21 tools used in our MicroISV
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21 tools used in our MicroISV

Many, well, years, ago I started a series of articles on '25 steps for building a Micro ISV'. It's still something that I care about very much, and that I hope to get back to sharing.

In the meanwhile, here's a quick wrap up of the some of the tools we use to help run TimeSnapper, our MicroIsv.

These are by no means the 'ultimate' choice or 'best of breed' in each category -- these are just the choices that we happen to use in TimeSnapper.

I think it's interesting to see just how much software we rely upon, even though we are 'Independent'.

This also leaves out the dozens of articles and blog entries that teach, inspire or unblock along the way, and the many tools we've considered using, or the many tools we're planning to switch to.

  1. Register Domain
  2. Reliable hosting
  3. Website design -- free templates
  4. Basic Website content
    • (write it yourself)
  5. Install traffic monitoring on your site
  6. Create forums, encourage feedback
  7. Maintain a FAQ
    • (write it yourself)
  8. Get the best screenshots you can
  9. Configure email for domain
    • (all by yourself)
  10. Get payment account
  11. Allow payment from your website
    • (all by yourself)
  12. Create a PAD file -- portable application description
  13. Register at download sites
  14. Strategy: separate "free" from "professional" products
    • (all by yourself)
  15. Get a suitable end user license agreement (EULA) -- infact get two!
    • (write it yourself, with help from weasel lawyer friends)
  16. Auto update strategy
  17. License activation webservice/website
    • (we wrote our own using asp.net and firebird)
  18. Get a license management database
    • (we wrote our own)
  19. Build a proper installer
  20. Obfuscate your assemblies
  21. Automate your build+release strategy
    • We've switched from final builder pro to batch files, to ms build
  22. Free up enough time/resources for dealing with support/feedback
  23. Shiny, Usable, Helpful
  24. Plan and enact your promotional strategy
  25. Do it all again
    • No tools required ;-)

Strangely absent from the list is our current choice of source control tool -- SourceGear Vault.



'Jexorro' on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:30:20 GMT, sez:

Wow!! thanks for sharing.

Well underway starting my own uISV and must now face many similar things.


'AtliB' on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:32:47 GMT, sez:

Hey Leon... you probably meant to say we're using NSIS (NullSoft installer), not Inno Setup.


'lb' on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:05:07 GMT, sez:

Ah, cheers Atli, well spotted.

NSIS FTW!


'Andreas' on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:44:15 GMT, sez:

Thanks for the link, the TimeSnapper site is a great adoption of the original template. Keep up the great work! :)


'Florin' on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:42:58 GMT, sez:

It's great to have all these in one place.

Thanks!


'NRuessmann' on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:46:40 GMT, sez:

Great list.

I just started my microsISV, and this list looks very familiar.

I am using as well: GoDaddy, WebHost4Life, Google Analytics, PAD Gen, FogBugz and SourceGear Vault.

Great tools for microISVs are VMWare Player and Server. Both are free. I use them for testing with different operating sytstems (Windows 2000, XP, Vista). I even run SourceGear Vault inside a virtual machine, which makes backup very easy. Just backup the complete virtual machine. In case of a harddisk failure just restore it to another computer, and within minutes you can continue working again.

Norbert Ruessmann


'lb' on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:07:32 GMT, sez:

Good stuff Norbert.

And great tip on VMWare. We've been doing a bit of that lately too.


'google adwords management' on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:10:44 GMT, sez:

nice post. keep the great stuff coming and I appreciate your advice as I'm sure everyone else does.


'Kristy Lewis' on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:21:50 GMT, sez:

Thanks for making this list. The tools listed will make my life much easier.


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TimeSnapper is a life analysis system that stores and plays-back your computer use. It makes timesheet recording a breeze, helps you recover lost work and shows you how to sharpen your act.

 

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