Commercial OpenSource: SpringSource CEO Rod Johnson (Part 6)

SM: I do like that you initially started out as a bootstrapped company. Do you think that helped you focus in the beginning?

RJ: One reason I am happy that we waited for three years prior to being funded, aside from figuring things out without the potentially unwanted help from VCs, is that we had to keep an incredibly close eye on revenues and expenses month by month during that period. >>>

Deal Radar 2009: Sungevity

Sungevity uses the Internet to offer its customers an easy and affordable way to buy and install solar rooftop panels. Customers only need to provide their address and some information about their current electricity usage and bill. In less than a day, with the use of satellite data, Sungevity studies the possibilities and comes back with a quote, telling them what their electricity savings over the next few years would be and how much of their electricity bill can be converted to solar energy, and showing illustrations of what their roof would look like with the solar panels on it.  >>>

Commercial OpenSource: SpringSource CEO Rod Johnson (Part 5)

SM: If you are doing an OpenSource application server I have no problem gauging the size of that market.

RJ: Obviously there was already one significant player in that space, JBoss. JBoss was really largely a commodity play similar to MySQL. We have previously brought genuine, new ideas to market, and that is what we intend to continue to do. >>>

President Obama’s Inauguration

This week, President Obama takes office. The world is in dire straits. Yet, we hope that America’s new President will exhibit great leadership in execution, as he has already shown great ability to inspire.

We hope. We hope because there is no use being skeptical anymore. There is no use in looking back and lamenting.

We are moving forward. Turning the page. Shoveling out the mess.

We are starting 2009 with a clean page. On the top right corner of that page is written, January 20, 2009. Barack Obama’s inauguration. >>>

Slumdog Millionaire

Last night, we saw Slumdog Millionaire, the acclaimed Danny Boyle film. It’s a superbly told tale of a slum kid, Jamal, as he plays the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire show, and wins because the questions he is asked are each tied to his life in strange ways, and he knows their answers.

The film is shot in Mumbai and a few other Indian locations, and captures an authentic feel of India, while also using a very well-written, tight-knit screenplay and excellent, excellent editing. It takes a great story set in India, and for $15 million, turns it into a riveting film that since its opening on November 12, has already grossed $50.5 million as of January 18. >>>

Commercial OpenSource: SpringSource CEO Rod Johnson (Part 4)

SM: What was it like to pluck yourself from the UK and land in Silicon Valley? Did you know people and have contacts? How did you navigate Silicon Valley?

RD: It didn’t bother me, but it was tough on my family. I know most entrepreneurs would not consider it a family-friendly activity because it is so intense. >>>

Designs of the Week: Organic Furniture Design

By guest authors Charles W. Bush and Kathy Hwang of 3Strand Innovation, a brand, design and business consultancy.

It is only in the past 30 years or so that organic design has only been able to be manufactured industrially, making it available on the mass market. In design, the term “organic” relates to curves and shapes typically found in nature. This type of design is a direct contrast to the geometric shapes found in modernism. It also pushes the boundaries of traditional manufacturing approaches. Until the recent development of rapid prototyping and 3D printers, manufacturing organic shapes posed too high of an expense to reach the mass market. Today architects and designers are making their careers on manufacturing natural-looking sculptural forms. Organic design is a celebration of designing forms that promote harmony between human habitation and the natural world, directly in the face of manufacturing constraints. >>>

Commercial OpenSource: SpringSource CEO Rod Johnson (Part 3)

SM: When you put your framework out there in the OpenSource domain you did it as an individual, correct? What went through your mind as you saw the adoption?

RJ: I have always had a somewhat hardnosed attitude about it. When I was writing the book, I was doing it to help build my personal brand as a consultant. At first with Spring it was the same mentality, but it rapidly became apparent that it was at another level. Downloads went from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions. >>>