This is a story from someone who went to a startup event (Startup-Lounge, Berlin) to talk to Web Startups as future Sun customers.

I realized there, that our future customers are entrepreneur!. I implicitly assumed to talk to IT specialists, geeks, managers and I met entrepreneurs.

The amazing thing with entrepreneurs is that they are very different to my traditional audience and it takes a different style to work with entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs have a Vision

The entrepreneur has a vision of what the customer and the market need. The entrepreneur doesn't take a NO as an option. The entrepreneur isn't just a dreamer. The entrepreneur implements this dream in his/her enterprise sooner or later, no matter where and how. Technology may be enabler or facilitator to implement the vision.

Managers have goals. Entrepreneurs have visions which they implement.

An IT partner like Sun has to help the entrepreneur to pursue this vision (or get out of the way).

Entrepreneurs have passion about their Business

The entrepreneurs I met had a glow I their eyes. They were passionate about their business (no matter if small or large). Their passion is their motor which keeps them focused and their passion makes them industry leaders over time.

An IT partner like Sun needs to be as passionate about the own products in order to engage in a successful collaboration. Being passionate at the same level is required to meet the partner's need for

• speed, agility and flexibility
• quick and appropriate decision making
• commitment at the appropriate level

Entrepreneurs know where they want to take the Enterprise in the next Years

The entrepreneurs I met had a clear understanding of their

• growth potential
• cash flow
• requirements for the next funding rounds
• role of a venture capitalist in their enterprise
• their exit strategy

These entrepreneurs need IT infrastructures and architectures which

• match their cash flows
• gives them a chance to grow quickly when needed
• does not lock them into a technology for a decade

Entrepreneurs are Risk Takers

The entrepreneurs I met didn't ask for a salary for the first period. They have been investing everything into their enterprise. This is important to know for any employee from a larger company like Sun. Projects with delays in large corporation destroy money and careers. Startup projects in trouble may cost work places and partners may be personally liable.

Entrepreneurs build Circles of Trust

Entrepreneurs take a risks and they try to limit it by collaborating with the right partners. Entrepreneurs now their domain and the players in their market.

A startup may be just a small business opportunity for Sun today. The reputation of an individual partner ship has to be very carefully maintained and the expectations have to be met.

Entrepreneurs have “Subway money” but no “Cab money”

Entrepreneurs no matter how big, pretend to never have money...

Sun Microsystems has to work on it's reputation. Sun's fame is building high performance enterprise class super servers. The Sun hardware portfolio has however extremely price/performance competitive servers starting from $1000 for Sun Startup Essentials members no matter if they are equipped with AMD, Intel or Sparc processors. The software portfolio exists to a large degree of free Open-Source software no matter if JEE(Glassfish), MySQL or the AMP stack is getting used.

Sun needs to do a better job in promoting these highly cost sensitive hardware components and free software components.

Doing business with entrepreneuers is facinating.

Did I miss something? Let me know and write a comment. We try hard to do better.

A happy new year to everyone.

Stefan Schneider