Book description
The non-technical guide to building a booming tech-enabled business
Thinking of starting a technology-enabled business? Or maybe you just
want to increase your technology mojo so you can do your job better?
You do not need to learn programming to participate in the development
of today's hottest technologies. But there are a few easy-to-grasp
foundation concepts that will help you engage with a technical team.
Starting a Tech Business explains in practical, actionable
terms how to
- formulate and reality test new ideas
- package what you learn into frameworks that are highly actionable
for engineers
- understand key foundation concepts about modern software and systems
- participate in an agile/lean development team as the 'voice of the customer'
Even if you have a desire to learn to program (and I highly recommend
doing whatever unlocks your 'inner tinkerer'), these foundation
concepts will help you target what exactly you want to understand
about hands-on technology development. While a decade ago the barriers
to creating a technology-enabled business required a pole vault,
getting started today only requires a determined step in the right
direction. Starting a Tech Business supplies the tools
prospective entrepreneurs and business enterprises need to avoid
common pitfalls and succeed in the fast-paced world of high-tech
business. Successful execution requires thoughtful, evidence-based
product formulation, well-articulated design, economic use of systems,
adaptive management of technical resources, and empathetic deployment
to customers. Starting a Tech Business offers practical
checklists and frameworks that business owners, entrepreneurs, and
professionals can apply to any tech-based business idea, whether
you're developing software and products or beginning a
technology-enabled business. You'll learn:
1. How to apply today's leading management frameworks to a tech business
2. How to package your product idea in a way that's highly actionable
for your technical team
3. How to ask the right questions about technology selection and
product architecture
4. Strategies to leverage what your technology ecosystem has to offer
5. How to carefully define the roles on your team, and then
effectively evaluate candidates
6. The most common disconnects between engineers and business people
and how to avoid them
7. How you can apply process design to your tech business without
stifling creativity
8. The steps to avoid the most common pitfalls tech founders encounter
Now is one of the best times to start a technology-enabled business,
and anyone can do it with the right amount and kind of preparation.
Starting a Tech Business shows you how to move a product idea
to market quickly and inexpensively-and to tap into the stream of
wealth that a tech business can provide.
ALEX COWAN is the founder and CTO of Leonid Systems, a software
company providing solutions to the world's largest communications
providers. He has worked with companies ranging from start-ups to
Fortune 100s, improving their competitive advantage in a fast-changing
high-tech landscape. He lives in Aptos, California, and can be reached
at www. alexandercowan. com.
