Lessons Learned: Aleph on the Scene

1) Outsource technology. Focus on the core processes, and business development. You shouldn't have to worry about processes that are not central to your business.

2) While outsourcing technology is a good idea, DO NOT relinquish control of development. The end product is only as good as it's defined in the specification document. Don't expect your developers to innovate. Describe exactly what you want, don't leave too much room for imagination and chances are you won't be totally disappointed with the result. If you come up with a vague requirement specification document, the poor result is your fault, not the programmer’s.

3) Put your understanding down on paper, especially as it relates to partnership percentages. Debates over petty percentages points may result in nasty arguments and failed ventures. Be very clear about the numbers, write them down, get agreement on them, and then continue.

4) Network. Meet people, tell them about what you're doing, and don't be shy to ask for help. Networking skills are essential for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial community is a supportive bunch too. The bigger and more diverse your network, the more likely you are to find a good strategic fit for your venture

5) Maintain balance. Feature creep is endless. Requirement specifications change and features creep in. That is just the nature of the business. You can't take one extreme, where you freeze all change from the outset, nor the other extreme where the flux is so high that there are no clear cut requirements. It takes judgment and experience to know what to include, what to defer and what to exclude. When in doubt, simply ask the customer, or a business domain expert. And yes, follow a change management process.