The more I think about it, the more I think that in Emergic we will need to go to customers with a solution which (a) integrates hardware and software, and (b) offers computing on a subscription basis.
Companies want a solution – they don’t want to think of Thin Clients and Thick Servers. We need to be able to go and provide them the complete computing infrastructure, not parts and labour. Also, the market we are targeting is not a “rich” market – for them, paying monthly also will enable them to see tangible benefits (and returns) in terms of productivity and the investment they are making on technology.
So, we need to think of what we are doing in terms of the following groups:
– Software Factory: the software development group
– Integrators: create a solution by combining hardware and software
– Services: the value-added development that some clients may need
– Financing: directly or indirectly, since the end-users will pay monthly
As of now, we know that with some work, the software for the Thin Client-Thick Server can be a disruptive innovation. But that’s as far as the tech goes. What is needed is also creativity in terms of how we are going to integrate and sell the solution. We need to get 100 out of 100 things right to succeed!
That’s the part I like best about a start-up. One is, at times, competing with oneself in coming up with new ideas. There are no establish pathways to walk on. One has to imagine the future and then build it. This blog is helping me document some of these decisions and the thinking that is going behind each of them. A year later, I’ll be able to reflect on what we did right and where we went wrong. That’s a great way to learn. Hopefully, by thinking aloud, we minimise the possibility of making mistakes.
The canvas that we want to build is large, very large. It is in creating the computing platform for the next 500 million users. We’ve just taken a few baby steps towards where we want to go. But its exciting enough already. I know we can make a big difference in the world of computing in the developing markets. We can be a disruptive force, a positive one. The game is for us to play and win.
