[maemo-developers] Maemo for commercial development (was Re: N810 RIP)

[From: Quim Gil]

ext John Holmblad wrote:
> Quim,
> 
> are you really serious with your comment
> 
> "My advice to commercial developers is to make a step in the Maemo 
> platform, learn and have fun with it." ?

I think this is the most sensible approach, yes. If you have a better
advice for commercial developers in Maemo please share it.


> Do  you and Nokia really believe that in today's market environment
> software development businesses have the luxury of "having fun".
> 
> I think not.

I can't speak for Nokia about this topic, but my personal opinion is
that there is always a chance to try and learn something new and have
fun with it. In fact, many economists say that learning and having fun
with new things is an essential part of a business sustainability.

> I think their focus has to be and will be on creating applications
> that produce cash flow fast, that is, in  timeframes measured in
> months, not years.

Agreed.

Since the Maemo platform nowadays hasn't got the volumes or the business
infrastructure to produce cash flow fast by licensing software, I think
my advice quoted above is correct.

One exception that could bring you cash flow (if succeeding) would be to
get a deal in the Forum Nokia context, which was also part of my advice
in the same paragraph:

>> Getting
>> yourselves introduced to Forum Nokia might help you having some
>> business even before.

> Nokia may have the luxury of supporting negative
> cash flow while it invests in and tweaks and has fun with a new
> hardware platform over a period of several years but software
> development shops, most of whom are innovative and small businesses
> do not have the luxury of such time.

Agreed. And this is why Nokia is not trying to convince commercial
developers to set up a business on top of Maemo nowadays. Perhaps one
day this will change, and that day commercial developers will notice.

-- 
Quim Gil
open source advocate
Maemo Software @ Nokia