Bootstrapping Using Free Software

Bootstrapping using free software

A discussion on starting up, cheaply

Colin Charlesbyte@bytebot.nethttp://bytebot.net/

StartupCampKLNovember 2008

Free software?

Free as in bebas Not free as in percuma

Freedoms

Run the softwareStudy the software & change it accordingly

Redistribute copies to othersModify, then release, so no one has to do things

twice

Open Source?

Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end

to predatory vendor lock-in.

From opensource.org

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The open source model

Spend money to save timeSpend time to save money

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What do you require?

● Technology business?● Media business?● Front office?● Advertising business?● Specialised engineering business?

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Media

1999: Mandrake, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla(exception of one Mac machine, for DTP use)

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Media

2008: Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Thunderbird

(okay, Google Docs/Mail is crucial... and there's still one Mac for DTP use)

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Technology

Is there a reason you are not leveraging on the use of open source? There is no excuse.

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Venture backed startups

I've received funding... now what next?

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I have money to hire 5 staff

Kick ass programmers?Maybe three, if you're lucky/smart

Progress in twelve months

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Do I base my architecture on...

ASP.NET/MS SQL/IIS/Windows Server?OR

PHP/MySQL/Apache/Linux?(yes, yes, Python, Perl, Ruby, PostgreSQL, OpenSolaris, FreeBSD, and others do make

sense too :) )

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Software licenses

There is zero cost, when using open source software

When you are profitable and need support, consulting, training, et al, you can go back to a

service provider to help you solve your problems

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Examples...

Linux ... Red Hat, Novell, UbuntuMySQL ... Sun

JBoss ... Red HatOpenOffice.org ... Sun

And don't forget your local SI's, etc...

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What about community supported stuff?

Debian? FreeBSD? PostgreSQL?Trust your local partners! The choice is yours

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So, back to I have 5 staff to hire

3 kick ass programmers will write more code, in a quicker time, if they leverage open source

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Why?

Rewrite yet another CMS?Rewrite yet another wiki?

Rewrite yet another VoIP system?Rewrite yet another e-commerce system?

Rewrite yet another ... ?

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Reuse

Just build it on other people's work

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License Proliferation

Be aware, the many different licenses out there. Knowing when to mix and match, is as simple as

reading the licenseMixing with proprietary software? Look for

BSD/Apache licensesLGPL ensures that when incorporated into your software, the license itself doesn't “leak” into it

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Front office stuff

Web browser ... FirefoxEmail client ... Thunderbird

Office suite ... OpenOffice.orgAccounting package ... GNUCash

Graphics manipulation ... The GIMP

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Vendor lock-in

... is bad“... provides Malaysian SMEs with cost-effective

and affordable options to purchase IT at only RM188 per month”

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Open Standards

Today, if you don't have open APIs, your product is probably dead in the water

Malaysian web properties lack open APIs – start now!

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When is free software, maybe, incorrect?

Specialised uses, where today, there only exists software for proprietary platformsArchitects depend on AutoCAD

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Bootstrapping in the Web 2.0 world

Guy KawasakiTruemors

“Life is also good because of open source and Wordpress.”

7.5 weeks from domain registration to launchAbout USD$12k, only USD$4.5k spent on

software development

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More bootstrapping

Mark Zuckerberg

“Going from a university dorm room to a company that has more than 1800 servers running MySQL

is something that we think is pretty exciting,” Urlocker said. “It just goes to show you that a student with a good idea can go a long way.”

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Bootstrapping yet again

YouTubeGoogle AdSense

(http://xooglers.blogspot.com/2005/12/lets-get-real-database.html)

Yahoo!Flickr

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SeedCamp

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VCs?

If you're investing in a company, or handing them grants, they better not be building their software

on a proprietary platform

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What about the cloud?

Google Apps for your Domain

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Thank free software

The world as you know it, today, would not be the same, had it not been for open source software

A UNIX variant powers most servers... languages like Perl/PHP/etc. are the glue... Apache, MySQL,

etc. are the infrastructure

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Thanks

Colin Charlesbyte@bytebot.nethttp://bytebot.net/