Category Archives: Strategy

Enterprise Software Sales and the Role of the Startup CTO

Posted on 2014/09/19 by Leo Reiter

Selling major Enterprise software is very different to selling “off the shelf” products.  Beyond the technical challenges, the startup CTO can make a major difference in winning these critical accounts. From the startup CTO’s perspective, Enterprise software sales are really … Continue reading →

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Technical Leadership for Impossible Situations

Posted on 2014/07/30 by Leo Reiter

We’ve all faced resource limited situations that just didn’t seem possible.  Here’s a story of grace under fire, and how sound technical leadership can make all the difference… The Setting This is a true story, but I’m withholding names and … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Leadership, Strategy | 1 Comment

OpenStack – Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Posted on 2014/06/23 by Leo Reiter

First and foremost, I want to be very clear.  In no way is this any sort of indictment of OpenStack from a technology or community perspective.  Clearly the technology has value, and the community has shown an ability to organize, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cloud, Strategy | 2 Comments

Achieving Software Product Maturity

Posted on 2014/05/23 by Leo Reiter

Well established frameworks, such as the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), help us measure software development process maturity in a standard way.  But what makes the product functionality itself mature, and more importantly, how do we get there from “here”?  Software … Continue reading →

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Paying off Technical Debt

Posted on 2014/05/08 by Leo Reiter

Technical debt is very similar to consumer revolving debt.  It’s convenient, especially when you’re resource or time constrained.  But it has an ugly compounding effect, and must therefore be managed as often and as early as possible.  The long term effects … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Leadership, Strategy | 1 Comment

3 Keys to Being Disruptive

Posted on 2014/04/07 by Leo Reiter

This week I was invited to speak on a disruptive technology panel. I thought about what being disruptive actually means, and what the keys are. Your Disruptive Technology Has to Work Whatever the nature of your disruptive product or service, … Continue reading →

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Tangible Differentiation for Premium Products

Posted on 2014/03/18 by Leo Reiter

Offering products and/or services at premium prices requires tangible differentiation, at least if your goal is to acquire new customers and grow revenue.  This applies equally to technology products as it does to sporting events, for example.   Differentiating on nuances … Continue reading →

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Startups and Grown-ups: 3 Simple Tips to Survive and Thrive !

Posted on 2014/01/20 by Leo Reiter

There’s no reason why you can’t get involved with early-stage startups later in life provided you are willing to put in the effort and temper your expectations.  As we grow older, our lives become ever more complicated and our responsibilities … Continue reading →

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Problems and Solutions

Posted on 2013/12/12 by Leo Reiter

Do you know the difference between problems and solutions?  Sounds silly, right?  You’d be surprised. Recently I’ve been advising a friend on a cloud computing service he wants to offer, and realized I’m starting to think more and more like … Continue reading →

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