Filed under Start ups …

Jan 26 2011
Start ups, Technology

IT fit for startups | The Hubble

Just posted - IT fit for startups | The Hubble.

Whilst we at Conosco support highly capable server platforms for companies such as Moonpig, Anya Hindmarch and Cadogan Estates, we also try to keep startups’ cash in their pockets for as long as possible. This is a guide for startups who want enterprise-class IT which won’t cost much to set up but will scale painlessly.

Caution: I recommend an Apple Mac laptop… if you have any kind of Windows server infrastructure such as a domain controller or fileserver, as most larger businesses do, then a Mac is not painless (but still fine with a little savvy).

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Mar 16 2010
Economy, Start ups

Tories don’t understand startups – give us your offices instead

Dave Cameron, in a refreshing bit of public politics, says how he’s going to help startups

any new business that starts up, the first ten people they employ, they don’t have to pay National Insurance [payroll tax]

You can tell Dave hasn’t done any startups… the only ones that reach ten people in the first year (see the small print) are well-funded and not going to notice 13% off their payroll bill.

Why not scrap the quangos and bureaucrats and give their offices to startups? That really would help.

Here’s the video – quote at 1:50 and enjoyably direct throughout:

Oct 08 2009
Start ups, Technology

Spotify has 35% market share in Sweden

Spotify is going to launch a Spotify mobile phone in Sweden – where it has an astonishing 35% market share of digital music sales. That’s after less than a year in the market. Assuming it’s not patriotism, it backs up what most Spotify users are saying – it’s going to be huge.

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Sep 11 2009
Start ups, Technology

Spotify: If you’re not on the list…

Proving to be masters of building a start-up in a messy, crowded field, the teases at Spotify have withdrawn free accounts – unless you have an invite from another user or pay £10 a month.

It makes brilliant sense. They initiated their fame by turning a technical restriction (limited ability to cope with new users) into a viral marketing explosion, restricting early sign-ups to those invited by friends. Then they opened the doors and allowed the accumulated publicity to drive widespread public adoption. Now, with the iPhone app such a compelling service, they’ve closed the doors again to the uninvited – unless you pay for the premium service and app. With their current momentum, they should be able to start reaping proper revenues to pay for it all.

Chapeau!

PS I earlier criticised Spotify for not running in the background on the iPhone. The more technically minded might find this useful for getting round that.

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Aug 13 2009
Start ups

The Promise of the Lean Startup

A good post on how startups are getting faster and more efficient and customer-focussed - The Promise of the Lean Startup. This is probably true -

it costs less than $10,000 to launch a new, web-based product

especially when you remember that Twitter has still just 50 staff.

Ries rightly credits Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing as the wellspring of much of the thinking behind this trend.

Indeed we founded Conosco on Lean principles and continue to hone our IT support services with them, so we know how good they are.

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