tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40657088651364232642024-03-05T09:32:07.620-08:00DevHive :: The Swarm Development PlatformHere is a little description about my blogMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-64546929819219384992008-04-30T09:53:00.000-07:002008-05-09T12:35:23.437-07:00GWT Redux: In case you missed it the first time...<a href="http://www.janeeva.com/team.htm">Raj Rajen</a>, the CTO of <a href="http://www.janeeva.com/index.htm">Janeeva</a>, has recently started a cool new group around the topic of Rich Internet Applications (RIA). Raj stopped in at the Ann Arbor JUG when I gave the GWT presentation, and thought it would make a good topic for his group.<br /><br />So my plan is to take the <a href="http://devhive.blogspot.com/2008/04/presentation-introduction-lessons.html">current presentation</a>, remove some of the lessons learned that are "GWT-specific", and add a comparison of GWT to other AJAX & RIA frameworks. If you have any thoughts on what I should include, I'd love to hear from you.<br /><br />The meeting will be held on May 12th at 6:00pm at Ann Arbor SPARK Central [<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=330+E.+Liberty,+Ann+Arbor,+MI&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.844639,79.980469&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr">330 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI</a>]. See you there!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-11285228744862474472008-04-18T12:17:00.000-07:002008-04-18T13:17:39.697-07:00Presentation: Introduction + Lessons Learned Using Google Web Toolkit (GWT)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kq3zZgUxibYJXJ9BC9L__m_g57h_3s9MWR0MdFGtX-uSHOMndwVQ-FLE0p-9Hf8re5pRulgmYcJnFgMoOZOn-lmOTGX3R5Pu_GZ9J3r4OfxExk2YkLh37XOd4_UezR5wc5QummlrLk7x/s1600-h/gwt_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Kq3zZgUxibYJXJ9BC9L__m_g57h_3s9MWR0MdFGtX-uSHOMndwVQ-FLE0p-9Hf8re5pRulgmYcJnFgMoOZOn-lmOTGX3R5Pu_GZ9J3r4OfxExk2YkLh37XOd4_UezR5wc5QummlrLk7x/s320/gwt_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190681665020585554" border="0" /></a>Over the past couple of months, I have delivered a <a href="http://docs.devhive.com/DevHive.GWT.GRJUG.ppt">presentation on GWT</a> [PPT, 6MB] to a couple of JUGs (<a href="http://aajug.org/">Ann Arbor</a>, <a href="http://www.gr-jug.org/">Grand Rapids</a>). This topic has been pretty hot. At both presentations, the JUGs had twice as many attendees than usual. And the presentation was pretty well-received, so I thought I would share it for others to reuse.<br /><br />Part I is an "Introduction to GWT". In that part, I stole a lot of content (with permission) from excellent presentations from <a href="http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/presentations.html">Bruce Johnson</a> & <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/dgirard/introduction-to-google-web-toolkit?src=embed">Didier Girard</a>. Everything in Part I is pretty straightforward, and has been pretty well-received by the audience.<br /><br />Part II is a bit more controversial. In Part II, I go through some lessons learned using GWT. By and large, I tried to highlight tips & tricks that I had to discover by scouring the forums and GWT books. However, I also make some recommendations that are counter to some of the prevailing conventional wisdom around GWT (as I understand it). For example,<br /><ul><li>I recommend working with a designer to produce HTML / CSS, and then using GWT to inject dynamic activities in the page. </li><li>I also recommend using multiple modules in a GWT app, and breaking up modules by user role. </li></ul><p>I'll explain those decisions in more detail in future blog posts. But I'd love to hear from others...whether or not you agree with my decisions.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-3160232726919493222008-04-15T07:50:00.000-07:002008-04-15T08:01:21.837-07:00GWT Presentation in Grand Rapids<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeunB4IXypD5yI6o23V7QtDYkh0WdAN22o00uGqPpvKrMA6KAS1KATLJ2opdkrV1jPOyl3heiTzTQZXEc8xT7j057pwrGVE3KQ5F5JpZjfaiG0sjRRsZ01yrmcLIQlxUVEdVBjYcFg3w9/s1600-h/grjug_logo.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeunB4IXypD5yI6o23V7QtDYkh0WdAN22o00uGqPpvKrMA6KAS1KATLJ2opdkrV1jPOyl3heiTzTQZXEc8xT7j057pwrGVE3KQ5F5JpZjfaiG0sjRRsZ01yrmcLIQlxUVEdVBjYcFg3w9/s320/grjug_logo.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189485654067602994" /></a>Everyone's invited to a presentation I'll be giving on Thursday at the <a href="http://gr-jug.org/">Grand Rapids Java User Group</a>:<br /><br /><b>GWT: Using Java to deliver AJAX</b><br />Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 5:30pm<br />Presented by Mike Burba of <a href="http://www.devhive.com/">DevHive</a> <p>Google has recently released the <a href="http://code.google.com/webtoolkit/">Google Web Toolkit</a>, which is a library for developing AJAX-front ends for web applications. This library is very powerful, and it is gaining traction in the Java community. A developer from SE Michigan has offered to give an overview of GWT, and share lessons-learned that they have developed over the last six months while working on a mid-sized project for one of their clients.</p> <p>Mike Burba went to West Point and graduated with a CS degree. After a short stint jumping out of airplanes in defense of our country, Mike left the Army to get into the software business. At that point (1999), Mike started to get into Java. He was using JEE when it was still called J2EE and before the 1.0 spec of EJB had launched. And he stayed with Java ever since. He eventually became a technical evangelist at Sun Microsystems, and then ended up at Compuware working on their Java products. Mike has presented at several Java conferences, including JavaOne, the NoFluffJustStuff series, and others. Currently, Mike and his colleagues have founded <a href="http://www.devhive.com/">a Web 2.0, SaaS startup</a> in SE Michigan. They are always looking for talented people, so if you're interested in the company, stop by and meet Mike after the presentation.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meeting Location:</span></p> <p>Calvin College, Science Bldg room 382 (<a href="http://www.calvin.edu/map">map</a>)</p><p><b>Meeting Agenda:</b></p><p>5:30pm - networking<br />6:00pm - meeting begins<br />7:00pm - closing</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-39080302091200928522008-04-13T05:21:00.000-07:002008-04-13T05:35:05.527-07:00Reusable Software: One of the 7 Gartner IT Grand Challenges<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQFEmi03L0SkmQh0dKMSWtptAsNlWVgaxfwJyE85NzQJqe7wnllhdZifkol3xUgNXSmhog7cYk8dBmivYNWGcdUfSa3_lNAjmrmRErDySrRPCxr3IWEH8QG0GSyKDAWYMUUcwQLDKMQIv/s1600-h/gartner_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQFEmi03L0SkmQh0dKMSWtptAsNlWVgaxfwJyE85NzQJqe7wnllhdZifkol3xUgNXSmhog7cYk8dBmivYNWGcdUfSa3_lNAjmrmRErDySrRPCxr3IWEH8QG0GSyKDAWYMUUcwQLDKMQIv/s320/gartner_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188707032331413026" border="0" /></a><br />Basline recently published an <a href="http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/IT-Management/The-7-Grand-Challenges-Facing-IT/1/">article</a> that listed Gartner's "7 Grand Challenges" for 2008. Check out #6:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Increase programmer productivity a hundredfold.</span> As demand for software development increases, and the number of students pursuing software engineering and computer science degrees declines, meeting future demands will require increasing the output and productivity of each programmer. While tools that enhance productivity continue to capture attention, <span style="font-style: italic;">the best solution may lie in effectively and efficiently exploiting reusable code</span>. But many challenges exist there as well, including minimizing the time required to find the perfect module and avoiding the need to modify reusable software. [emphasis added]</blockquote><p>Agreed. And this is the power of DevHive: componentized software created by a development community financially incented to create value.</p><p>Wouldn't surprise me if #6 came from Mike Blechar, Matt Hotle, & Matt Lightner. It was their work on reusable SODA environments that inspired the initial ideas behind DevHive.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-67182581348258624202008-04-11T13:54:00.002-07:002008-04-12T16:50:22.773-07:00How a swarm of bees works...Andrew Bleeda, a future technology evangelist who is currently studying at the University of Michigan sent me this cool link on bees:<br /><object width="425" height="355"><br /><center><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvShQV5WJS8&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vvShQV5WJS8&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center><p>I imagine this is what DevHive will look like once the Swarm grows...as the "scouts" see an area where they can provide value (e.g., financial services, insurance claims), they will lead the Swarm to build components in that space.</p><p>Many are wiser than a few...</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-39761565634829409352008-04-09T05:34:00.000-07:002008-04-11T13:29:53.934-07:00Mama's, Please Let Your Boys (& Girls) Grow Up to Be ProgrammersNews flash to Mom's & Dad's across the country: we need more software engineers!<br /><br />I remember back when I was a sophmore (a.k.a. Yearling) at West Point, and we had to declare our majors. It was 1991, and the world was a different place; the personal computer was just beginning to change the world. In fact, I was in the first class at the Academy where every cadet was issued a personal computer. So when I called home to tell my parents that I was going to declare for the brand new "Computer Science Degree", my Dad was unimpressed. His advice: "I know you've loved wasting endless hours on that 'thing' (the 'thing' was a Commodore64 that I programmed little sprite games on), but you've got to get a job that will put food on the table, and you'll never be able to make any money on that computer!" Well I love and deeply respect dear old Dad, and that made me really think about my major. However, because I was at West Point, I knew that I would have a five year service term, and that my major would have very little bearing on what job I could get in the Army or afterward. So I decided to do what I loved and I got a CS degree. I never regretted that decision. I loved every second of the programming that I did at school. And I love programming to this day. But I wonder what I would have chosen with Dad's advice and the challenge of landing a "real job" after college?<br /><br />As it turns out, by the time I got out of the Army, it was 1999, and computer programmers were hot! Everybody wanted to get a CS degree. I was able to easily get a job, with great pay, and have never had any issues with employment.<br /><br />However, it seem like today--in 2008--we've come full circle.<br /><br />For example, an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120707629451581051.html?mod=djemTMB">article in today's WSJ</a> laments the dearth of jobs that will be waiting for the Class of '08. Still, they say there is still strong demand for certain skillsets...guess which ones?!<br /><blockquote>Certain skills still are in strong demand, says Ms. Chota, adding that the company <em>can't find enough qualified graduates with degrees in computer science</em> and those who have knowledge of both business and IT. "In the U.S., unfortunately, there are not enough great computer-science graduates," Ms. Chota says. [emphasis added]</blockquote><p>I've seen this phenomenon with my own eyes. At a recent recruiting event at the University of Michigan, there were more than 30 companies looking for computer science grads. We were giving away trinkets, free Starbucks cards, and anything else we could think of to attract the students to our booths. On the other hand, there were only a handful of companies looking for mech & chem grads. It was almost comical to see the differences in the demand for those students. The students applying for those jobs actually wore suits (you don't have to do that with a software company ;-), and they queued up about 15-20 deep waiting for interviews.</p><p>So why aren't there enough computer science grads out there? I believe a large part of the problem stems from Mom & Dad. Today's parents are seeing the world go flat, and they are discouraging their kids from jobs that are going overseas. <a href="http://www.menloinnovations.com/founders/sheridanbio.htm">Rich Sheridan</a>, the founder of <a href="http://www.menloinnovations.com/">Menlo Innovations</a>, tells a story about talking to a room of CS majors at the Univeristy of Michigan. He asked them to raise their hands if their parents had discouraged them from declaring a CS major; <em>over half</em> raised their hands.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdcMS_fmcM0hHFN8HbpXG518NW-WGYMnBoiA3yiTqtKXll-NODTFJr3eBWvyNHUWMMOqRMoQztzk41nol42Y6OoLh8-psKIOQjKWQQCRKq8QG3_RpYDv0bQdeBC4WOU8EY23KyaSuf805/s1600-h/wsj_starting_salaries.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187226020553196178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdcMS_fmcM0hHFN8HbpXG518NW-WGYMnBoiA3yiTqtKXll-NODTFJr3eBWvyNHUWMMOqRMoQztzk41nol42Y6OoLh8-psKIOQjKWQQCRKq8QG3_RpYDv0bQdeBC4WOU8EY23KyaSuf805/s320/wsj_starting_salaries.gif" border="0" /></a><p>I understand why parents are concerned. But when it comes to computer science, nothing could be further from the truth. As <a href="http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~farnam/">Dr. Jahanian</a>, the chair of the CS department at UM, pointed out, there are more IT jobs today than there were in early 2000, at the height of the internet bubble. And not only are there jobs, they have great starting salaries, too (see figure from WSJ).</p><p>So, please, Mom & Dad, please...let your kids become programmers...</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-30861675308506252612008-03-27T06:26:00.000-07:002008-03-27T06:35:24.228-07:00Our first PR<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IsKLA_nmfguy_s6MYfZ3gPpcRFb_gr4qR_LV-MEYtcFUC5TXpBFsa8SiuDYnJ6OFsaOPsbhmshjI3CVhbAURkor9UKFSRuuJgN1VWLfL_f22N2vTLxSdGYFRjjNg-24dnuSiD5ooyxJg/s1600-h/metromode_logo.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IsKLA_nmfguy_s6MYfZ3gPpcRFb_gr4qR_LV-MEYtcFUC5TXpBFsa8SiuDYnJ6OFsaOPsbhmshjI3CVhbAURkor9UKFSRuuJgN1VWLfL_f22N2vTLxSdGYFRjjNg-24dnuSiD5ooyxJg/s320/metromode_logo.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182413088791233154" border="0" /></a>Had a nice interview with Jon Zemke, the News Editor at MetroMode yesterday. Here is the <a href="http://www.metromodemedia.com/innovationnews/devhive0061.aspx">result</a>.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-58725761334689857832008-03-11T12:24:00.000-07:002008-03-11T12:25:34.077-07:00The best advice I ever received about raising money<div style='text-align:center'><object width='425' height='345' id='FiveminPlayer'><param name='allowfullscreen' value='true'/><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/4661/'/><embed src='http://www.5min.com/Embeded/4661/' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' width='425' height='345' allowfullscreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always'></embed></object><br/><a href='http://www.5min.com/' style='font-family: Verdana;font-size: 9px;' target='_blank'>Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com</a></div><br /><p>Enough said ;-)</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-9505954339536557802008-03-10T07:03:00.000-07:002008-03-10T08:00:31.508-07:00Chris Anderson (Editor, Wired):There *is* such a thing as a free lunch!<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/bloom">David Bloom</a> recently pointed me to Chris Anderson's latest project, a yet-to-be-published book tentatively titled <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.thelongtail.com/the_long_tail/2007/05/my_next_book_fr.html">FREE</a>. Chris wrote an <a href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=6">article</a> on the subject for <span style="font-style: italic;">Wired</span>, then ran an offer to give away the magazine for free (it's no longer available, sorry). I really enjoyed this interview that he did with Charlie Rose (Michael Arrington from TechCrunch was also on this episode, so that's why his picture is below).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><embed style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-1951879923858017460&hl=en" flashvars=""></embed><br /></div><br /><p>As you might guess, nothing is really free; but Chris makes that point that we have shifted to what he calls the "attention economy". Attention is very, very valuable, and that is what consumers "pay" for the services that they use on the internet. The challenge, of course, is monetizing that attention...</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-37455404175028160162008-01-24T12:25:00.000-08:002008-01-24T12:56:54.039-08:00The Real Reason We Joined Automation Alley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEnJ5C4EePgrKECyRemPk5Y8Etg4z7B9QHVTDJeZSamnwi2VQl86r4M9KN1c3vOpwcmGMVTGJemwMrM44zGAGKHBfn-deIo8Ng-uctzqhCvPV5yCrHb2dcRHPLfA8wwvz05L5_YWzRst2/s1600-h/auto_alley_sm.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEnJ5C4EePgrKECyRemPk5Y8Etg4z7B9QHVTDJeZSamnwi2VQl86r4M9KN1c3vOpwcmGMVTGJemwMrM44zGAGKHBfn-deIo8Ng-uctzqhCvPV5yCrHb2dcRHPLfA8wwvz05L5_YWzRst2/s320/auto_alley_sm.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159142212367378898" border="0" /></a>In this community, startups have a dizzying array of programs to help them get off the ground. At DevHive, we have taken advantage of several of these programs, all of which were helpful. However, at some point, you reach a saturation point. You simply can't bear to sit through another 60-minute lecture on how to identify your target market. So when the Automation Alley approached me and asked DevHive to join their association, I kind of put it on the back burner. <br /><br />However, an acquaintance at another startup recently told me that the best thing they had done at their company was to join Automation Alley. Not only did he feel like the networking was invaluable, but he told me a story about how, one day, another member popped in from out of the blue and handed them a list of all his target customers. He was blown away that someone would be so helpful. Now that got my attention. Prospects and networking with real businesspeople...those are real reasons to join a professional organization.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-45871348438089249982008-01-24T08:27:00.000-08:002008-01-24T19:26:44.673-08:00Thank you, Salesforce, for Spreading the PaaS Gospel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk-vjb10dCsesk1gEfJxLi9wFwr0ajFRMLEqFxdMxXUcc6hf0N-_pRAyq5KAxxg-642BuBEi_bpEmGIsATp22JtvZZX5U1NrSsB1T8dw0JBhd6gDL0RT9I3dDkC_nKriYde_ekOYvxYL_/s1600-h/wsj-benioff.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdk-vjb10dCsesk1gEfJxLi9wFwr0ajFRMLEqFxdMxXUcc6hf0N-_pRAyq5KAxxg-642BuBEi_bpEmGIsATp22JtvZZX5U1NrSsB1T8dw0JBhd6gDL0RT9I3dDkC_nKriYde_ekOYvxYL_/s320/wsj-benioff.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159081906731575746" border="0" /></a>Yesterday's WSJ had an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120096515517505261.html?mod=wsjcrmain">excellent article</a> on Salesforce.com's vision for the future of software development. Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, talks about Salesforce's long-term commitment in the long-term to Platform-as-a-Service [emphasis added]:<br /><blockquote>So our first 10 years were all about making [software as a service] mainstream. <span style="font-style: italic;">I think our second 10 years will be all about making the platform-as-a-service mainstream -- and I do think it will take that long.</span></blockquote><p>Also yesterday, Robert Scoble--reporting from the World Economic Forum in Davos--posted a <a href="http://www.qik.com/video/11194">video interview with Marc Benioff</a>. Again, Marc talks extensively about force.com, Salesforce's web platform and restates his commitment to it as the future of software.<br /><br />When talking to people about DevHive, I get asked a lot about Salesforce.com (in fact, I got asked about them this morning). My answer is simple: we <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">LOVE </span>that Salesforce.com is committed to Platform-as-a-Service. Why? Because they are evangelizing the concept to every customer, every analyst, and every writer that they talk to. They are creating a market that will be bigger than just Salesforce, and everyone in the space profits from their work. Second, DevHive has real, valuable differences from the Saleforce.com platform:</p><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">DevHive's platform is built on open standards.</span> Salesforce.com is built on proprietary technology. They have created their <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/landing/apex.jsp">own programming language</a>, proprietary data services, and so on. This is *not* a bad business strategy (see: <a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=MSFT">MSFT</a>); however, anytime the market supports a proprietary solution, there is room for an open alternative.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">DevHive's component repository addresses the real pain with custom application development</span>--the cost of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">people</span>. 90% of the cost of a custom application is people, not infrastructure. DevHive's component repository enables developers to reuse code, cutting the cost and time of development in half. Salesforce does not offer anything to match that functionality. </li></ul><p>As a result, at DevHive we are cheering for Salesforce. Every article that they get published in WSJ...every interview they get with Scoble...means that more and more people hear about, understand, and believe that Platform-as-a-Service will change the way that enterprise software will be built. And that helps us all.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-34491525874332407592007-12-08T07:03:00.000-08:002007-12-08T07:14:59.839-08:00Bees Used for Load Balancing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGo96uOzvlLk2pC0cxjoNjwTVNiv22XZDR_X_3s0Jtcp-3GsyloYGKjAq4lPo8CdHlog0ETTiCjjkbxNA4wZ56gCUYZjDuPgtJ7LzV6YS6StjejaMj9rxPIJDzT0TByEYAnLwr8Fwtbpo/s1600-h/honeybees.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqGo96uOzvlLk2pC0cxjoNjwTVNiv22XZDR_X_3s0Jtcp-3GsyloYGKjAq4lPo8CdHlog0ETTiCjjkbxNA4wZ56gCUYZjDuPgtJ7LzV6YS6StjejaMj9rxPIJDzT0TByEYAnLwr8Fwtbpo/s320/honeybees.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5141620794804985410" border="0" /></a>My twin brother sent me a <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=1605">link</a> to some research from Georgia Tech that has applied research on honeybees to load balancing for internet servers. Pretty cool stuff. I've always been interested in how phenomena from nature can be leveraged for man-made<br /><br />What can I say, we think alike (and look alike, and talk alike, etc.) Having a double in this world rocks!Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-35364824638140828942007-12-04T07:49:00.000-08:002007-12-08T08:53:40.703-08:00Joel's Pareto Rule for Software Development CareersJoel Sposky recently gave a <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/12/04.html">presentation</a> to CS students a Yale and proposed a Pareto Rule for software development careers. According to Joel, 80% of the available programmer jobs are for "in-house software", and the remainder are for commercial software. Joel's career advice was to do anything possible to avoid ending up in the "in-house software" world.<br /><br />I have to agree with him. I have never had a job at a "real" IT shop, but as a consultant, I've spent a great deal of time in them. It's not that developers of in-house software are less intelligent, less creative, or have less ambition than in commercial software world. It's just that all of their talent & passion is stymied by the practical realities of business--that is, that their company is not in the business of making software; they are in the business of making widgets. And it is extremely difficult with the current model of software development to make ROI justifications for custom software. That's just how it is. So developers who want to make a real impact are forced to move to jobs where software is the business.<br /><br />But the real question is: does it have to be that way? The DevHive answer is no. If we can change the way that custom software is built, we can change the economics behind custom software. If we change the economics, we can change the incentive model. If we change the incentive model, we can change behavior.<br /><br />That's what DevHive is trying to do. We want software developers to be compensated for the value of the software that they produce. Is that really such a radical concept?Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-72222935141161813122007-11-19T02:41:00.000-08:002007-11-19T04:50:46.201-08:00DevHive Selected to Compete in VCIC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.vcic.unc.edu/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_glQThCRWVgm1mfEkKE3huzGbNRK2yHoEVADS1pLFFvhWxgt05UqZsWDnw9bsvAZLJz-bSXk2lXjFwxKHTvqq6f3ocobizkIxhgpQaARfD40MzE94aV9BiSPHZkDRzgTHVvLdz930ROy5/s320/VCIC.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134532572450785618" border="0" /></a>Great news! DevHive was just selected to participate in the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). The <a href="http://www.vcic.unc.edu/">VCIC</a> is a twist on the traditional business plan competition. Rather than have students write and pitch business plans, they instead play the role of VCs and recruit real startups to pitch to them.<br /><br />We're eager to participate. I've met a couple of the student organizers and they are very sharp, so I'm sure this is going to be a solid event. And, even though the focus of this event is the students, it will be very valuable for us to be able to go through our business model with some of the brightest minds in the country.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-68014868163033625022007-10-01T11:40:00.000-07:002007-10-01T12:36:32.505-07:00DevHive Swarms the UM Looking for Future Rock Stars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPPkb-o0TubLLH8CFOlkBKDEo7pCOMSHgO4OHMwpN0dYVkW0NK-LxupTRCHICBbtO_cCre4CD-zmKI_nT4fGAemXHY_nqK8Q9UtWVimFZveKi3BJr3towV8CEBzLNe7gkK4cML6YMaWLS/s1600-h/mpowered.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPPkb-o0TubLLH8CFOlkBKDEo7pCOMSHgO4OHMwpN0dYVkW0NK-LxupTRCHICBbtO_cCre4CD-zmKI_nT4fGAemXHY_nqK8Q9UtWVimFZveKi3BJr3towV8CEBzLNe7gkK4cML6YMaWLS/s320/mpowered.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116445008018786802" border="0" /></a>Tomorrow, DevHive is going to be at the University of Michigan's <a href="http://www.engin.umich.edu/">College of Engineering</a> looking for future programming rock stars. We are attending a Career Fair that is being hosted by a student-driven group called <a href="http://mpowered.web.itd.umich.edu/index.php?n=Main.HomePage">MPowered</a>. I love the vision of MPowered--to foster the kind of entrepreneurial environment that surrounds other top universities like Stanford. I've had limited interactions with the student leadership team, but I can say already that I'm impressed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqfNbJvyZNhZaN55xytDJyij12HJhBHB2qOy1EJ7bCkJkiBpRgyVscnYgTjvEcyWteSpAKnfr-BWzSkd84NTcwVBdF3gifDcUVv4zJIs5sEXO1oPIB1ER8oyhhV4ymPQLjAqvaaAKO0-n/s1600-h/starbucks-logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqfNbJvyZNhZaN55xytDJyij12HJhBHB2qOy1EJ7bCkJkiBpRgyVscnYgTjvEcyWteSpAKnfr-BWzSkd84NTcwVBdF3gifDcUVv4zJIs5sEXO1oPIB1ER8oyhhV4ymPQLjAqvaaAKO0-n/s320/starbucks-logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116453022427761186" border="0" /></a>Anyway, we thought this would be the perfect time to do a little DevHive promotion. So we put our heads together and thought, what do engineering students love more than anything else? Answer: coffee! (Ok, that's not really #1, but we really can't provide #1-#3 on the list...so coffee's got to be at least #4, right?)<br /><br />So here's the promotion. We're going to give 20 Starbucks gift cards away tomorrow ($5 each). To "earn" the card, you've got to do the following:<br /><ol><li>Link to this blog from somewhere in the Great Big Cloud (e.g., facebook, myspace, etc.)</li><li>Let me know by posting a comment on this blog or by sending me an email (see my blog profile).</li><li>Show up at the DevHive table at the Career Fair and claim your prize.<br /></li></ol><p>NOTE: The gift cards will go to the first 20 who show up at our table, *not* the first 20 to link to our blog.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-34722242421167089342007-09-30T16:53:00.000-07:002007-10-01T13:13:31.019-07:00Funny Bee Music Video from Russian Pop GroupThanks to my Russian-American friend <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/provalov">Ivan</a> for finding and passing on this bee-related music video from the popular Russian band <a href="http://www.kupala.ru/">Ivan Kupala</a>. <br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /><object height="353" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aa49gyJZYb4&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aa49gyJZYb4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="353" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>If you want to know what Ryan's like...he's kind of like the break-dancing bee with the top hat that appears at about 2:20 in the video ;-)</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-41397722270042021682007-09-28T18:23:00.000-07:002007-09-28T19:34:22.852-07:00Drew Stanton is a 'Good Guy'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.mlive.com/saginaw_sports_extra/MLlions5_sa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 166px;" src="http://blog.mlive.com/saginaw_sports_extra/MLlions5_sa.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Had the opportunity to take a break from the computer this evening and take my 4-year old daughter to a high school football game. The game didn't turn out so great for the <a href="http://www.gohawks.org/">Hawks</a>, but there was a minor celebrity siting at the game. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Stanton">Drew Stanton</a>--the former <a href="http://www.farmington.k12.mi.us/hhs/">Farmington Hills Harrison High School</a> and <a href="http://msuspartans.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/stanton_drew00.html">Michigan State University</a> standout and current <a href="http://www.detroitlions.com/bio.cfm?bio_id=445&season=9">Detroit Lions</a> quarterback--came to the game...and sat right in front of me.<br /><br />I must admit that I didn't even recognize him, but finally figured out who he was after a steady stream of autograph seekers clued me in. I will say that Drew was a real gentleman. He brought his own Sharpie, and signed t-shirts, sweatshirts, programs, hats, and posed for pictures with sheepish boys and giggly girls for the entire game. The only kid that he refused (justifiably in my opinion ;-) was a kid wearing a University of Michigan sweatshirt.<br /><br />So I guess all big-time athletes aren't jerks...Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-72935711712390780372007-09-25T05:02:00.000-07:002007-09-25T05:51:28.050-07:00The danger in exclusively targeting a proprietary platform<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.crunchbase.com/fileupload/company_logo/9_facebook4.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 59px;" src="http://images.crunchbase.com/fileupload/company_logo/9_facebook4.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Techcrunch posted an interesting <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/25/parakey-did-investors-get-left-out-in-the-cold/">article</a> this morning on Facebook's acquisition of Parakey. Apparently, everything wasn't hunky-dory with that deal; some of the Parakey investors felt betrayed when the company was acquired by Facebook because the management team received a very generous compensation offer while they received only a 2x ROI. Consequently, these investors--one of which is Sequoia--are wary of making investments in companies that are targeting their apps exclusively on the Facebook platform. Why? They are worried that Facebook will snap up the most valuable of these companies like they did Parakey, leaving the investors out out in the cold.<br /><br />I think there is a lesson to be learned here for startups. When you build an application for a proprietary platform, you greatly narrow the number of possible acquirers down the road. For example, if you build a successful <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/force/">force.com</a> application, there is only one company in the world, Saleforce.com, that would ever consider acquiring you. And Salesforce.com will only acquire you if they believe that they cannot build your application for less than it takes to buy you. So your strategy should always include a multi-platform deployment approach (and, according to the Techcrunch article, you should be prepared to share that vision with potential investors).<br /><br />The good news for social network apps is that it appears (again, according to Techcrunch) that Google is hatching a new <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/21/google-to-out-open-facebook-on-november-5/">plan</a> to "out-open" Facebook. Google's open platform will be a natural secondary target for social apps, and could, over time, become the dominant player.<br /><br />As we say here at DevHive...<br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><p>...open is better than closed...</p><br /></div>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-54725369711726424012007-09-21T13:42:00.000-07:002007-09-29T14:02:39.103-07:00Entrepreneur's Grade for University of Michigan's Entrepalooza 2007: A+DevHive was at <a href="http://www.epalooza.bus.umich.edu/index.html">Entrepalooza</a> today, an entrepreneur-focused event put on by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. The event was first-class; the content was top-notch, and the networking was excellent. It was very well-attended by entrepreneurs, investors, and talented students. We had a table at the Career Fair, and I had the opportunity to meet a bunch of really talented people...it's great to have a <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/07/undergrad/index.html">top 5 b-school</a> in your backyard.<br /><br />Best presentation, in my opinion, goes to Kevin O'Connor (founder & former CEO of Doubleclick and others). You can view the presentation <a href="http://www.epalooza.bus.umich.edu/index.html">here</a> [DISCLAIMER: the sound is not that great...]Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4065708865136423264.post-23119316830084714892007-09-19T05:43:00.001-07:002007-09-20T13:20:04.770-07:00Welcome to 'Swarm Development'The DevHive blog is now live. We called the blog 'Swarm Development' because the primary focus of this blog will be on DevHive software development. The webware revolution has already begun, and we are pioneering a new model for development--Swarm Development--in which individuals are financially rewarded for the contributions they make to a collective project. <br /><br />If you're a reader, we'd love to hear from you and get your opinion...feel free to jump into the conversation.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02068598375934956679noreply@blogger.com0