensus does not work when running a business



1. A much used saying, but true, customers really do make or break you

2. You may have bank-rolled the idea but customers bank-roll both your profit and your success

3. Treat your customers with respect at all times, they deserve the best

4. It is much easier to look after an existing customer than it is to get a new one

5. Customers have so much choice, do not disappoint them in their choice to choose you

Treat your customers as though they own you, they do


Portfolio Software was formed in 2002

We deliver great software solutions - you won't get what you expect from Portfolio Software. You'll get more.

We take a different approach to software development, blending the strengths of best practices and methodologies - not just limiting our options to one. Our long-range vision focuses on your immediate needs first, developing a solution and a roadmap for future expansion.

We work successfully with distributed teams - we recognise that the world is flat

We are well versed with delivering solutions with teams distributed across 5 continents. We recognise the need, mitigate the risks and embrace the complexity.

We use industry standard processes - successful Delivery of Your Solution is our Prime Directive

Whether Agile or Waterfall, we pick the best method and process for the delivery of your solution. We manage the full lifecycle and have an open and transparent working policy which means we keep you with us every step of the way.

Contact us:

Tel: +44(0)845 644 7855

Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]
