For this month issue I had the pleasure to interview Eric Sink, the author of the successful book called Eric Sink on the Business of Software. He is the man who coined the term micro-ISV and led the group that created the Spyglass web browser, which later became known as Internet Explorer. He created the AbiWord open-source word processor, and now he's one of the principals at SourceGear, which is a leading vendor of version control tools.

From the interview with Eric Sink:

"I'm always reluctant to give short, pithy tips, but I'll do it anyway:
1. Build something that people actually need, even if you'll have serious competition.
2. Most companies worry too much about getting new customers and too little about keeping their current customers happy.
3. Create a product that your customers will WANT to recommend to their friends."

Read the full interview

This year's spring conference, organized by ISDEF in Moscow, had some elements that made it different than the last ones: it was held in the Holiday Inn, Vinogradovo, outside Moscow and it wasn't just a one day conference but one and a half.

Having the conference outside the city probably made it difficult for the locals to attend the conference and for the participants to leave.Foreign people had no chance to leave the location, since there was no connection with the subway. So visiting the city was somehow difficult.

The number of participants for this session was less than 150, probably because most of software developers are attending only the autumn conference.

Read the full story

How can you tell which eCommerce provider is best for your business?
This is not such an easy job as some may believe because there are more than a few elements with direct impact over your sales.

We jotted down a brief guideline to consider when it comes to choosing the right eCommerce provider and we are hoping you will find it useful.

List them in a table, add columns for corresponding grades and notes; then fill them in for several eCommerce providers, then compare your files and make the best choice.

Here is the guideline.

You've launched a new software product and you want to see its impact on the market. Which are the first software marketing methods that come to your mind in order to make your product popular and in the end gain more buyers? We've jotted down ten basic online software marketing methods that may help you boost your sales.

1. Continuous Search Engine Optimization
2. Submit your shareware to software download sites and directories
3. Affiliates marketing
4. Pay per Click campaigns
5. Write newsletters and press releases
6. Write and submit articles
7. Social Media
8. Blog and RSS
9. Google base
10. Get involved in online forums

Get the full guide

Planet MicroISV - Blogs for and about MicroISV

The site aggregates various blogs written by or interesting to MicroISVs (definition for MicroISV on this blog: "A small, usually one person, software development house that develops and markets its own software"). It is maintained by Baruch Even.

Find more cool places

ad:tech Hamburg - May 22-23, 2007
http://www.ad-techhamburg.com/_en/

A conference exclusively dedicated to Internet Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing. Do not miss the opportunity to investigate the background of online advertising and marketing solutions.

JavaOne Conference - San Francisco, California, Moscone Center - May 8-11, 2007
http://java.sun.com/javaone/sf/index.jsp

A conference dedicated to business and marketing leaders at companies delivering Java-based products, including software, hardware, content and services.

Microsoft Business Intelligence Conference 2007 - Seattle, WA - May 9 - 11 2007
http://www.microsoftbiconference.com/

Find out more on Microsoft Business Intelligence and how can it help you drive increased business performance at strategic, tactical and organizational levels.