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Re: (OT) Prayers before battleby sailortailorson (Scribe) |
on Oct 11, 2004 at 18:27 UTC ( [id://398237]=note: print w/replies, xml ) | Need Help?? |
Thanks all,
for thoughtful comment, and for an honest assessment of what I have said. My response is long, but it seems to need to be. In regard to any questions about experience and background. I am a Software QA tester by trade. I have supervised people before, but never as a manager (in this industry). I have been pretty much an individual contributor over the 16 years I have done this, always in a responsible position of a lead or sole QA on special projects. I began learning the CGI side of Perl, HTML, etc, about 3 years ago, after being very frustrated with passing around M.S. Office documents to communicate testing methods and gather the results of testing. I have set up several informational / interactive intranet sites for managing the testing of complicated internationalization aspects of software. I have been able to pick up the skills I needed as I go, and I view this project as potentially extending that trend. The skills I bring are a working familiarity with Perl, mySQL, CGI, a good eye for design and a strong ability to execute art quickly if need be. I have some nascent and growing Javascript skills. I am extremely confident in Perl to serve as a toolbox for almost all needs, having found that I can scriptkiddy my way into a new module and quickly learn the workings. Nevertheless, the web sites I set up required very little maintenance, being internally facing. So, one place I really lack, I know, is in any working knowledge of firewalls and web security. The type of website I an looking at now is actually two types. One will be an external storefront website, with some limited catalog and some engagement booking, the other an internal website operating behind a firewall, primarily for the entertainment of clients. I can't think of any way to go into any detail about these without revealing more than I should, but I can say that securing the clients from untrammeled web surfing is paramount, but we don't want to present too limited a view of the World. Except for the security and firewall deficiencies (which I am trying to augment) I view my skills as fine for getting a core website started, and maybe extending it for awhile. Realistically, beyond that, and if things go as planned, I would have to hire talent. My specific questions are whether Perl really will support all the needs of the kind of site I (ever so vaguely) describe, and how to administrate it. However, I appreciate any comment on this situation, including all the comments given so far regarding formalizing business relations with people and personal readiness. The kind of sources I am looking for are ones that advise on the overall, high level management of all issues relating to the creation and maintenance of any website. If they slant toward Perl, that is much to the good. I have started noticing some materials by a person named Ashley Friedlein. They look very good, but I have little experience with which to judge them. Also, obviously, I have an immediate need to come up to speed on the technicalities of security and even social issues when it comes to use/misuse of the internet. In regard to the other comments, not answered above: The plan to grow the chain and the court purchase is premised on the expectation that if this business grows at all, it will grow extremely rapidly. One of the milestones will be to assess whether we are headed toward this goal, and probably terminate the project if not. The principals are not in this for the long haul. My problem is always time, so I am quite sensitive to the comments about how much work this will take. I put in a full day at work, and then will have this to do too, along with not wanting to ignore a family completely. Part of me says, don't do this thing, unless there is guaranteed to be a big payoff in a short time. The other part of me acknowledges it to be a LOT of work. Part of me says, if this thing really gets going, maybe I can leave my present position and do it full time. I am beginning to think that is unlikely I think the reason that they want me involved is that I have always come through on technical advice, and maybe some other things that indicate I am pretty smart and have the right talent set for this. I can see from my own comments, and yours that there is a lot to be concerned about with partners. I can't really say anything about them except the main guy is ruthless in business, and somewhat so in personal matters, but actually has a kind of nice-guy streak. He seems to have involved his friends from the point of view of both taking advantage of talent and experience, relying on people he can trust, and some perhaps small bit about helping friends. I am involved primarily for the web site, which is considered key and central. A lot of other tech slanted matters are coming my way too. He (the main guy) is not exactly clueless when it comes to technology, but depends on others for any insight, and can extend those insights to new applications in limited ways, not with confidence. Still, he wants to be in control of all money/infrastructure decisions. I want him to start characterizing or confirming things like the point of sale components we need, whether I can start asking for a particular firewall, etc. I am not getting anything back from him but a request to continue funneling him whatever information I have and a verbal comment that we won't actually acqure any of these assets for a couple months ( and a few months before we are scheduled to open). This is beginning to ring some warning bells for me, but it may be quite within the bounds of normal for someone who is a main investor, spearhead of a venture. Since I am only investing time/talent, I am not too worried. But I think I need to think about the up and down side before I contribute so much time and talent that I or my family feel cheated later. I think that the least benefit I can expect from this is the development of my web skills, and the increased insight from experience of starting a huge project. I ought to be able to at least point to the web site, and say, I did that. Also, if it goes bad or good, no one, including I, can say that I did not try (the latter thing is trivial now, but will be very important later). The most benefit is that I could be somewhat influential an on the inside of a big venture, that lasts for a couple of years, with all the skill and increase in skill and whatever money that would bring. Also, the main guy has other ideas for which he would need tech advice. I think that the worst that could possibly happen is that I somehow miss some critical aspect of web security and somehow make mud of my name, and any monetary penalties that entails. I think I can minimize this liklihood to be vanishingly small. I think the most likely upside is that I will become useful on web and some tech issues, but not be a real insider. If so, I think it could still be enough to pay for some fancy tools, or maybe enough to pay for a couple of college educations for kids. It could also be some serious money (as if college were not) , but let's not jinx it. I might be able to use Flash and some other technologies that have been out of my reach so far. That leaves the most likly downside that I may depart from this venture with some kind of sour taste, due to some perceived/real unfairness about resources provided me, money, comparative contribution, resources etc. I think the way to manage this is to give it my best, keep a good attitude and burn no bridges behind me, and be very good at what I do. However, I believe I should accept no substitute for the tools, contracts and other written terms that characterize the business relationship. I cannot get all these agreements right now, because we are friends who have just recently met to begin this. But, I think I should probably begin to make it clear that increased involvment will depend on these tools and agreements, and make it quietly obvious that I am losing interest as soon as we pass any deadlines that I set. The_Rabbit, I think my comments above were mostly addressed to you. My general sense is that I need to form a more concrete question in order to form my own good answer. I don't think I am done forming all the questions and obviously, they start to move so far off topic that they don't belong here. However yours and the other comments are just the kind of thing I am looking for. talexb, I liked your comment about "Take care of the small stuff, and growth will happen. With growth will come notice on a wider scale, and with that will come folks interested in buying you out." and "Just decide whether you're a smoker or a non-smoker, and be that person". In my dealings with the world, I have gone from being a sort of disenfranchised working class kid to having a pretty nice life. I have really had to learn just to 'be' the person I want to be. I've had to minimize defensiveness, and learn to assume that people are addressing me with my good points, talents in mind. Sometimes that's been fiction, but it is fiction that brought better fact. Theo, I am going to check out Perl for web site management. It seems targeted to my central question. Scarborough, I think you can read between the lines on what I am saying (and not saying) about the partners and will take your message to heart. Thanks all.
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