Progeny's closure highlights problems of small FOSS companies (Linux.com) [LWN.net]

Linux.com examines the demise of Progeny. "Branden Robinson, former Debian Project Leader and a Progeny employee from the company's start, makes clear that Progeny's failure was not due to lack of business. According to Robinson, when the company closed, it had half a dozen clients, and was in negotiations with at least one other company. In addition, Progeny was still providing update services for three or four clients. "In some ways, I feel like we had no competitors," Robinson says. One company, he adds, "was really disappointed to hear that Progeny was going out of business, because they weren't really sure who to turn to.""

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Progeny's closure highlights problems of small FOSS companies (Linux.com)

Posted May 11, 2007 20:53 UTC (Fri) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link] (1 responses)

I think that this highlights just the general reasons why small business is very difficult. It's same as a software company, as a resturant, as a catering business.

For example I know that lack of capital is a major reason why most small businesses fail. They don't get enough money to 'get over the hump' and such. It takes money to make money sort of situation, a catch22 which loans are there to solve.

Then a sound and focused business plan is another.

Progeny's closure highlights problems of small FOSS companies (Linux.com)

Posted May 11, 2007 23:04 UTC (Fri) by ballombe (subscriber, #9523) [Link]

lack of capital is a major reason why most small businesses fail

Interestingly this issue is the topic of one story in the The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (at least in the Galland translation). So maybe it is not specific to new technology.