Help for Software Product Companies
based on a
Wealth of Experience
With decades of successful, global experience in the software product industry, we are uniquely equipped to provide your company with comprehensive, efficient and effective help and support.
Our experience spans all of the key elements and disciplines involved in the operation of a software product company, including: strategic planning; technology direction/management; product management; software development; marketing; sales; leadership; team building.
The consistently high failure rate of software product companies indicates that most advisory
services, together with the mass of books, articles and websites, offering almost endless methods and solutions, are ineffective!
Even the simplest software products present complex challenges to successful execution, spanning technological, commercial and leadership/team issues. We have encountered and led companies/teams through such problems for many years.
The Value of Experience
Much of the "help" offered to software product companies comes from people with little to no actual experience of delivering successful software products. The help we provide, is based on decades of experience, of managing, developing, delivering and supporting a number of successful software products, used by many millions of people around the world. This level of experience is rarely available, especially to start-up, small and medium size companies.
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Over the course of our careers, we have almost certainly experienced, and dealt with, the same issues, problems and challenges that you are faced with right now. We have originated and built our own software product companies, and carried CEO, CTO, and CPO positions for companies ranging in age and size from start-ups to corporates. In particular, we have a deep and extensive understanding of how to bridge the "gap" between the technology/product function and the commercial/business function.
Strategic Planning Support
A company's strategic plans must demonstrate a clear and correct understanding of the needs of the clients/users in the market being targeted, and they must also ensure that the planned/delivered product(s) deliver on those needs, and that they will continue to do so as the needs change over time.
Turn-around Planning
​We have helped even the most seemingly terminal-stage companies turn-around successfully. So the message is, don't despair, however bad things seem. But, you must act, and the key is to get the very best, most experienced help you possibly can. Please contact us if you are reading this and your company is in need of a turn-around. We can help.
Technology Direction/Software Dev't Process and Control
Technology choice and management, can make the difference between success and failure of your product, and your company. The knowledge pool is often quite limited in start-up/small companies, as deeply experienced, senior technologists are expensive and in short-supply. Software development, whether in-house or outsourced, needs to be done to well prepared specifications, and the staging and configuration processes must be fit-for-purpose.
Product Management
A much misunderstood, but critically important discipline. Companies with established best-practices in product management stand a chance of delivering products that will meet their objectives, satisfy clients/users, and be successful overall. Those without, will only ever produce a successful product by chance! Good, cross-discipline Product Managers are hard to find, but they are essential to correctly functioning product companies.
Prospect Client Profiles
Early Startup
Mature Startup/Small
SME Companies
Companies at the ideation, pre-revenue stage, probably seeking pre-seed funding. If your company is at this stage, then we understand that you are bootstrapping, and that finances will be tight. However, we should still talk. We can help with the process of turning idea into prototype/MVP; the funding and grant application process; establishment of key processes; team building, and more.
Companies at MVP stage (at least), revenue making. Probably seeking seed equity-based funding and/or significant grant funding. We can help you prepare for the more stringent funding process, and grant choice/applications. Product planning, moving beyond MVP; more demands on leadership; further team-building, and more, are all issues we can help with.
Defined by UK Government as companies with up to a headcount of 250; turnover up to £50m; and balance sheet total up to £43m. Companies getting to this stage have done well, but are often unsure how to maintain growth, and there can be margin problems, as headcounts increase. Products can stagnate, and client/user interest can wane.
Our Process
This is how we engage:
01
Talking/Discovery
Over the course of a number of meetings and conversations, we will learn about your business and the issues and challenges you may wish us to help with.
02
Action Plan
We will prepare an action plan, based on everything we learn in Step 1. The plan will detail our analysis of the issues/challenges your company faces, and our proposed solutions to these, including timescales and costs. No two action plans will ever be the same, as every business is unique, and there is nothing formulaic about what we do.
03
Execution
If you accept our action plan and decide to proceed, we will execute on the plan, with careful attention to the milestones and progress reviews, which will be detailed in the plan. Each plan will detail the level of cooperation required, and this will range from light to intense.
04
Ongoing Support
In many cases, we will continue to provide ongoing support, at varying levels, once the action plan has been successfully executed. Some of our client relationships may continue for quite some time.
