If you plan on joining a B-to-B software company (or ISV, independent software vendor) or investing in one, here are 2 success factors I noticed while watching the start up market that will help you make a decision. You want to join a winner, right?

1. The shorter the sales cycle, the better. I know it’s obvious, but on top of finding it harder to keep one’s sales force motivated, a short sales cycle show the market is mature for a product and needn’t be evangelized. An ISV may shorten its sales cycle through doing its marketing homework: thoroughly measure ROI and express the result of it in payback will do. For instance, in their presentation, fast deal makers don’t write “our software will improve your operations by 10%” but “ROI = 9 months” rather. Clients don’t want to listen to an outsider telling them how to run their business, but what value for money you offer them. And of course, top-tier pre-sales guys and sales reps are prepared to show the appropriate backup as potential clients will ask for it for sure.
2. Deployment should be as seamless as possible to enhance scalability. The less consulting work (interfacing, parameterizing, etc.) is needed to install your solution, the better. Heavy deployment interventions are a real constraint to developing fast. Why? The rationale behind it is crystal-clear: clients will of course look at the value the ISV solution will create on their business, but also at the start up capacity to deliver. And since it’s really hard to seize consulting teams in today’s job market, tedious deployment requirements will harm the capacity of the ISV to deliver on schedule. Consequently, the ability of the software company to close deals with clients, in other words Sales, will be harmed as well. Seamless deployment is key to a fast development.

Hope this will help you pick up your horse!

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