The Business of Software- What Every Manager- Programmer- and Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and S Description:

The Business of Software: What Every Manager, Programmer, and Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive in Good Times and Bad review:
5 stars (Truly the book that every software entrepreneur should read) - In many ways this is the book I had been trying to find for years. There are many good books on starting up companies, and high-tech companies in particular but not much good literature specifically about the software industry as a whole. This books focuses on software as a business and how the industry really works.



I am managing a start-up software business and the information in this book is invaluable as it really changed my thinking about what the company is, how it operates, and what it takes to become a success.



If you come from a technical background, and starting or thinking of starting a business, then this book is a must-read.


5 stars (A Great Read) - This review is also available on my blog: DLS Thoughts.



I just finished reading "The Business of Software" from Michael Cusumano. Overall a well written book on the fundamentals of the software industry. The book focuses essentially on the analysis of the business model for a software company. There isn't really anything striking new in Cusumano's analysis of software companies' business model, but the author does a good job in outlining the choices offered to software companies and how their business model will have to mature as companies and technologies mature.



Essentially, there are 3 choices for a software company:



* A pure product play (Some would argue that with the advance of open source and the broad adoption that it has been getting lately, that pure plays are getting much more difficult).

* A mix of products and services.

* A pure service play.



I found very interesting Cusumano's analysis of a typical enterprise software company revenue over the course of a five year business lifecycle. For every 1 dollar of product license fees, $2.15 dollars can be derived from services and maintenance. That's more than 70% of the cumulated company revenue. In many cases, services on sold products end up being a life insurance against bad economic times. This brings some prospective to the Professional Open Source buzz. After all, a typical software company already ends up generating 70% of revenues from maintenance and services over a 5 year lifecycle. When put in this context, the changes of business model though important, appear less radical that one may have initially perceived. For those doubtful of the viability of the open source business model, I think we get some empirical data making the case for it right there.



Cusumano goes on with his analysis and show how as companies mature, they tend to move towards more of a services model and provides excellent data to illustrate his argument. As we look at the growth of companies like IBM and Oracle, more and more of their revenues are coming from services. This clearly justifies their strategy behind open source where they can capitalize on their strength in services while maximizing the use of their R&D resources.



Finally, I particularly enjoyed Cusumamo's analysis of the factors that make software startup companies successful, with great examples to illustrate his point. Cusumano basically identifies 8 key criteria for assessing software start ups:



1. The quality of the management team.

2. Whether the market is attractive and has strong potential.

3. How compelling is the offering?

4. How much interest is the offering getting from customers?

5. Is the company credible?

6. What is the business model?

7. How flexible is the management team?

8. What is the payoff potential?



A great list that applies to most business activity.
4 stars (Recommended) - This is a good book. I recommend it for anyone interested in the software business. When it comes to the software industry, there is a natural tendency to focus on the importance of product, so I particuarly liked the author's emphasis on the importance of management.