TL;DR: Due to the nature of the software services field, I’ve come to realize it’s not a good fit for me as a professional and business owner. I want to explore funding and creating my own products by assembling the right team. I will continue providing software services to maintain financial stability, but it’s not my long-term goal.
Recap
It’s been a while since my last post, so here’s a quick recap for both of us. In February 2023, I bootstrapped my own software company, Moby IT. Leveraging my ~10 years of experience, connections in the software services world, and knowledge, I set out to be my own boss. I didn’t fully understand the implication of that decision, so while staffing software teams, I started delving into software entrepreneurship, strategic marketing, sales, and product management. Each of these could be a lifelong pursuit! However, my goal was clear: I believe I can provide lean software services that focus on delivering the most impactful work for clients.
Making a Business Plan: Sales & Marketing
After reading some marketing and sales books, I started actively networking and documenting my ideas in a business plan. I attended most software conferences in Greece during 2023, met amazing people, and learned a lot about myself and the market from a business owner’s perspective, not just a developer’s.
I always positioned Moby IT as a service-based company. My deep knowledge of the modern tech stack and commitment to eliminating wasteful efforts garnered some positive feedback from experienced developers, but less so from business owners or decision-makers who could choose Moby IT as a partner.
As time progresed I did not give up though - I refined my plan, shared it with trusted colleagues in sales and marketing, and iterated on it. I aimed for simplicity, a clearer pitch, and overall focus.
Facing Realities and Redefining Needs
As time progressed, I still made a living out of providing services. I started noticing what “providing services” means from the perspective of a business owner, rather than a simple developer. The more I understood what it meant, the more I questioned if that’s what I want to do.
The “enterprise services” side of software is fairly similar across companies. Most companies in Greece and the EU work with governments, public organizations, and/or large private sector companies. Unfortunately, mid-sized companies often struggle to afford customized software solutions, limiting the market in a certain way.
There are certain ingrained patterns in the enterprise software services world, which I’ve observed throughout my experience. I won’t delve into them here, but it’s important to note that these issues aren’t necessarily due to bad decisions; rather, the industry itself has pushed companies into these situations.
It’s become clear that the enterprise software services field is not where I want to be long-term. While I know I do good work in this area, I don’t find it fulfilling. My contributions in the enterprise software space often feel meaningless.
If not services then what?
The key word in the previous section is the word meaning. I’ve discovered that, even though I enjoy reading about Information Technology and Computer Science, I don’t need it for personal fulfillment. What I do need is to be part of a team that creates impactful products (digital or physical) with sociocultural value. This feeling has been absent for a while.
So I’ve started connecting with creatives around me - visual and audio designers, game designers, writers, craftspersons, product ideators etc. I’ve started bringing those people together and we’re already working in a couple of products.
Here’s the gist of my plan:
- Assemble a team with diverse skillsets who are passionate about creating valuable products.
- Prioritize product value and social/cultural impact over immediate revenue.
- Leverage the income from Moby IT’s services to fund these side projects until they become our main focus.
Moby IT aspires to be a hub of designers, product developers, and software developers, all united by the goal of creating impactful products.
This vision can only be realized with the right team.
If you think that you could picture yourself as part of this group, feel free to contact me.
These thoughts are summed up in Moby’s website.
Cheers,
George
Moby IT.