3 ms·

Ahh to be a Startup in this crazy Web 2.0+ world

12 points by drm237 19y ago

ivankirigin 19y ago
What is the benefit of the MS startup zone? Doesn't it make it easier for MS to control you without actually giving you a payout? I'm trying to think of this from the perspective of someone that fears MS as competition or desires MS as an acquirer or as someone who doesn't care about either. Why would anyone want it?
- andreyf 19y ago
  Someone who wants MS as an aquirer would probably benefit from it... it's just a way of spreading their software to people who can't really afford it - like their Academic Alliance programs ("free" software for students). The point is to compete with F/OSS as a choice for startups until they go public, then making loads of $$$ on license fees because they're stuck with MS tech.
kleevr 19y ago
MS Shill (?version).0
gibsonf1 19y ago
Prepare to be assimilated... Resistance is futile. :)
daniel-cussen 19y ago
Why would any startup join Microsoft's thing? They only give you their software. From the minutes I regret having spent on the site (the banner that says "we value innovation" tells you what you're in for) they give you software if you join. That's it. You have to run your stuff using .NET. It doesn't say anything about funding, lawyer time or hacker time. That is, none of the things they offer are better than what you can get for free at sourceforge. Again, this is what I saw in the first few minutes of browsing the site. If they do provide funding, then that's another story.
iamelgringo 19y ago
I checked into this last year. If you want to develop software for the desktop, and become an ISV like Xobni, they actually have some really good deals to help get you off the ground. And, I tend to be fairly OS agnostic. I like to use whatever technology is the best fix for the problem. I'm certainly not shilling for MSoft, I'm doing all my work on Linux at this point. But, I might decide to switch in a couple of years, we'll see. I forget if it's through their Start up Accelerator program, or another program, but you can get an "Action Pack" of Microsoft software: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/managemembership/actionpack/mapscontents https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/managemembership/ac... And, you get all of this software for the low low price of $299. I'm sure that Xobni is using this. It's a very cheap way to get a bunch of Windows Licenses. If you don't mind being Windows based, it's a great way to lower your Licensing fees while you're getting off the ground. It's a pain to develop for the Windows Desktop, but there is a good bit of money to be made. And, if they keep developing Languages like PowerShell, IronPython, IronRuby and F#, it might become less painful for language geeks/hacker types in the next couple of years. C# already has some pretty cool functional programming features.

12 points by drm237 19y ago

What is the benefit of the MS startup zone? Doesn't it make it easier for MS to control you without actually giving you a payout? I'm trying to think of this from the perspective of someone that fears MS as competition or desires MS as an acquirer or as someone who doesn't care about either. Why would anyone want it?

andreyf 19y ago
Someone who wants MS as an aquirer would probably benefit from it... it's just a way of spreading their software to people who can't really afford it - like their Academic Alliance programs ("free" software for students). The point is to compete with F/OSS as a choice for startups until they go public, then making loads of $$$ on license fees because they're stuck with MS tech.

kleevr 19y ago

MS Shill (?version).0

gibsonf1 19y ago

Prepare to be assimilated... Resistance is futile. :)

daniel-cussen 19y ago

Why would any startup join Microsoft's thing? They only give you their software. From the minutes I regret having spent on the site (the banner that says "we value innovation" tells you what you're in for) they give you software if you join. That's it. You have to run your stuff using .NET. It doesn't say anything about funding, lawyer time or hacker time. That is, none of the things they offer are better than what you can get for free at sourceforge. Again, this is what I saw in the first few minutes of browsing the site. If they do provide funding, then that's another story.

iamelgringo 19y ago

I checked into this last year. If you want to develop software for the desktop, and become an ISV like Xobni, they actually have some really good deals to help get you off the ground. And, I tend to be fairly OS agnostic. I like to use whatever technology is the best fix for the problem. I'm certainly not shilling for MSoft, I'm doing all my work on Linux at this point. But, I might decide to switch in a couple of years, we'll see. I forget if it's through their Start up Accelerator program, or another program, but you can get an "Action Pack" of Microsoft software: https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/managemembership/actionpack/mapscontents https://partner.microsoft.com/US/program/managemembership/ac... And, you get all of this software for the low low price of $299. I'm sure that Xobni is using this. It's a very cheap way to get a bunch of Windows Licenses. If you don't mind being Windows based, it's a great way to lower your Licensing fees while you're getting off the ground. It's a pain to develop for the Windows Desktop, but there is a good bit of money to be made. And, if they keep developing Languages like PowerShell, IronPython, IronRuby and F#, it might become less painful for language geeks/hacker types in the next couple of years. C# already has some pretty cool functional programming features.