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Just stirring the pot, but I have to say that I hate it when USA companies pretend there are no other countries. I was trying to buy netnewswire today and it said State? only offering me US states, then it said country. Drives me loopy.
It drives me up the wall as well...but given the US dominate the internet, you have to put it into perspective. Fortunately, this will change are the rest of the world catches up.
...my first post on Tangler - well done guys, you are onto something good.
Well, USA is the most dominant country, but it's less than 1/4 of the total market. Skype wouldn't be the success it is without being global.
Although I guess that is by it's nature a communication product and the most value you can get is when you call people overseas which normally would have been cost prohibitive.
But it's an interesting question for Sydney tech companies. Do you have to go to USA? If you an enterprise software, I say 'yes, you have to go'. If you're consumer, you can do a lot from here, but if you need partnerships then you need to be in the valley. Anyway, I'm just trying to convince myself mainly...
You don't have to go to the US, but you do need to embrace it as if you were there. The reason most Australian startups aren't getting the attention they crave from US-based investors has little to do with distance and more to do with the utterly derivative nature of their products.
Derivative as in copies of successful US models?
Yeah
It's not a purely Australian phenomenon, there's plenty of Flickr clones in the US as well. They're not getting VC either.
Well Flickr itself was a clone with a twist. A twist can make all the difference, but it's harder to find that twist if you are isolated.
I think atlassian did the twist pretty well by being a great product as well as aiming at the right, different market. They were pretty focused.
Australia isn't isolated when it comes to innovation, just apathetic
But who is Atlassian's target market? Do enterprises have a Wiki problem they need solved?
mmmm, I'd say that 99.99999% of Australia is apathetic and 0.00001% are really really crazy wild passionate about innovation.
Absolutely. It's just too bad most of the people whining about a lack of investment fall into the former category.
Yeah, obviously they do. But Atlassian targetted small units within enterprises that had internal development. They didn't try and sell into NYSE with one big sales pitch. They found one chamption and sold them.
I heart Atlassian
I think they've done a good job, but not miracle work. Australia is rolling out more of them.
Who was that one champion?
The guy in the dev team who was frustrated at the lack of QA resource and systems/processes and wanted to spend more time getting stuff done then worrying what had to be done.
Most of the businesses that make up web2.0 arn't exactly miracle ideas. Once a few success stories lead the way, a lot of others will realise it does't take that much innovating to be successful.
What success stories? In Australia or global?
Blog entry by Mike at Atlassian on Australian Startups.
I'm interested to know how many Australian crews are building just to flip. I think people need to look closely at their definition of success.
For example, 37signals is the kind of success I would be comfortable with, for others they might not be happy with anything less than a gold-plated Google Jet.
Yep, I think finding a company that matches your ambitions as well as your values is the single most important and challenging aspect to finding a great role these days.
No, not at all. I'm saying that if your definition of success is best suited to build-and-flip, then go for it. Know your goals.
I agree
I suppose that applies to everything in life. Have a goal before you start and benchmark yourself against it - my mate is obsessed with gym, he doesn't know when enough muscle is enough. With business and money, you need to know when you have reached success. Otherwise, you'll end up like Friendster that missed out because their greed overtook realism.
And then he became governor.
P.S. You can drag and drop picturs from other browser windows into the message pane. Links too.
Perhaps there's less innovation in Au because there's bugger all investment money... all the people with big ideas just head to the valley instead
Depends what your building. How much investment money do you need to build a website, or an application?
There are lots of factors at play. Australian money has traditionally gone overseas because of better opportunities and better investment environments. But there is more than enough money in Australia, just need to match it up. One problem is that entreprenuers want to get $100k to get started when they have a brilliant but poorly researched idea. No investor is going to fund that risk.
Totally
I think it's cultural - we go to school to go to university - we got to university to get a job at a established company - we go to established company to buy a house - we get a house and get married - we get married and then it;s about paying the mortage and watching your money.
It's take a few mavericks to show what success outside of this traditional way of doing things looks like, before the cycle gets broken
I agree it is somewhat cultural... I've only just started referring to myself as an "entrepreneur" again (with pride).
for me, what stops me from being an "entrepreneur" is time. I'ts been drummed into my head I need to get some education - and now with postgrad study and a fulltime job, I haven't got the time. I have great ideas, and great contacts to fund me - but the way I was brought up to focus on education and get a job at a traditional organisation has meant I will be a few years slower than what I should have been
In the US, I spent so much time working out of cafes with free WiFi, and that was in 2001-2002. I can't do that here. That kind of environment is built for passion.
I think the environment is more challenging here than a lack of resources. Improve the environment, improve the product.
It's simplistic, but it makes a world of difference.
agreed - the resources are available anywhere. people just need to take advantage of them
Elias: I think education is a great thing. Even most US/silicon valley entrepreneurs have great educations.
If you do have a great idea why not get some angel funding and give it a go?
I am studying full time, and working fulltime - that's the problem. I have mindmaps all over my room explaining my idea, and my mates who have cash and who have access to instituational investors, are breaking my balls to do something. I've got a mockup/half working prototype of the service - but I need to focus on my exams.
well I'd never be one to recommend not finishing education... how long have you got left?
this year for me is back to back - every three months is a new module. The hard ones finish December, but I don't finish until July 2008. I am planing on taking some extended leave later this year, to dedicate more time.
Elias, i left 1/2 way thru a psychology degree and i was sitting on good marks as well, its not work it, finish it and get the peice of paper its all that counts, i can psycho analysis people now however without that peice of paper i can;t get paid so get it for your own good
If I found a reliable developer, that potentially would be a co founder, I would be sweet. I need to focus on what I am good at, rather than trying to teach myself how to program, which will create a half baked product in triple the time
Yeah I agree... I think it's worth the extra few years.
Passion for ideas is not the same as passion for programmer... i just find that "teach yourself to code" a waste of everybody's time.
If the idea is good it should be relatively easy to come across a developer or two willing to work with you on it.
Hey, I know a really good event on Saturday that might have lots of cool developers.
hahaha, well that's why I am going, on your advice from the Dinner 2.0 event...Expect to see me lurking at events like these a lot more regularly
This seems to be a reoccuring theme.
Read Clarke Scott's take on it here. And ofcourse if anyone is keen to get behind the idea of getting an Australian Start-up conference up - let him know.
We are trying to commercialise our innovative mouse
(www.cylo.com.au) and with this kind of product it is very hard to do
without partners in the USA and/or Asia, mainly because there is very
little industry here. This includes consumer electronics and software
applications beyond enterprise systems or web - we are talking video /
audio / 3D mainstream apps. Since there is little industry, there is a
corresponding scarcity of investment interest in this area. People
stick to what they know to a large extent. Relative market size has a
lot to do with this although the growth of Asia as a market will likely
change this dynamic into the future.
Re. Flipping, yes this is
basically our strategy (or IP licensing which is similar in effect).
Building a whole marketing and distribution chain from scratch is very
difficult!
ah good to see familar names here
...
but on the matter, i feel it smroe australia's (market) size that is a bigger problem than its distance... and that contributes to people (investors?) being narrow minded in what they want to try out...
Elias: Mate you are not indian by any chance are you?
I did my uni in australia and having indian parents myself the whole "have to go to uni, have to do masters, have to work for a big company till you retire and die" was so instilled in myself...
you forgot "marry arranged girl" in there somewhere
and if you're starting something I would highly recommend coming to Dinner 2.0
Send me an email if you would like to get on the mailing list (marty at tangler.com)
oh yeah i thougth it was obvious/embarassing to mention!!! but on that note here is a little thing i thought il blurt out
hehehehe That's funny Sri!
jees one man's tragedy is indeed another man's comedy eh nah just kidding... i should probably put up a legal disclaimer on that blog claiming it is all just a joke (for those legal types who might be looking to get me comitted on some weird account)..
hahahahaha
Elias said: "I am studying full time, and working fulltime - that's the problem. I have mindmaps all over my room explaining my idea, and my mates who have cash and who have access to instituational investors, are breaking my balls to do something. I've got a mockup/half working prototype of the service - but I need to focus on my exams."
OMG! My room is covered in mind maps and I've got half-made projects and I'm working and studying fulltime too! Shazam!
hahaha, like they say - if you need something done, give it to someone whose got a full schedule!
You guys need to have a coffee/counselling session. Crucial.
Hopefully it's friendly research so you can add and not get into a jelly wrestling match!
Christy - what's the flavour of yours? after all that barcamp unorg I didn't even get to ask.......
