Smalltalk & MicroISV's

Smalltalks 2010November 11,12 and 13, 2010Concepción del UruguayEntre Rios - Argentina

About me, Germán Arduino Founder and current owner of Arduino Software, a MicroISV from Argentina Squeak/Pharo and several other open source projects contributor Blog: http://germanarduino.blogspot.com Twitter: @garduino

A Micro-ISV (abbr. mISV or μISV), a term coined by Eric Sink [1], is an independent software vendor with just one software developer. In such an environment the company owner develops software, manages sales and does public relations.

[1] http://www.ericsink.com/

[2] http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_ISV

The term has come to mean more than just a "one-man shop," but any ISV with more than 10 employees is generally not considered a Micro-ISV. Small venture capital funded software shops are also generally not considered micro ISVs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_ISV

Many Micro-ISVs sell their software through the shareware marketing model where potential customers can try the software before they buy it. The shareware marketing model has become the dominant method of marketing packaged software with even the largest brands offering their enterprise solutions as trials via free downloads. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_ISV

Context: A lone programmer developing business software for small companies and looking for smarter ways to do the job

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootload/2756382678/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en

If we remember a well know [1] sentence (in the Smalltalk world):

Personal Mastery: If a system is to serve the creative spirit, it must be entirely comprehensible to a single individual. [1] Design Principles Behind Smalltalk - Dan Ingalls

If we remember a well know [1] sentence (in the Smalltalk world):

Personal Mastery: If a system is to serve the creative spirit, it must be entirely comprehensible to a single individual. [1] Design Principles Behind Smalltalk - Dan Ingalls

was clear to me that Smalltalk should be a "perfect fit" to Micro-ISV world! And I took Smalltalk as the main development tool for my company and I never regretted it! Smalltalk gave me:

The possibility of develop lot of different projects being only myself or with a small team

A lot of fun :)

Packaged Projects: Promoter

It's a search engines adder, to help add new websites on the main search enginesShareware experiment based on Squeak & SeasideWeb app to use on a desktop environmentA few dozen sold Presented on Innovation Technology Awards on Brussels 2005Website: http://www.arsol.biz/promoter/indexe.html

Packaged Projects: Promoter

Packaged Project: A1-BusinessCMS

It's web application to maintain an Internet catalog for different business but with special focus on Real EstateIt's based on Squeak & SeasideIt's not sold by shareware method, but with direct contact with the customerAdapted versions to scan and store documents Website: http://www.arsol.biz/a1

Packaged Proj: A1-BusinessCMS

Packaged Projects: PasswordsPro

It's a passwords and notes manager available in Spanish and EnglishIt's sold by shareware and by other channels (resellers, offers, etc) It's developed in Dolphin Smalltalk ProAproximately 1300 usersPresented on Innovation Technology Awards Amsterdam 2008Website: http://www.passwordspro.com

Packaged Projects: PasswordsPro

Custom Projects: Card Games

It's a spanish set of card games using SWT framework, all 100% Squeak and Web using Comet. Custom Development to IGO SoftwareWebsite:http://ceibo.wordpress.com/

Custom Projects: Card Games

Custom Projects: Virtual Museum

It's a virtual tour for a spanish museum integrating SWT framework, 3C Isometric Game and Squeak projects. Custom Development to IGO SoftwareWebsite:http://www.squeaksource.com/MuseoVirtualWeb.html

Custom Projects: Virtual Museum

Custom Projects: Albaplata Project

It's a multimedia Squeak project focused in different cultural aspects of Extremadura, Spain. Based on FMA framework and Squeak Custom Development to IGO SoftwareWebsite:http://www.squeaksource.com/Albaplata.html

Custom Projects: Albaplata Project

Custom Project: WebPostAutomationIt's a product to automate manual tasks on the web, as login, upload / download of files, filling of forms, etc.It's based on Pharo and WebClientCustom development to a local client and now developing another adaptation for a customer from Spain (Barcelona)http://germanarduino.blogspot.com/2010/07/webpostautomation-released.html

Internal Projects: WebSiteGenerator

It's an internal tool I use to develop simple (or not so simple) pure html & css web sitesSave me tons of work hours to develop static web sites starting from a professional templateIt's based on Pharo

Internal Project:WebHosting Administration

It's an internal system I developed to administer my web hosting businessIt's a web application based on Pharo & Seaside

Internal Project: WebHosting Administration

Ongoing Projects: Classifieds

It's a web catalog to classified adsIt's based on Pharo and SeasideThe only point to solve with these applications is the hosting. Most competence is against PHP and it is included on the 100% of the hosting shared offers.

Prospect 1: Small ERP

It's a small ERP system covering invoices and current accountsIt's based on Pharo & SeasideBased on SmallPOS (Check Squeaksource)May grow to a complete ERP to public services cooperatives (water, gas, electricity, etc)

Prospect 1: Small ERP

Prospect 2: Water Tank Automation

It's a project we are evaluating to automate the filling of water (or any liquid) tanks starting and stoping the fill pumpsMust include a web console for an operation center that need to control all the tanks even geographically dispersesTrying to use simple electronic cards, with discrete componentsPharo & Seaside

Prospect 2: Water Tank Automation

Prospect 3: Asterisk/Elastix AutoCall

It's a project to make automatic call to different customers using an Asterisk/Elastix voip centralThe goal is call all te clients from a text file, read their debts and capture their responses We are trying to develop it as an appliance (hardware included)Pharo & Seaside

Prospect 3: Asterisk/Elastix AutoCall

It's a project to make automatic call to different customers using an Asterisk/Elastix voip centralThe goal is call all te clients from a text file, read their debts and capture their responses We are trying to develop it as an appliance (hardware included)Pharo & Seaside

Confirmed by the customer on October 29!

Prospect 3: Asterisk/Elastix AutoCall

Confirmed by the customer on October 29!

Tools I use:Pharo - Squeak - Dolphin PROSeaside - Magritte - Pier - SmallPOS - WebClient - MonticelloLot of others from Squeaksource Productivity against other tools (PHP-Visual FoxPro): 2 - 1Want to use soon: Magma - GLASS

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

or

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;The solutions need be on the market NOW;

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;The solutions need be on the market NOW;Micro-ISV is mostly a "one man shop";

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;The solutions need be on the market NOW;Micro-ISV is mostly a "one man shop";That need to understand "enterely" each system;

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;The solutions need be on the market NOW;Micro-ISV is mostly a "one man shop";That need to understand "enterely" each system;and need to concentrate on the domain of the solutions (not in the tools)

Then? Micro-ISV World = A big opportunity for Smalltalk

orSmalltalk = A big opportunity for Micro-ISV World ?

Why?Micro-ISV need productivity;Micro-ISV is a matter of entrepreneurship;The solutions need be on the market NOW;Micro-ISV is mostly a "one man shop";That need to understand "enterely" each system;and need to concentrate on the domain of the solutions (not in the tools)

All this is Smalltalk, isn't it?

Where spread the voice? (And integrate ourselves)

Association of Software Professionals (http://www.asp-software.org)

Software Industry Conference (http://www.sic.org) European Software Conference (http://www.euroconference.info)

Planet MicroISV (http://planet-microisv.com/)

The Business Of Software (http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/?biz)

Organization of Independent Software Vendors (http://www.oisv.com/)

Business Software Column on my blog (http://germanarduino.blogspot.com)

Special Thanks:My wife Griselda and my sons Matías and Nicolás by their continued supportDiego Gomez Deck - Alejandro Reimondo (My main mentors in Smalltalk)Pharo & Squeak CommunityAndy Bower from Object ArtsAlejandro Aguirre (my coequiper on lot of projects) ESUG (Sponsoring the development of XMLRPC for Pharo)FAST (For the hard work to organize the Smalltalk's events in Argentina)

Questions?

Thanks You Very Much!