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I'm in your target market, but I do not have any need for the features you're offering. Have you worked with independent software developers to identify the need you're satisfying with your product? For my own case, at least, it's not that we've not the time or inclination to create detailed timelines or project plans, it's that we would find such things less than useless since we're frequently changing plans to better satisfy emerging user requirements.

To use a tortured analogy, large companies are like container ships plodding along a pre-defined course [they know exactly where they're going to be four weeks from now] whereas smaller developers are on the scale of Leif Erickson [we're headed 'thataway', hope to find something really valuable in the process, but realize we're going to have to change course every day to adapt to the winds, current and coastline we're discovering if we've any hope of surviving this adventure]. If you're enabling large-company planning processes for independent developers, there may be a mis-match in your marketing.

If you've not yet sat down with some small software companies to find out just what they would find helpful, I'd suggest you do so before proceeding further. You don't want to find yourself creating the perfect product for a non-existent need -- that way leads to madness.

I'm an ISV myself, and I created it based on my needs. If you take a look at the planning tab, you'll see that it's not how you think it is.

It's simple:

1. You add a deadline by which time you expect some particular featureset to be completed (for example, the user interface) 2. The you add a bunch of features to that deadline (like toolbar, about box, etc). 3. You have a series of tasks for each feature that need to be completed like a standard todo list

Normal planning does not work for ISVs. But the approach above works (for me at least), because it allows you structure the way you approach your coding. It's not about traditional planning in any sense, it just a way of organising your todo lists in a manner that fits with the way that ISVs approach their products.

So, the product is another to do list? Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't see how this would benefit us any more than another to do list.

Have you been designing this product to match the requirements of an existing software company which is selling product today, or are you trying to match the requirements you think you will have once your planned product sells?

The product(s) it's designed for are selling today.

If you have an entire process setup already for planning your software development path, and you already have a well working analytics system, then your products are already being managed, and you don't need this.

This product is designed to bring an efficient structure into the life of the ISV. Processes are there for a reason - they make it so you don't have to guess what comes next or what you have to do next. This product is designed on that principle - it takes the random life of the developer and makes it efficient.

There are two ways one can approach the software business - you can either just do things randomly as they coming, and hope things work out, or you can plan ahead, observe trends, iterate and optimize to grow and make more money. This product is designed for people who want to take the second path.

Well, businesses definitely need structure, but I don't see how this particular product would help me observe trends (aside from web site page views and total dollar sales), iterate and optimize.

Perhaps if there were a case study of some sort up on your page? Right now, it just looks like a to do list stitched into Facebook, and that's not what we're needing.

I don't know how many products you sell, but let's say you sell about 4 products. You sell roughly 6-7 copies a day, and you site views are about 1500 uniques a day. Now, you nee to keep a constant eye on these numbers, and you need to do things to make these numbers go up, and not down.

If you work without structure, it's difficult. My tool is designed such that you can take a look at the frontpage and you instantly see how everything is performing.

The todo list is a standard todo list (like basecamp has), but the fact that you can keep your product based todo separate from the rest of the usual todo is helpful. When a product is cruising along fine based on trends you observe, you can ignore the product from a business point of view. When things start getting bad, you have a todo list you can refer back to.

How will your product "do things to make these numbers go up, not down"? If all your tool is letting me do is count web site page-views and total dollar sales, that's not going to help.

That part I did not add to the screenshots :-) If you click on the last tab "Strategy", there are 3 icons beside the 'trends' icon. Those pages contain the steps that one takes to increase the page view, download count and so on. The info that is taught in business school is broken down into a form that makes sense for the internet, and that will surely make you more money if you do things steadily and step by step.

I decided against putting up the screenshots of that part because there are too many pages, and I've not completely fleshed out the concept yet.

I'm not in your target market, so take what I say with a grain of salt. It seems like you're trying to do too much in one go. You should try to keep the main thing, the main thing. You said it was a to help developers sell/license their product. I think that is a fantastic tool and great market.

But your software seems to do a bit of everything. Why does it have to do project management, keep track of contacts and all sorts of other stuff. Why cant you just make it help track sales and licenses etc. That would be a compelling product, but right now there seems to be too much. So much that I just got overloaded and left the page. If you had two or three targeted tabs, I would have been a lot more interested.

Either way, great start and good luck!!

You're right, absolutely right. I know that there are too many features, but I built this thing first and foremost for myself. And I've always wanted the featureset that is now added to the web app, because it's really helpful for selling my own software. I added those features, not because I thought someone would like them, but because I wanted them for myself.

What feature do you think could be cut out? Maybe an outside perspective will make me see it differently.

I would second the "this has a lot of features for a first cut" sentiment. On the other hand, if you've already written them, the cost isn't too high as long as your most impressive feature is in front.

As for deployment...you can get a perfectly serviceable dedicated host for $100 a month. Buy it, and start slow launching your service. You don't need to wait for help.

If you want to turn this into a startup, you should think about looking for a cofounder (and giving them 50% equity).

I don't really want to give you an opinion that could screw up your product! As mentioned, I am not in your target market so that question is probably better directed at someone who is.

IMO, just stick to the sales/licensing/tracking.

But if you built the featureset because they are all important to you as a user, than maybe you're on to something.

I would focus just on the mailing list and build that feature into a full product for developers (both desktop and web).

Current mailers are too complicated and generally don't have any APIs for instance to tie my customer db to a mailing list.

That's a pretty bad idea, unless you want to be an ESP. deliverability becomes a challenge when you start sending our massive quantities of email -- you need to deal with ISPs of all kinds, constantly changing legislation and complaints. one esp (my previous employer) does offer an API to tie your customer db to a mailing list (including doing the mail merge and such) -- verticalresponse.com

Well I am in your target market, I currently use e-junkie.com to sell a shareware app.

I can't really tell from the screenshots, but is this a full featured shopping cart and affiliate manager like e-junkie or is this only for analytics?

It's not a shopping cart at all - it's a product manager. You can use any shopping cart/sales gateway you want and it integrates into licensekey.net, allowing you a central location to control everything. There are many different affiliate networks and so on around, and this tool just allows you manage your affiliates, but does not act as a direct affiliate manager.

Rather, the tool acts as the central organisation point for your products.

I think it would be much easier to sell your service if you included shopping cart/sales gateway functionality.

That way you could bill yourself as ejunkie with more features.

Well, right now I have SWREG and Paypal integrated. It does the sales notification replies for those services, and I plan to add more as needed.

I'd like to add the shopping cart/sales gateway stuff, but it's quite expensive. I need to pay the merchant account fees, pay all the truste certificates and so on...

take a look at e-junkie, I don't think they have to pay merchant account fees, they are just a pass through to paypal, goog checkout, authorize.net etc, they don't actually handle any of the transaction money, but they are still very useful for small time isv

They make their money through a monthly subscription fee.

It sounds like you are almost there, you just need to add goog checkout and throw on a shopping cart

Thanks for the tip, I'll see what they offer.

Your web app is cool at least it has all the proper functions. But, I am definitely not in your market. Why don't you try to use scalable web server like amazon or Google App Engine since you are writing it on Django? Google App Engine has very well support for Django web app. Anyway, all the best to you. If you have any problem, you can definitely email me - siong1987 (at) hotmail (dot) com.

I like the idea....But can't say im a fan of the name. But i'll be interested to see what it's like when released.

What turns you off about the name?

I dont think I would have easily found the site in a goog query. licensekey.net....makes me think of license keys :P

I don't mean to be negative, I think it's a great idea and I'll be keeping a close eye on it when it comes out. Personally, I think that names can be some of the hardest things for hackers to think of...they always turn out crap (Django ?!)

Exactly what I thought. I read the title in my RSS feed and thought "is that supposed to be some online license/key manager for end users so they don't lose them?".

Names are always difficult, but I have found unusual names spread by sneaker net/word of mouth always stick in the back of my head (news.ycombinator) or really really obvious names that are easy to guess stand out as well (news.bbc). Oh you also mentioned hosting aswell..one of the chaps at work swears by these guys : http://www.slicehost.com/ . Worth taking a look at (I think they mentioned Django on there, somewhere) I kwnow they support LAMP.

Given in a different context (i.e. not on HN), it almost sounds like a website where people could find license keys for (pirated) software.

cracks would probably be more popular. who knows. (maybe that belief is selection bias..since apps that only need serials aren't pirated as often in their entirety as apps that need cracks as well).

Btw, also try posting on the joelonsoftware.com forums. You'll find a lot of ISV's for feedback, and potential customers there.

is the product ready?

if not, great way to get iterative feedback before building product/feature set that nobody wants.

Critique my startup - licensekey.net