1. Success is dependent on effort

This might seem pretty obvious but while I was in the valley, I noticed first-hand that the companies that put in the most amount of effort were the most successful. It’s essentially just like school – the people who work extremely hard are able to get good grades, even if they’re not the most intelligent in the class. There are, of course, outliers – companies that are just exceptionally bright from the get-go, though I think they’re far less common than smart students in school.

2. Everyone thinks they can be an entrepreneur

I remember at our launch party, I met a couple of people who told me they quit their jobs recently and were starting their own business. They were working in the valley and now they’re living the dream, starting a company of their own! While that’s all fine and dandy, in all reality the vast majority of startups fail, and truth be told, not many people have what it takes to succeed. A lot of the people I met lacked both technical skill and work ethic, which makes it all the more difficult to succeed as a tech startup.

3. Only work with people you really like

I was fortunate enough to be able to work with guys I got along with very well. We all shared similar interests and had a passion for success, which made working 16-hour days much more bearable. If that were not the case, I have a feeling I would likely get depressed or at least highly stressed out.

4. Have an understanding of startup finances

Before living in the valley, I had very little understanding of the financial end of startups. Being involved in a startup meant I had to learn at least the basics of how startup financing works. While you don’t need a business degree, it helps to know how dilution works, how valuations are calculated, how convertible debt works, etc.

5. Get a gym membership

We made sure to go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week and aside from being a ‘reward’ that I looked forward to most days, I’ve managed to get back into decent shape. I know if I keep it up, I’ll be in the best shape I’ve ever been after a year or so. In my mind, that’s a huge gain for me as a person – I may be working a lot but I know that I’ll look and feel the best I’ve felt in a long time. For the company, it’s a minor expense to make an employee feel great about their self-image and ensure positive mental health.

6. Startups are unpredictable

Companies pivot all the time, some much more than others. Some for the better, some for the worse. Many, many startups fail and it’s pretty hard to predict which will be successful (investing must be hard!). If you’re joining a startup as an employee or a co-founder, make sure you know/trust those involved and that what they’re doing makes sense to you, since it is a huge risk from your end as well. It doesn’t hurt to have a backup plan for what happens when/if it fails, or to have a financial cushion of some kind if you’re not getting a big salary.

7. There’s still a lot of money to be made

Having the opportunity to meet people that were very successful has made me feel differently about financial success, that it is a lot more achievable than I had previously thought. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still incredibly difficult and will take a lot of work, but I have a lot more confidence in ‘hard work pays off,’ having met real-life examples in person.

8. Money is not the end goal, just a means to it

Coming from a semi-poor/lower-middle-class family, I’ve always had a different view of money than a lot of my wealthier friends. I’ve wanted a lot of it for primarily one reason: financial stability for myself and my family, though I had no idea of how much it would take to achieve that. I now understand that it is a lot less than I had originally thought and that once certain things in life are taken care of, money doesn’t mean as much. For me, it is much more meaningful to make an impact on those around me rather than have a big bank account.

There are a few other points as well that I’ll share in another post in the near future, but that’s all for now. For those of you who’ve made it this far down the post, I’m planning on having a giveaway sometime next week for DevGrow readers. So far, Tyler from VirtualHostX has pledged a couple of copies of his excellent software and I’m working on a couple of more leads. If there’s something your company can offer for the 40,000+ readers, let me know in the comments!

New Job

I’ve started a new job as a front-end engineer and designer for a startup in the Bay area. It’s a small startup with big ambitions, and I’ll be updating you guys on the lessons I learn while working here from time to time.

New Design

The new design is aimed at being as minimal as possible. Gone are the plethora of share buttons, excessive images and unnecessary features – all that remains are the tools needed to read the blog and navigate the archives. I’m also trying a left-aligned design, however if I find it uncomfortable I’ll likely center it within a few weeks (or days?).

Upcoming Posts

I wanted to start a new chapter of DevGrow, one that focuses more on my personal experiences and the knowledge I gain from the various projects I work on. This means less ‘Top xyz Programs to Build Traffic’ and posts aimed at beginners, instead I want to focus more on the technical and analytical side of things. Hopefully this will do two things: a) make it easier to come up with topics to write about and b) create an archive of useful thoughts for future reference.

Top 5 Code Editors Used by DevGrow Readers:

1. Notepad++
2. Dreamweaver
3. Eclipse
4. NetBeans
5. Textmate

Dreamweaver… what the?!

I can understand the love for Notepad++, I use it daily as my preferred coding editor, but are that many people still using Dreamweaver? I remember using Dreamweaver in my earlier days of web development but quickly outgrew it as I moved on to what I thought was better software. I decided to take a look at Dreamweaver again and was surprised to find that it’s come a long way since the Dreamweaver MX days – it has been updated to include a lot of modern and useful features, like:

• Multiscreen Preview Panel – Lets you preview in multiple different resolutions (web, iPhone, tablet, etc.) and browser engines
• jQuery Mobile Integration – You can start a new project using jQuery Mobile that lays out a skeleton framework, which means you can make a mobile app in literally minutes
• CSS3/HTML5 Support – It supports cool effects like CSS3 transitions and HTML5 goodies

Seeing the promotional videos on the Dreamweaver site almost makes me want to download the trial version and give it a shot. So I have a question for you readers who actually use Dreamweaver on a day-to-day basis – do you really like it? Have you tried other IDEs like Eclipse and if so, why do you prefer Dreamweaver over them?

New Poll

This month, I wanted to use the poll to actually help me out a bit in terms of determining what kind of content you guys prefer from DevGrow. I want to make this site as useful as possible for the maximum number of people and I think it will help to see where the most demand is in terms of content topics. If you have more suggestions for what you want to see, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Slower Pace

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve only been updating the site once every other week or so recently, as I’ve been extremely busy with client work. It may be like that for another month or two before I can ramp up the pace. If you’re interested in contributing to DevGrow with an article or two, get in touch with me and we’ll set it up.

As always, be sure to follow @ThinkDevGrow on Twitter and Like Us on Facebook!

Yes, you can be successful too.

Too many times have I seen friends and colleagues with high aspirations get shot down because of the supposed rareness of success in their respective industries, the volatile nature of the economy or a host of other ‘potential’ reasons. While I admit that many of them are probably not cut out to be famous athletes or business moguls, constantly hearing that they don’t have a chance at all kills any aspiration they might have to begin with.

Belief in oneself plays a key role in motivating people to work harder at whatever they’re pursuing. For an entrepreneur, the idea that success may not be that far-fetched can often provide that extra push to actually succeeding. I often get asked, “how many Bill Gates’ are out there for every person that tries and fails?” (substitute Bill for any other successful businessman) Well, if Bill Gates can do it, why can’t I? Or anyone else for that matter? The truth is that you can – anyone can – if they want it enough to do something about it. Googling ‘rags-to-riches’ is evidence enough that people can overcome some of the hardest situations to reach success.

Well, if Bill Gates can do it, why can’t I? Or anyone else for that matter? The truth is that you can – anyone can – if they want it enough to do something about it.

It’s easy to argue that there are a lot of external factors that led to their success and in truth there probably  were, however a big part of it was their confidence. They believed in themselves and used that motivation to push them to greater levels. It’s easy to fall into the realm of ‘wannabe’ entrepreneurs who spend their time talking things up and reading books but fall short when it comes time to act. They may end up stuck in the same story for years and years, unable to move forward because of a list of excuses. Whatever your excuse is, there is a way to get around it if you look hard enough.

It’s important to realize that while not everyone is equal in intellect, skill set or financial situation, success for the greater part is something that should be attainable with enough hard work and dedication. Failure is a part of the journey – learn from your mistakes and move on.

The Trickle Effect

Believing in yourself and your company provides confidence not only to you but to everyone you work as well. Confident employees and cofounders are ones that have motivation to work hard because they expect success. Your role as their leader is to ensure that they maintain confident and have belief in the company through all of your ups and downs. Knowing that success is not impossible can increase productivity and lift the spirits of the people you come in contact with (leaving lasting impressions).

Some quotes to get you motivated from some influential people:

The turning point, I think, was when I really realized that you can do it yourself. That you have to believe in you because sometimes that’s the only person that does believe in your success but you.
- Tim Bixworth, lumber tycoon

Whatever qualities the rich may have, they can be acquired by anyone with thetenacity to become rich. The key, I think, is confidence. Confidence and an unshakable belief it can be done and that you are the one to do it.
- Felix Dennis, MAXIM

I believe in giving everything my best shot. I do not believe in holding back. I am very driven by the fact that we are destined with these opportunities.
- Shailendra Singh, Sequoia Capital India

Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.
- Sam Walton, Wal-mart & Sam’s Club

Self-esteem is a huge piece of my work. You have to believe it’s possible and believe in yourself. Because after you’ve decided what you want, you have to believe it’s possible, and possible for you, not just for other people.
- Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul

This is one of the original DevGrow article’s from 2008 that was lost in transition. This is the last of the oldies, moving on to new content next week.

1. Don’t get an office (until you really need one)

Small startups can usually get by with online communication and phone calls, but if you need an occasional meeting room try to rent one or use public spaces (coffee shops and university libraries). Group conference rooms are sometimes available for rent in corporate buildings. Conduct small meetings in virtual conference rooms such as Campfire (free to cheap) or Tangler (free) for everything else.

2. Share living space

If your team is small enough and compatible, try sharing living space. Rent is always cheaper when it’s shared and often times you’ll see an increase in productivity when staying with your cofounders. Living together also can reduce food expenses if you decide to cook and have dinner as a team (doubling as a meeting).

3. Use sponsors when marketing

We were able to save $2,000 when we decided to bring in sponsors for our advertising campaign. Our sponsors gave us a budget to work with and in return, we promoted their services when we gave a prize at the very end of our campaign. It’s not the ideal situation for everyone but does work for a lot of people. If sponsors fall through, you can apply for loans online as a last resort. It’s a quick fix but should be chosen responsibly.

4. Invest in at least 1 nice LCD per person

When I first hooked up my old 13″ Macbook to a 24″ LCD, I saw my productivity increase at least two-fold. You not only get more screen real estate to work with, it just feels better working on a larger screen. Throw in a wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a solid workstation AND laptop for a cheap price.

5. Buy a decent chair but Areons can wait

Our team uses pretty nice leather executive chairs we got at a discounted rate from a wholesale furniture outlet. While they’re not as comfortable as Areons, they cost us a LOT less and still provide us with comfort throughout the day. Just make sure to take an occasional stretch and you’ll be fine.

6. Hire college students

College students are ideal for new tech startups, as they’re smart, well connected and cheap. See if your local university has a credit program that will allow you to take on interns that receive course credit for the work they do for your company.

7. Reduce other unnecessary costs

You probably don’t need 2,000 business cards if you’re still in the developmental phase of your business. You also don’t need to print t-shirts for you and your friends, unless your marketing plan calls for it. For most tech companies, you probably don’t need a $400/mo server until you’re ready for launch – use a VPS and move to something bigger when needed.

8. Take a salary cut

Until the company is showing solid numbers, the founders of a new tech company should be getting paid enough to get by – that’s it. Tough it out for now and it’ll pay off in the future. While the founders can still work passionately with minimal pay, don’t skimp out on your employees. Pay them modestly and make them feel like they’re an important part of the team.

I’ll add more tips as they come to mind, if you have any more feel free to leave a comment.

This is one of the original DevGrow article’s from 2008 that was lost in transition to the new version. I’ll be posting a few more oldies in the next couple of days (at least the good ones).

It seems that more and more entrepreneurs these days are falling into that first category of obsessing over there work, an act that is detrimentally affecting both their project and social life. While it may have started as a healthy, passionate drive, several factors are now pushing them towards an unhealthy obsession that can often lead to failure instead of success.

While an entrepreneur (or anyone) can take advantage of either their passionate or obsessive feelings to force themselves to work, there are some key differences that should be noted. For starters, obsession can often lead to depression if certain goals are not met. This is very common when entrepreneurs take on too much and are unable to complete tasks, disappointing themselves or others. Being overly obsessive can also be detrimental to a person’s social life and family, as they are constantly preoccupied and easily agitated.

Keep It Healthy

When things start to get a bit overwhelming, try to treat your project as you would a relationship with your partner. Usually, one is enough and multiple will only make you work harder for several mediocre projects. All relationships are two-way: are you getting something back from this project you are slaving over? Monetary success may not come easy but you should at least feel a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment as you progress. Lastly, you can’t spend all of your time with your partner and you shouldn’t spend it all with your project either – taking some time off on a daily basis can help fuel your creativity and drive.

All good relationships also require healthy discussion and it’s the same with your project. Find someone to talk to about what you’re going through, the decisions you have to make and your overall feelings. The great thing is that they don’t even have to be entrepreneurs or even tech-minded, they just have to be willing to listen. Talking through ideas can help you recognize errors, create new ideas and relieve some stress.

Tips To Stay In Control

So, to wrap things up, if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with work, try to do the following:

• Take a break! Spend time with your family or just go outside and get some fresh air.
• Set milestones and reward yourself for completing them.
• Talk out your issues with someone else – they don’t have to be tech-minded at all!
• Limit yourself – do not take on more than you can handle at once.
• BREATHE!! Step back and take another look at your end goals. Realize that success is not immediate!

Working on your project should be an enjoyable process that also happens to produce something fruitful. Be passionate about your work but be wary of obsessing over it. In the end, let’s not lose our humanity in the process of finding success.

This is one of the original DevGrow article’s from 2008 that was lost in transition. I’ll be posting a few more oldies in the next couple of days (at least the good ones).

For those of you who use GoDaddy, I am very curious – why did you decide to go with them? While I use them to host over 40 domain names, I find their overall site and service to be completely gimmicky, spammy and a cluttered mess of sales pitches. I only use them for domains because it is a bit of a pain to transfer elsewhere, though I may just take the plunge and do that soon, ridding myself of the awful user experience that is GoDaddy.com.

Thankfully, Linode was the second most popular host. I’ve been recommending them from before they started sponsoring DevGrow and I cannot say enough good things about their overall service, including bang-for-buck, reliability and customer care. I’ve used them all in the past – 1and1, DreamHost, Host Gator, Slicehost, BlueHost and Media Temple – and NOTHING compares to Linode. On that note, however, it is not for everyone. You have to have a general idea of how to configure your own server to get things working properly, or at least have some interest in it to follow along their stellar guides and tutorials. Someone without any experience can be up and running in a few hours and get everything working smoothly over a day or two. The benefits are well worth it, from the total control you have over your server to the knowledge/experience you gain.

Have some more insight into the hosts I listed out? Provide your feedback in the comments!

New Poll: What Code Editor Do You Use?

I’m curious as to what code editor you guys use on a daily basis. Also, what do you use it for – programming or CSS/HTML? I wish there was a way I could get more info directly in the poll itself but additional details will have to wait until I post the results.

As always, be sure to subscribe to the RSS feed and follow me on Twitter!

The Problem

Right now this eBay retailer has a fairly common business plan for online merchants. He gets these random goods (whatever is hot at the time) at bulk from wholesalers, lists them each individually on eBay and spends a lot of time handling sales and shipping to customers. Recently, however, competition has drastically increased from US and foreign-based wholesalers alike – items are now being shipped directly from factories in China. Even if he reduces his profit margin, his prices still end up being higher than his competition on eBay. With eBay and PayPal fees, his profit margin has been severely reduced and he is unable to offer the great deals he once had. Still, over the past years he has sold tens of thousands of products to different customers around the world and has saved their contact information, however it’s scattered between PayPal, eBay and his own personal records.

So from that, we can extrapolate a few problems:

• Time – he has to invest a lot of time into the logistics of his business, including making the individual listings, handling sales and shipping to customers
• Competition – high merchant fees make it hard for him to be competitively priced with other factories and wholesalers
• Marketing – he has a list of tens of thousands of emails but does not know what to do with them

He knows that having his own storefront has the potential to make life easier for him, however he does not yet fully understand how, so he’s been putting it off for years.

How an Online Store Can Help

Having an online storefront for his business could help tackle the majority of the problems he is currently facing. First off, instead of listing each product individually for better visibility on eBay, he can add and sell items at bulk and focus on marketing the website itself (rather than individual products). He will still have to deal with support and shipping at first, but there are ways to speed up that process as well (automatic shipping label printing, better support systems, etc.). Having his own website would remove eBay from the equation completely, allowing him to save that commission fee and use it for something else (like a sale). If he still keeps his profit margins low, he would gain a significant competitive advantage by lowering his prices.

Finally, he would have a centralized database of all his customer information, which is vital for any retailer. Take a look at Newegg, for instance – they send newsletters nearly every day that promote products that are on sale to thousands of their customers. If even a minuscule percentage of them purchases some of those products, their efforts will have been completely worth it.

The Game Plan

I made several suggestions over the course of dinner, offering some free advice on how I think he should/could potentially handle the situation. Here is what I came up with:

1. Set at least 2-3 months aside (just mentally, don’t have to stop all other work) and be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort during this time
2. Hire a developer/designer and have them make the online store, invest in a strong domain and reliable hosting (~ 1-1.5 months)
3. Add all products to the store at current eBay prices; use several pictures, strong wording
4. Cross post items to other available marketplaces, including Amazon (with a link back to your storefront in your profile)
5. Start an AdWords campaign for the hottest selling products, linking to the storefront product page
6. Gather all existing customer e-mails and send them an announcement of your new storefront, some pictures/names of current hot products and a coupon code they can use (much like Newegg)

At the end of our 30 minute discussion, the retailer asked if I was available to take on the development and design of this project.

Conclusion

I wanted to illustrate two things with this article:

• The process in which I try to identify problems and use my background knowledge to come up with a solution
• How getting new web design/development gigs can be passive and come about almost unexpectedly

Lastly, I made it clear to the client that although I’ve been making websites for a long time, I’ve only done a handful of e-commerce sites, so what I told him (and have stated above) is based solely on my experiences and may have flaws in it. It will undoubtedly take more research on my end to solidify this game plan, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Do you have any suggestions for retailers considering their own online shopping cart? Are there better ways to market that I’m completely forgetting? Did I completely miss the ball with everything I’ve said? Leave your thoughts in the comments!