Ruth Ann S. Basnillo

SYSANAL

O0A

Joel Spolsky

Cofounder, Fog Creek Software

            Joel Spolsky founded Fog Creek Software together with his friend Michael Pryor in 2000 without any specific product in mind.

            Fog Creek Software was started with the motivation to have a kind of software company where people would want to work with the very idea of having the programmers as the stars. And the key inspiration to this idea, that made Spolsky leap into starting Fog Creek, was Philip Greenspun of ArsDigita who created an environment where programmers are like professionals.

            The problem that this startup addressed was that they gave their attention to a problem which is really not. They thought that they had the sales and marketing problem where in fact they had none, and so they wasted some of their time and they just focused on the software they’re doing later.

            The cofounders offered software for an internal bug-tracking application. People need this software that Fog Creek offered because there are bugs in their stuffs that are not easily identified and tracked and this answers their problem making it still hit even though the price is raised a couple of times.

            It had an impact in the history of the Internet in a way that it made software startups and other people realize that creating a blog would be a good strategy to help them get the attention of potential customers. The startup ArsDigita absolutely influenced this startup.

            What’s unique about this startup was that it never took any outside investment to hit. It just took the founder a weblog that had million of readers every month from around the world. Their startup was something that was already offered and done before.

            The existing system was just applications for bug tracking. But the startup of Spolsky turned out into a real software for tracking bugs.

            If I were in the cofounder’s shoes, I would have also created a weblog for my software. I have been into making weblogs and I knew that this is a very good way for advertisement because many people are into Internet already and research is just a one click away. I think, I would have just not looked for a company that would sell and market my products because the idea almost put them in a scenario where their products would have disappeared.

            I think the startup would have been possible in a Third World Country because it didn’t took any investments to be marketed. It is a very great help for a country that has limited resources specifically when it comes to financial. The peculiar characteristic of the startup was that it was an investment-free startup that became famous through the weblog the founder did which is Joel on Softwares.

10 THINGS I DIDNT KNOW:

1. After reading the case study, I learned that Fog Creek Software was founded by Joel Spolsky with Michael Pryor in 2000. Before, I didn’t know anything about Joel Spolsky or Michael Pryor.
2. After reading the case study, I learned that Fog Creek was inspired by Philip Greenspun of ArsDigita and his importance for programmers. Before, I have heard and read about the startup of Philip Greenspun but I didn’t know that it inspired Fog Creek.
3. After reading the case study, I learned that the startup’s initial product was a bug-tracking application. Before, I didn’t know anything about bug-tracking application and that it was sold by Fog Creek.
4. After reading the case study, I learned that Fog Creek was an investment-free software company. Before, I didn’t know that there are products that need not to be invested upon.
5. After reading the case study, I learned that FogBugz got famous and became a hit only because of the weblog Joel on Software the founder created. Before, I didn’t know that a weblog could be a good way of promoting your product.
6. After reading the case study, I learned that Joel Spolsky also created  a working environment in his company where programmers are given great importance. Before, I thought that it was just Philip Greenspun of ArsDigita.
7. After reading the case study, I learned that Fog Creek Software also became a software consulting company. Before, I didn’t know anything about Fog Creek Software.
8. After reading the case study, I learned that the company was built in a place where there are no software companies and that was in New York City. Before, I didn’t know that there are no software companies in this place.
9. After reading the case study, I learned that there are very few technology companies in New York City because its choices are more on investment banks, some hospitals, and advertising agencies. Before, I thought that there are also many technology companies here.
10. After reading the case study, I learned that it doesn’t have to come to a point where you need to come to another big company to have your startup acquired and market it because it would not always lead to a good outcome. Before, I thought that acquisitions are cool.