----- Original Message -----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU>
To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU>
Sent: Thu Jan 31 12:37:25 2013
Subject: Re: FW: mainframe "selling" points -- Start up Costs
From: Edward Jaffe <edja...@phoenixsoftware.com>
Date: 01/31/2013 11:17 AM
On 1/31/2013 8:40 AM, Don Williams wrote:
> Does this mean a M/F developer needs to have deep pockets to be
successful?
Depends on your definition of "deep". Last I checked it was $500/month for
fully-supported remote development out of Dallas.
---------
Let's play devil's advocate.
You have decided that you want to develop a product for z/OS. If you do
not develop it in Java, or c/C++, then how do you do your development in
your own sandbox? This, so that you only need, perhaps six months of
fixing the rough spots on an actual z/OS system.
You can't get CICS in a Herc environment running MVS 3.8J (O now?).
Let's say that you have FJ COBOL. So you set the options to be for
COBOL-II. Now you do all your development that you can. But wait, you need
ISPF at a minimum to drive terminals. Can't do that on a Herc system. Come
to think of it, FJ COBOL will not generate for the Herc environment. So
that option is gone too.
One programmer, who has roughed out a system, using VSAM or DB2, has, for
the sake of argument, 2-3 man years of coding to do with debugging. So we
will say 3 to include documenting and testing.
US$500 * 12 * 3 = US$19,500 Just for the system out of Dallas.
What will be the cost of documenting your software, and who will do it at
what cost? (manual printing or CD/DVD commercial quality stuff).
How much do you have to have in pocket to handle 3 years of start up
expenses? Would that be somewhere around $200K?
Now, you need a paying client. What are your costs to get that first
client and get them to production and you into maint mode and not
development? How many clients do you need before you are covering your
ongoing US$500/mo. and all of your start up costs, so that you have a
positive cash flow?
Using your own home systems, how long does it take you to develop
something in c/C++ .net, Java, etc. and be able to sell it?
For a one "man" startup, $200K is a lot of money. BTDT. And the business I
had was NOT in IT.
Regards,
Steve Thompson
Opinions expressed by this poster do not necessarily reflect those of
poster's employer.
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