The Enterprise Incident

Big changes here at the Action Ranch.   

Nearly a year ago, I found myself at a vendor's user convention at the San Francisco Airport Marriott.  I was in a room of about 400 people, with all of them as  potential customers for our big data product.  

Our product is fairly specialized, and upon reflection it occurred to me that there were perhaps only 20 companies in the world who could make immediate use of what we were offering.  They each had six-month long acquisition cycles.  Also, we had at least 4 worthy competitors for those customers with booths out in the lobby.   Their products were not the same as ours, but they where close enough that we had to share a lot of mindshare, even if our features were complementary.

Those are lousy odds.

Thar she blows!

It was at that moment that I distanced myself from the metaphorical "whale spotting" business and decided to concentrate on something else.  That something else became AnActionPlan - which is about as far from enterprise software that you can get.  Our customers are individuals with a story to tell and help to provide.  The only business process they are concerned with is the business of living.  That side of the business is coming along nicely, thank you very much. 

I didn't think that I would mess the siren song of the whales, but alas I did.  

Call it comfort.  After all, I've been playing in the enterprise software space since 1989.  As long as nobody brings me a birthday cake while I'm a a gig, I'm happy to be the outsider.  I can say things that would be political suicide for any employee who dared to say it.  I can be kicked out the door remorselessly and get blamed for every ill of the project.  I consider it an honor.  Thankfully, there are only a couple of those instances in my 20+ year career.   

They don't pay me to do the work - they pay me to leave quickly when it's over. 

Full Circle

After six good months of development, we're finally getting around to adding some enterprise features.  The SaaS market is different for organizations than it is for actual legal persons.  

For one thing, you need to have a notion of an organization with a cohort of associates.   For another, you need a lot more analytics and integration options with the outside world.   And don't forget role-based security.  We need more roles than a remake of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World".   

Those features are necessary, but what are the most important?   Where will we need to burn the calories to get the kind of features into the product that make it compelling to established enterprises?   That's where I need your help.

Fair Warning

If you are in my linked-in or in my address book, chances are good you will hear from me in the next little while.  It won't be spam.  I don't play that.  I will send you a politely worded individual message if I think you can provide some insight.  I know most of you from conventions, as clients, or as colleagues.  Before we go full-tilt on this thing, we'll be asking for opinions on what features you think will be valuable for our new product.  

I'll be posting a summary pitch deck soon, so keep a look out for that.  It will contain the details of what is in the works.   

I don't want to go into too much detail here.  But if you're curious, please don't be shy about messaging me in Linked-in or at g[email protected].  I look forward to hearing from you.