[lug] Idea

[hirsch at zapmedia.com]

The ALE (Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts) did something similar a couple
moths ago.  What they ended up with was a coorperative of
consultants.  I think the idea was to not form a company, but an
organization that would help consultants help each other.  I haven't
heard anything about it in a while, so I don't think it went anywhere.

I think their problem was too many system administrators and systems
integrators who were all competing for the same piece of pie.  I think
you really need to come up with a _product_ that you can then build
and sell.

I agree that talent is a big expense, but the difficult thing is
vision and drive.  Someone who can come up with an original idea, then
has the gumption to raise money, inspire workers, and make it happen
is quite rare and valuable.  Give me a concrete task and we can do it,
but finding a vision and acting on it is hard.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that your point about brainstorming
is right on target.

Best of luck,

Michael

Stephen Queen writes:
 >   
 > I have been following the discussion on employment with interest because
 > I too have been unemployed for an unacceptable amount of time. The 
 > main reason that people seem to be unemployed right now is the economic
 > climate. With the slumping economy (is it really slumping? the people I 
 > know that are not in the tech business don't even seem to notice),
 > corporations are afraid to develop new products or take a risk on new or
 > 
 > developing technologies. The reason this affects us of course, is
 > because the major cost of developing new products and applying new
 > technologies 
 > is the price of the talent to implement it. 
 > 
 > Having lived through several major down turns in my life, the one in the
 > late 60's wiped out my fathers career in aerospace, the one in the 
 > mid 70's had me working as a laborer, and the one in the early 80's
 > causing an extended period of unemployment, and the one in the late 80's
 > was hard on some of my associates,( I managed to stay employed through
 > that one) has caused me to observe a few things that maybe will pay off.
 > The most important observation is that a down turn is the best time for
 > a little guy to take a major business risk. The big boys are all afraid
 > to, so there 
 > is little to no competition. During the last up turn I heard a number of
 > people express the lament that they had not invested in Microsoft,
 > Cisco, 
 > etc., when they were small, because now they would be rich. The reason
 > they didn't invest in these companies when they were small, 
 > was that when these companies were small, the economic climate was poor
 > and no one was taking risks, except the desperate people starting these 
 > companies. 
 > 
 > 
 > I have only been on this mailing list a few days, but I can see that
 > there are a number of very talented people that are willing to work, but
 > 
 > whose skills are not being exploited for anybody's benefit. So maybe a
 > few of you are getting desperate enough to take a chance. 
 > Here are my thoughts. Those unemployed souls ( and employed souls ) who
 > are interested, pool our talents together and try to create a profitable
 > 
 > enterprise. Since the major cost of a business is the talent, we have
 > already solved a major obstacle. I have a building on my property that 
 > is heated, insulated, has electricity and a phone line, though no AC. 
 > 
 > 
 > If you are interested, lets plan a meeting. At the meeting each person
 > will introduce themselves and describe what talents and skills they can 
 > contribute. Before the meeting each person should brain storm on their
 > own for an idea on a profitable enterprise. I'm not really interested in
 > 
 > a get rich quick scheme, but a stable enterprise. Then at the meeting we
 > can begin to organize enough to know whether to proceed or not. 
 > If you are still interested please respond to me at   <mailto:Stephen
 > Queen> ">svq at peakpeak.com 
 > 
 > 
 > Sincerely, 
 > Stephen Queen