Is this the year when you'll launch a Micro ISV?

Every time a New Year rolls around I make a solid resolution that this is the year, finally, when i'll start my own little software company. And every year I fail.

But in 2006, as you know, I finally got there with TimeSnapper, in conjunction with Atli Björgvin Oddsson. And it actually wasn't all that easy. I can see now why it took so long, and why it's something that most people procrastinate about, and other people write books about.

Coming up with an idea was easy. Writing a free product was not too hard (particularly in my case, since Atli did all the work at that point). But moving from free to professional: that was a killer. Every step along the way was a potential for delays and confusion. The sheer number of steps was daunting.

What about you? Are you planning to start a software company some day? Have you let another year slip away?

There are pitfalls at every step.

If this is going to be the year for you, then maybe I can help. Do you need ideas? Encouragement? Practical advice? Serious help? (We all need serious help).

I've got a 25-point plan written out, of the steps we took to turn TimeSnapper from a give-away to a money making venture.

I've planned (but not yet written) a serious of blog posts about each one of these steps.

It's worked okay for me and Atli. We're not retired yet, but we've done a little better than we expected. And with sufficient feedback from the clever people who read this blog, this plan could be a useful one for others to read and learn from.

So stay tuned for the 25 steps to turn amateur software into professional software.

My new year's resolution is to work on sharing those 25 points.

The outline will be delivered soon. I'm looking at it now... nodding my head, hesitating and saying, yeh, i'll post this soon.

[Update -- see 25 steps to launching a Micro-ISV]