Comments on: Solid Advice for Startups – and a Startup Post Mortem http://greyaliengames.com/blog/solid-advice-for-startups-and-a-startup-post-mortem/ Casual Game Development and Positive Thinking Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:15:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Grey Alien Games http://greyaliengames.com/blog/solid-advice-for-startups-and-a-startup-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-2340 Grey Alien Games Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:00:34 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=177#comment-2340 Thanks for your comments everyone. Yes Iain, failing fast is definitely worth bearing in mind, but in this case I feel that we gave up too soon and could have made it work and it may well have been making me a decent passive income by now...However, if we had put effort in for a good while and it was generating peanuts then I may have shut it down to focus on bigger money makers. Rob R: Absolutely, someone else controlled the product and had a stranglehold on the supply chain. That's why we tried to change to multiple products (on an affiliate basis) to have our eggs in many baskets but we never made that take off properly. I certainly prefer selling my own games that I have control over and I also think that an ebook is a great thing to sell as there is no physical media. Thanks for your comments everyone.

Yes Iain, failing fast is definitely worth bearing in mind, but in this case I feel that we gave up too soon and could have made it work and it may well have been making me a decent passive income by now…However, if we had put effort in for a good while and it was generating peanuts then I may have shut it down to focus on bigger money makers.

Rob R: Absolutely, someone else controlled the product and had a stranglehold on the supply chain. That’s why we tried to change to multiple products (on an affiliate basis) to have our eggs in many baskets but we never made that take off properly. I certainly prefer selling my own games that I have control over and I also think that an ebook is a great thing to sell as there is no physical media.

]]> By: Rob R http://greyaliengames.com/blog/solid-advice-for-startups-and-a-startup-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-2339 Rob R Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:38:55 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=177#comment-2339 Very good article! I have started many companies over the last 30 yrs and I need to emphasize one very important point! Try to have control and ownership over the product! Although you make a point that you had some issues with co founders, ultimately, the business failed because you no longer had product. Without that you had no business left, everything else just caved in because of that one point. Very good article! I have started many companies over the last 30 yrs and I need to emphasize one very important point! Try to have control and ownership over the product! Although you make a point that you had some issues with co founders, ultimately, the business failed because you no longer had product. Without that you had no business left, everything else just caved in because of that one point.

]]> By: Brian http://greyaliengames.com/blog/solid-advice-for-startups-and-a-startup-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-2311 Brian Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:29:35 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=177#comment-2311 This video offers some more great advice to people who want to do a startup: http://www.omnisio.com/startupschool08/david-heinemeier-hansson-at-startup-school-08/00:00.000 :) This video offers some more great advice to people who want to do a startup: http://www.omnisio.com/startupschool08/david-heinemeier-hansson-at-startup-school-08/00:00.000

:)

]]> By: Iain Key http://greyaliengames.com/blog/solid-advice-for-startups-and-a-startup-post-mortem/comment-page-1/#comment-2307 Iain Key Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:33:27 +0000 http://greyaliengames.com/blog/?p=177#comment-2307 Nice article Jake, running a business has easily got to be one of the most stressful things to do in life. I actually think your point 12 should really be "knowing when to let go" or when it's ok to give up. You put a lot into your own business and sometimes, like in your situation, it just time to let go because things just aren't working for one reason or another. If you look at their biography's most of the people who "make it big", such as those on Dragons Den, have started and failed in business many many times before they make it. It's well worth remembering that as well as, on the other hand, don't give up at the first hurdle because there are always challenges. Just my 2p (or in today's climate approx £500 ;-)) Iain Nice article Jake, running a business has easily got to be one of the most stressful things to do in life.

I actually think your point 12 should really be “knowing when to let go” or when it’s ok to give up. You put a lot into your own business and sometimes, like in your situation, it just time to let go because things just aren’t working for one reason or another.

If you look at their biography’s most of the people who “make it big”, such as those on Dragons Den, have started and failed in business many many times before they make it.
It’s well worth remembering that as well as, on the other hand, don’t give up at the first hurdle because there are always challenges.

Just my 2p (or in today’s climate approx £500 ;-) )
Iain

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