Joel on Software

2001/08/08

I found a great resource for someone like me who knows how to design a software product and get it built, but doesn't know the first thing about marketing it. Luckily I found Rick Chapman. We arranged for a quick book swap -- I sent him a copy of UI for Programmers, and he sent me a copy of his book, The Product Marketing Handbook for Software. I read the whole book in one weekend. This book is fantastic. It's the education you would receive if you captured a veteran of channel marketing and gave him a truth drug. Hours of nonstop, extremely useful info. What's a SPIF? Do you need a UPC? How do you get into the channel? Should you bother? What kind of deals will you have to cut to get retailers to stock and promote your software? It's a complete braindump covering just about everything you should know if you're thinking of creating shrink-wrap software. Priceless.

There's a web site that goes along with it called SoftwareMarketSolution.com (I know, that's a mouthful.) Check it out, it's the Joel On Software of marketing.

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You’re reading Joel on Software, stuffed with years and years of completely raving mad articles about software development, managing software teams, designing user interfaces, running successful software companies, and rubber duckies.

About the author.

I’m Joel Spolsky, founder of Fog Creek Software, a New York company that proves that you can treat programmers well and still be highly profitable. Programmers get private offices, free lunch, and work 40 hours a week. Customers only pay for software if they’re delighted. We make FogBugz, an enlightened project management system designed to help great teams develop brilliant software, and Fog Creek Copilot, which makes remote desktop access easy.