Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software
bchacc at san.rr.com
Wed Mar 31 00:01:37 CST 2004
My first luck came when I was 16 and my mother spotted an ad for weekend courses in programming for high school students at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago (c. 1964). Asked me if I'd like to do it. Not just lucky because it's been a great professional field to be in, but because I always knew what I wanted to do which saved a lot of thrashing around trying to pick a major and a career and all that. I'm still a little surprised sometimes that folks will push money at me do to this. And I'll bet I'm not alone on this list. But I have to tell you (at the risk of incurring the moderator's wrath) that without this list I'd be lost. I started a business with another guy (not a programmer) and had to write the software to run it in Access. My first Access app. It was huge. Survey processing with lots of graphics. The list saved my bacon twice a day. Okay. I'm done. Rocky Rocky ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lawrence (AccessD)" <accessd at shaw.ca> To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" <accessd at databaseadvisors.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 8:26 PM Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as well-connected as JC > Hi Rocky: > > Your my type of guy...programmer that is. It you didn't love programming you > would not doing it...it sure isn't for the money... but who knows? Just one > lucky break. > > Jim > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Rocky Smolin - > Beach Access Software > Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 2:49 PM > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as well-connected > as JC > > > Andy: > > Don't envy me. They jury's still out. I've got a bit of a buffer so we > won't miss any meals, but that can't go on forever. I've had two good > products and several bad ones. At least this time I'm starting in an > economy that's on the upswing. > > But I've always been a bootstrap kind of guy - we're doing a mailing in San > Diego county this month. Hopefully snag two or three systems. Then use > that money to mail again in another county. Build it up slowly. Instead of > mortgaging the house. > > I'm still doing some fee-for-service as well. So that keeps some of the > lights on. > > It's a high wire act for sure. But when it does work, it's a thing of > beauty. > > Rocky > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Andy Lacey > > Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 1:18 PM > > To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving' > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as well-connected > > as JC > > > > > > I envy Rocky (sort of) but won't be trying to emulate him. Been there, > tried > > that, and failed. Problem with the product thing is that you have to > > metamorphose from developer into marketer, and I couldn't. Not my thing at > > all. Plus IME it involves sinking money into advertising, mailing, > > brochures, websites nd so on. You have to be prepared to risk big outlay > > against no guarantee of return. Done that 2 or 3 times to great cost and > no > > great return. Won't be doing it again. > > > > -- Andy Lacey > > http://www.minstersystems.co.uk > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of > > > Steven W. Erbach > > > Sent: 30 March 2004 04:16 > > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: A survey from somebody not as > > > well-connected as JC > > > > > > > > > William, > > > > > > >> ...don't take this the wrong way << > > > > > > I won't. I appreciate your point of view. I have gotten > > > caught up in the tools as if owning the right brand of socket > > > wrench will guarantee me a living. > > > > > > But I hear you on the client-centered approach. I've worked > > > on lots of things that were outside of my skill-set comfort zone. > > > > > > I talked with a friend recently about my business and he > > > asked if there was anything I specialized in. I told him no; > > > my business is producing custom solutions to solve customer > > > problems. He recommended a product-centered approach, like > > > what Rocky is aiming for. I have a long-term care facility > > > marketing and donations program I wrote that might fill the > > > bill. We'll see. > > > > > > >> ...but I'm just me and don't have any intention of ever > > > working hard > > > >> again << > > > > > > Not really an option for me as we're having some tough times > > > financially. I can dig the varietal nature of your work, > > > though. Thanks. > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Steve Erbach > > > Scientific Marketing > > > Neenah, WI > > > > > > "You must be an intellectual. No normal person would say a > > > thing like that." - George Orwell > > > > > > -- > > > _______________________________________________ > > > AccessD mailing list > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/a> ccessd > > > Website: > > > http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > -- > > _______________________________________________ > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > _______________________________________________ > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com >