Pinoy Java Startup Path

[Miguel Paraz]

Wow, I never imagined the thread would become this long and insightful.

Thanks Joy for adding another spin to the story.

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@...> wrote:
> You want to have everything at the same time? Go and establish your own
> company.

and risk startup failure! Been there, done that. I myself don't want
to try it again at the moment, but I still plan to in the future.

It's a difficult path for Pinoys to do (for instance, less
funding/investors), but I'm sure some of you can do it in your free
time/weekends even while working.

[Jay Dominic Sto. Tomas]

Oh yeah, I can symphatize with you there...  Starting your own IT company
(no matter how small) is wrought with endless challenges, risks and
hardships.  Just getting developers onboard can drive you nuts especially
when it comes to finally negotiations...  I finally decided to start smaller
and venture into a totally different industry instead (print advertising!
can you believe it?)...  At least, it's just me and my wife working
together.  :)

On 5/27/08, Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...> wrote:

>
>   Wow, I never imagined the thread would become this long and insightful.
>
> Thanks Joy for adding another spin to the story.
>
> On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@...<bubbly.monalisa%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> > You want to have everything at the same time? Go and establish your own
> > company.
>
> and risk startup failure! Been there, done that. I myself don't want
> to try it again at the moment, but I still plan to in the future.
>
> It's a difficult path for Pinoys to do (for instance, less
> funding/investors), but I'm sure some of you can do it in your free
> time/weekends even while working.
>
>

[Joy Perez-2]

Hi there Migz,

Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the risks
and possible consequences....at least I admire you that you tried.

This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold".  Kesa, reklamo ka nang
reklamo sa buhay, di ba?

This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn something
from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)

Joy Perez

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:26 PM, Jay Dominic <jaydominic@...> wrote:

>   Oh yeah, I can symphatize with you there...  Starting your own IT
> company (no matter how small) is wrought with endless challenges, risks and
> hardships.  Just getting developers onboard can drive you nuts especially
> when it comes to finally negotiations...  I finally decided to start smaller
> and venture into a totally different industry instead (print advertising!
> can you believe it?)...  At least, it's just me and my wife working
> together.  :)
>
>
> On 5/27/08, Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...> wrote:
>>
>>   Wow, I never imagined the thread would become this long and insightful.
>>
>> Thanks Joy for adding another spin to the story.
>>
>> On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@...<bubbly.monalisa%40gmail.com>>
>> wrote:
>> > You want to have everything at the same time? Go and establish your own
>> > company.
>>
>> and risk startup failure! Been there, done that. I myself don't want
>> to try it again at the moment, but I still plan to in the future.
>>
>> It's a difficult path for Pinoys to do (for instance, less
>> funding/investors), but I'm sure some of you can do it in your free
>> time/weekends even while working.
>>
>
>  
>

[Miguel Paraz]

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@...> wrote:
> Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the risks
> and possible consequences....at least I admire you that you tried.
>
> This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold".  Kesa, reklamo ka nang
> reklamo sa buhay, di ba?
>
> This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn something
> from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)


To revive the excitement... where are the Pinoy Java Startups?

The down side is that product development in the Philippines has
traditionally been difficult. VCs want product companies because they
can just sell and sell the same thing over and over again. They don't
favor the typical service/consulting company that pops up locally.
Unfortunately local companies need to pay the bills right away.

[Johnny R. Ruiz III]

I'm just curious if ako lang nakakapansin (which I doubt).  Why maraming Indian companies ang nakapag-tayo ng IT Firms (Sofware Devs, Web Start Ups, Consulting Firm, Recruitment Firm)  outside India (Singapore, Malaysia, AU, US, etc.) .  And yun mga Philippine based companies who do this IT stuffs eh mangilan ngilan lang..  Ano bang meron mga Indian na wala tayo?  

Just curious..    


----- Original Message ----
From: Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...>
To: pinoyjug@...
Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 7:37:36 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Pinoy Java Startup Path


On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@ gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the risks
> and possible consequences. ...at least I admire you that you tried.
>
> This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold".  Kesa, reklamo ka nang
> reklamo sa buhay, di ba?
>
> This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn something
> from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)

To revive the excitement.. . where are the Pinoy Java Startups?

The down side is that product development in the Philippines has
traditionally been difficult. VCs want product companies because they
can just sell and sell the same thing over and over again. They don't
favor the typical service/consulting company that pops up locally.
Unfortunately local companies need to pay the bills right away.
   


     

[Calen Martin D. Legaspi]

Some of the largest companies companies in the world are Indian, and
many of them sprang up or enjoyed hypergrowth just in the last decade or
two.  Arcelor-Mittal, is the largest steel company in the world, and we
all know of InfoSys, Wipro and Tata Consultancy Services, and note that
Land Rover and Jaguar are now owned by company Tata Motors.  Also note
that many of the Global Fortune 500 companies are headed by Indians.

While there's a lot to admire about Filipino culture, and I'm proudly
Filipino, our culture has not produced many entrepreneurs of the scale
found in India.  Many of our most successful Filipino entrepreneurs are
those who enjoy the influences of other cultures, particularly Chinese
culture.  

There's a couple of things that are missing from Filipino culture that I
see in Indian and Chinese culture, which affects our inclination towards
entrepreneurship.

The first is the inclination towards calculated risk-taking.  Before I
started O&B, I was talking about starting a company with a lot of other
top-notch developers and professionals, who are friends of mine largely
through PinoyJUG and from the UP MBA.  Everyone showed a lot of fervor
in the conceptualization and planning stage of the business, but when it
really came to quitting our jobs, it came to just Butch and myself.  I
think Indians and Chinese look at starting a business more soberly, but
are more likely to commit to the risk.

The second is frugality.  Maybe this is why a lot of good companies are
sprouting out of Cebu.  Chinese and Indians have a culture that values
simplicity and frugality, and this is essential when starting a
business.  The number one killer of startup businesses is cashflow.  A
lot of failed businesses all over the world were actually very
successful market-wise, and had huge potential, but were not able to
keep enough money in the bank long enough to keep the company alive
while they waited to turn their investments around.  Frugality is
therefore essential in at least the first five years of any business.  
Entrepreneurs should be willing to limit their personal income to just
one-half or even one-quarter of what they used to make in the corporate
world for the first five years (sometimes even less).

Calen

Calen Legaspi <http://software.orangeandbronze.com>
<http://software.orangeandbronze.com>


Johnny R. Ruiz III wrote:

> I'm just curious if ako lang nakakapansin (which I doubt).  Why
> maraming Indian companies ang nakapag-tayo ng IT Firms (Sofware Devs,
> Web Start Ups, Consulting Firm, Recruitment Firm)  outside India
> (Singapore, Malaysia, AU, US, etc.) .  And yun mga Philippine based
> companies who do this IT stuffs eh mangilan ngilan lang..  Ano bang
> meron mga Indian na wala tayo?
>
> Just curious..    
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...>
> To: pinoyjug@...
> Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 7:37:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Pinoy Java Startup Path
>
> On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@ gmail.com
> <mailto:bubbly.monalisa%40gmail.com>> wrote:
> > Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the
> risks
> > and possible consequences. ...at least I admire you that you tried.
> >
> > This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold". Kesa, reklamo
> ka nang
> > reklamo sa buhay, di ba?
> >
> > This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn
> something
> > from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)
>
> To revive the excitement.. . where are the Pinoy Java Startups?
>
> The down side is that product development in the Philippines has
> traditionally been difficult. VCs want product companies because they
> can just sell and sell the same thing over and over again. They don't
> favor the typical service/consulting company that pops up locally.
> Unfortunately local companies need to pay the bills right away.
>
>
>  

[javazealot]

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 9:20 AM, Johnny R. Ruiz III <jorzi@...> wrote:
> I'm just curious if ako lang nakakapansin (which I doubt).

Sorry di ko napansin 'to seriously.

> Why maraming
> Indian companies ang nakapag-tayo ng IT Firms (Sofware Devs, Web Start Ups,
> Consulting Firm, Recruitment Firm)  outside India (Singapore, Malaysia, AU,
> US, etc.) .

Indians that start firms do not necessarily come from India. Like the
Chinese, they are dispersed all over the world as migrants. So, in
short nasa tao din yan. Wala sa race yan.

> And yun mga Philippine based companies who do this IT stuffs eh
> mangilan ngilan lang..

Question is, does quantity really matter or is it the success of these
companies?

>Ano bang meron mga Indian na wala tayo?

Instead of thinking about the answer to this which will probably take
some time, maybe just think of what Filipinos can do which they don't
and capitalize on it.

Personally, I think you should get some exposure abroad so you can
really see how it is in the global scene. Maybe it will help you
answer your question. I have recruiter friends if you want to apply.
;)

Melvin

> Just curious..
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...>
> To: pinoyjug@...
> Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 7:37:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Pinoy Java Startup Path
>
> On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@ gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the risks
>> and possible consequences. ...at least I admire you that you tried.
>>
>> This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold". Kesa, reklamo ka
>> nang
>> reklamo sa buhay, di ba?
>>
>> This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn something
>> from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)
>
> To revive the excitement.. . where are the Pinoy Java Startups?
>
> The down side is that product development in the Philippines has
> traditionally been difficult. VCs want product companies because they
> can just sell and sell the same thing over and over again. They don't
> favor the typical service/consulting company that pops up locally.
> Unfortunately local companies need to pay the bills right away.
>
>

[vergil santos]

> I'm just curious if ako lang nakakapansin (which I doubt).
it's good na napapansin natin ito coz napapansin ko din ito.

> Why maraming
> Indian companies ang nakapag-tayo ng IT Firms (Sofware Devs, Web Start Ups,
> Consulting Firm, Recruitment Firm) outside India (Singapore, Malaysia, AU,
> US, etc.) .
yes nasa tao ito. and yes they are dispersed all over the world. but is always have to do with race somehow to an extent (though this is a factor, nasa tao pa rin yan). pero the point is, race is a factor. it's a proven fact. because traditions/culture affects a person. sa america na lang, long ago ang mga karamihan ng entrepreneurs talaga sa kanila ay hindi naman kano talaga kundi italians and other foreigners (but especially italians) na nagmigrate sa bansa nila. this was studied and it was found out it has something to do with their culture, beliefs, which in turn turns into habits =)

> And yun mga Philippine based companies who do this IT stuffs eh
> mangilan ngilan lang..
good point. we're not talking about success here. i mean, success is important of course. but the point of your statement is why mangilan ngilan lang?... which brings to the fact na traditionally/factually speaking, filipinos are trained/brought up to be employees not employers =)

>Ano bang meron mga Indian na wala tayo?
This is a good point also. in business strategy, think of what your competitors are doing well that are actually working. instead of doing and capitalizing on things that we Filipinos do which obviously is not actually working well =)

i think you already have exposure abroad. =)

--- On Thu, 6/5/08, Johnny R. Ruiz III <jorzi@...> wrote:
From: Johnny R. Ruiz III <jorzi@...>
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Pinoy Java Startup Path
To: pinoyjug@...
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 9:20 AM










   
            I'm just curious if ako lang nakakapansin (which I doubt).  Why maraming Indian companies ang nakapag-tayo ng IT Firms (Sofware Devs, Web Start Ups, Consulting Firm, Recruitment Firm)  outside India (Singapore, Malaysia, AU, US, etc.) .  And yun mga Philippine based companies who do this IT stuffs eh mangilan ngilan lang..  Ano bang meron mga Indian na wala tayo? 

Just curious..      

----- Original Message ----
From: Miguel Paraz <mparaz@gmail. com>
To:
 pinoyjug@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 7:37:36 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Pinoy Java Startup Path

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Joy Perez <bubbly.monalisa@ gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for sharing. At least, you have been there. You know now the risks

> and possible consequences. ...at least I admire you that you tried.

>

> This is my favorite quote: "fortune favors the bold".  Kesa, reklamo ka nang

> reklamo sa buhay, di ba?

>

> This is going to be an exciting thread. I know that I will learn something

> from you, even as a Technical Recruiter. :)


To revive the excitement.. . where are the Pinoy Java Startups?


The down side is that product development in the Philippines has

traditionally been difficult. VCs want product companies because they

can just sell and sell the same thing over and over again. They don't

favor the typical service/consulting company that pops up locally.

Unfortunately local companies need to pay the bills right away.



     
     

   
   
       
         
       
       








       


       
       


     

[Orlando Andico]

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 10:48 AM, Calen Martin D. Legaspi
<calen@...> wrote:
..
> Everyone showed a lot of fervor in
> the conceptualization and planning stage of the business, but when it really
> came to quitting our jobs, it came to just Butch and myself.  I think
> Indians and Chinese look at starting a business more soberly, but are more
> likely to commit to the risk.
..
>Entrepreneurs should be willing to limit their personal
> income to just one-half or even one-quarter of what they used to make in the
> corporate world for the first five years (sometimes even less).


Coming from the ranks of the "Failed Startup," I wholeheartedly agree
with the above statements by Calen.

Starting your own business is tough. It's a lot tougher than working
9-5 at a regular job. So without a 100% commitment (and this does
involve giving up your day job, and not having "rackets" or sidelines)
you will almost certainly fail.

And you will have to take a steep pay cut. So unless you have a
sizable nest egg stashed away, prepare for the hunger years.

Most people (myself included) can't afford to take that risk. So we
stick with being employees.

[Paolo Enrico Melendres]

add to this the fact that it is much more difficult to borrow money to
finance your startup in the philippines (unless you have the right
connections).  it's the classic chicken and egg thing (show me that
you're profitable and i will lend you money ... but how can i show you
i'm profitable if you won't give me money to start my hopefully
profitable business?)

--- In pinoyjug@..., "Orlando Andico" <orly.andico@...> wrote:

> Starting your own business is tough. It's a lot tougher than working
> 9-5 at a regular job. So without a 100% commitment (and this does
> involve giving up your day job, and not having "rackets" or sidelines)
> you will almost certainly fail.
>
> And you will have to take a steep pay cut. So unless you have a
> sizable nest egg stashed away, prepare for the hunger years.
>
> Most people (myself included) can't afford to take that risk. So we
> stick with being employees.

[Jared Odulio]

When it comes to "startupping" I will recommend not to limit yourself
to "Pinoy Java Startup" path. :) For products development company
there's a lot of things to be done outside the Java domain and/or the
web development domain in general or even a purely software product
development. If you're really, really observant enough you can kiss
the crappy Enterprise Java development goodbye and start making
moolah. :) The nice thing about product development is the owner
"rules" and if you win the masses, whatever crap you release in the
market, the consumers wouldn't really mind (e.g. iPhone).

Second, in these days, a tech startup without any patent is just
another Open Source group living on unsustainable hype. If you think
you have patented something or has a patent pending on something and
has a SOLID business plan whether it's about software/hardware or both
and is in need of funding or any other resource, get in touch with me,
we might be able to work out something :)




On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:35 PM, Paolo Enrico Melendres
<pamelendres@...> wrote:

> add to this the fact that it is much more difficult to borrow money to
> finance your startup in the philippines (unless you have the right
> connections). it's the classic chicken and egg thing (show me that
> you're profitable and i will lend you money ... but how can i show you
> i'm profitable if you won't give me money to start my hopefully
> profitable business?)
>
> --- In pinoyjug@..., "Orlando Andico" <orly.andico@...> wrote:
>> Starting your own business is tough. It's a lot tougher than working
>> 9-5 at a regular job. So without a 100% commitment (and this does
>> involve giving up your day job, and not having "rackets" or sidelines)
>> you will almost certainly fail.
>>
>> And you will have to take a steep pay cut. So unless you have a
>> sizable nest egg stashed away, prepare for the hunger years.
>>
>> Most people (myself included) can't afford to take that risk. So we
>> stick with being employees.
>
>

--
http://jaredtech.blogspot.com

[Allan Tan]

Interesting topic...

Just to share my story:  http://www.ideyatech.com/tag/startup/ . You should see how it started...

Some of my tips:

1.) Share your dreams (and risk). Believe in power of synergy... and don't be too selfish to keep ideas to yourself. Find a partner that will complement your skills. It will always be too hard to start-up on your own.

2.) Just do it. Try doing something on the side, see if you enjoy doing it. Projects usually start small but after a while, your clients will keep coming back to you - then you'll realize that you are already doing it.

3.) Believe in the power of compounding - products, reusable code, APIs, etc. Bottomline, this will be your competitive advantage.

4.) This is controversial... but avoid VCs (or borrowing money). These alligators will eat your dreams alive. Instead, use your own hard-earned money, that way you control finances well... chances are, you will always overspend if you are using someone else's money. I guess that's how the Chinese way of doing business. :)

just my 2 cents....

Allan
----- Original Message ----
From: Jared Odulio <jared.odulio@...>
To: pinoyjug@...
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2008 7:25:16 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Re: Pinoy Java Startup Path


When it comes to "startupping" I will recommend not to limit yourself
to "Pinoy Java Startup" path. :) For products development company
there's a lot of things to be done outside the Java domain and/or the
web development domain in general or even a purely software product
development. If you're really, really observant enough you can kiss
the crappy Enterprise Java development goodbye and start making
moolah. :) The nice thing about product development is the owner
"rules" and if you win the masses, whatever crap you release in the
market, the consumers wouldn't really mind (e.g. iPhone).

Second, in these days, a tech startup without any patent is just
another Open Source group living on unsustainable hype. If you think
you have patented something or has a patent pending on something and
has a SOLID business plan whether it's about software/hardware or both
and is in need of funding or any other resource, get in touch with me,
we might be able to work out something :)

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:35 PM, Paolo Enrico Melendres
<pamelendres@ yahoo.com> wrote:

> add to this the fact that it is much more difficult to borrow money to
> finance your startup in the philippines (unless you have the right
> connections) . it's the classic chicken and egg thing (show me that
> you're profitable and i will lend you money ... but how can i show you
> i'm profitable if you won't give me money to start my hopefully
> profitable business?)
>
> --- In pinoyjug@yahoogroup s.com, "Orlando Andico" <orly.andico@ ...> wrote:
>> Starting your own business is tough. It's a lot tougher than working
>> 9-5 at a regular job. So without a 100% commitment (and this does
>> involve giving up your day job, and not having "rackets" or sidelines)
>> you will almost certainly fail.
>>
>> And you will have to take a steep pay cut. So unless you have a
>> sizable nest egg stashed away, prepare for the hunger years.
>>
>> Most people (myself included) can't afford to take that risk. So we
>> stick with being employees.
>
>

--
http://jaredtech. blogspot. com
 

[Miguel Paraz]

Cool, the Pinoy Java startups are coming out...!

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 9:35 PM, Allan Tan <allanctan@...> wrote:
> 4.) This is controversial... but avoid VCs (or borrowing money). These
> alligators will eat your dreams alive. Instead, use your own hard-earned
> money, that way you control finances well... chances are, you will always
> overspend if you are using someone else's money. I guess that's how the
> Chinese way of doing business. :)

based on your blog, you bootstrapped your company through smaller
projects - is that right?

So how do you make the leap from sidelines/freelance works to your own thing?

[Roland Pates]

Very well said sir. By the way, after I read the inspiring story of your comapny I could not imagine you undergo all of those trials the last time we've talked.


----- Original Message ----
From: Allan Tan <allanctan@...>
To: pinoyjug@...
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2008 9:35:30 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Re: Pinoy Java Startup Path


Interesting topic...

Just to share my story:  http://www.ideyatec h.com/tag/ startup/ . You should see how it started...

Some of my tips:

1.) Share your dreams (and risk). Believe in power of synergy... and don't be too selfish to keep ideas to yourself. Find a partner that will complement your skills. It will always be too hard to start-up on your own.

2.) Just do it. Try doing something on the side, see if you enjoy doing it. Projects usually start small but after a while, your clients will keep coming back to you - then you'll realize that you are already doing it.

3.) Believe in the power of compounding - products, reusable code, APIs, etc. Bottomline, this will be your competitive advantage.

4.) This is controversial. .. but avoid VCs (or borrowing money). These alligators will eat your dreams alive. Instead, use your own hard-earned money, that way you control finances well... chances are, you will always overspend if you are using someone else's money. I guess that's how the Chinese way of doing business. :)

just my 2 cents....

Allan
----- Original Message ----
From: Jared Odulio <jared.odulio@ gmail.com>
To: pinoyjug@yahoogroup s.com
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2008 7:25:16 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Re: Pinoy Java Startup Path


When it comes to "startupping" I will recommend not to limit yourself
to "Pinoy Java Startup" path. :) For products development company
there's a lot of things to be done outside the Java domain and/or the
web development domain in general or even a purely software product
development. If you're really, really observant enough you can kiss
the crappy Enterprise Java development goodbye and start making
moolah. :) The nice thing about product development is the owner
"rules" and if you win the masses, whatever crap you release in the
market, the consumers wouldn't really mind (e.g. iPhone).

Second, in these days, a tech startup without any patent is just
another Open Source group living on unsustainable hype. If you think
you have patented something or has a patent pending on something and
has a SOLID business plan whether it's about software/hardware or both
and is in need of funding or any other resource, get in touch with me,
we might be able to work out something :)

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 4:35 PM, Paolo Enrico Melendres
<pamelendres@ yahoo.com> wrote:

> add to this the fact that it is much more difficult to borrow money to
> finance your startup in the philippines (unless you have the right
> connections) . it's the classic chicken and egg thing (show me that
> you're profitable and i will lend you money ... but how can i show you
> i'm profitable if you won't give me money to start my hopefully
> profitable business?)
>
> --- In pinoyjug@yahoogroup s.com, "Orlando Andico" <orly.andico@ ...> wrote:
>> Starting your own business is tough. It's a lot tougher than working
>> 9-5 at a regular job. So without a 100% commitment (and this does
>> involve giving up your day job, and not having "rackets" or sidelines)
>> you will almost certainly fail.
>>
>> And you will have to take a steep pay cut. So unless you have a
>> sizable nest egg stashed away, prepare for the hunger years.
>>
>> Most people (myself included) can't afford to take that risk. So we
>> stick with being employees.
>
>

--
http://jaredtech. blogspot. com
   


     

[Allan Tan]

The small projects turned bigger as clients get more comfortable... at the same time I get to learn more on business. Then there's referrals... from friends and ex-bosses.

Before I left my last job, I saved enough to keep me (and family) afloat for at least 6 months. It's more of the desire to pursue my dreams rather than worrying on the finances. My mentality was - "I can always go back to the corporate world but I will never know how it will be like if I didn't try."

For those who believe in synergy, I'm always open to opportunities. ;)



----- Original Message ----
From: Miguel Paraz <mparaz@...>
To: pinoyjug@...
Sent: Thursday, June 5, 2008 10:58:50 PM
Subject: Re: [pinoyjug] Re: Pinoy Java Startup Path


Cool, the Pinoy Java startups are coming out...!

On Thu, Jun 5, 2008 at 9:35 PM, Allan Tan <allanctan@yahoo. com> wrote:
> 4.) This is controversial. .. but avoid VCs (or borrowing money). These
> alligators will eat your dreams alive. Instead, use your own hard-earned
> money, that way you control finances well... chances are, you will always
> overspend if you are using someone else's money. I guess that's how the
> Chinese way of doing business. :)

based on your blog, you bootstrapped your company through smaller
projects - is that right?

So how do you make the leap from sidelines/freelance works to your own thing?
 

[Miguel Paraz]

For the product startup path, it seems that building commercial
developer products is no longer viable:
http://www.enerjy.com/blog/?p=295

Of course I do want to see more Pinoy companies building products,
especially for the global market.

[Johnny R. Ruiz III]

Yeah, been to abroad , and  that's why I noticed this.  Just want to reconfirm if we all notice the same thing..  and may