Succeeding?

Failing?

Learning!

Alan Mendelevič

@ailon

“80 percent of success is showing up” Woody Allen

Story #1

Wheel of fortune (late 80s - early 90s)

Sinclair ZX Spectrum+

Lesson #1

See an opportunity where others

only see a problem

Lesson #2

Avoid crappy people

Story #2

ArticleCentral.com (1999 – sold in 2002)

Lesson #3

Failure leads to next opportunity

My first and only exit

to date (2002)

2004

Lesson #4

Timing is everything

Story #3

SPAW Editor (2003 – 2008 – still on life support)

v.1.0 (2003)

Lesson #5

Sustainable business model is

important (unless you have investor money to burn)

v.1.1 (2006)

Lesson #6

Go all-in a.k.a.

consulting is your startup’s enemy

a.k.a.

don’t quit your 9-to-5 job to start a startup

v.2 (2007)

Lesson #4

Timing is everything (too late this time)

Story #4

amCharts for WPF, Silverlight

and Windows Phone (2008 - present)

Lesson #7

Scratch your own itch a.k.a.

money can’t be your only motivation

Lesson #8

Success is not [necessarily]

transferable

Story #5

MVPonT & Twuel (2010)

Lesson #9

Don’t get too excited with early

success

Lesson #10

Do your homework a.k.a. market

research

Lessons learned

applied to AdDuplex

See an opportunity where others only see a problem

Avoid crappy people

Failure leads to next opportunity

Timing is everything

Sustainable business model is important

Go all-in

Scratch your own itch

Success is not [necessarily] transferable

Don’t get too excited with early success

Do your homework a.k.a. market research

Lessons learned

Lessons learned

in Silicon Valley

“… life is a lesson, you learn it

when you're through” Limp Bizkit (?)

Alan Mendelevič

@ailon

Image credits

• Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ - http://www.old-computers.com

• ZX Spectrum+ Manual – Retronaut http://www.retronaut.co/2011/08/zx-spectrum-plus-user-guide/

• Integral/Acer - http://englishrussia.com/2009/12/24/in-belarus-weve-got-integral/

• Silicon Valley - Christian Rondeau http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianrondeau/3471929554/