Anonesian

The first custom software development company I hired had a polished pitch, a beautiful portfolio, and references who said glowing things. Six months later, the project was over budget, behind schedule, and the software didn't solve the problem I'd hired them to fix. The company wasn't dishonest. I had simply asked the wrong questions.The questions you ask during evaluation determine the quality of what gets built. Ask surface-level questions, and you'll get surface-level answer…

I've spent money on hardware courses I regret. Not because the content was bad—most of it was fine—but because the same information was available for free if I'd known where to look. I've also taken free courses that cost me more in wasted time than any paid course ever could.After years of learning hardware through both free and paid resources, I've developed a simple framework for deciding when to pay and when to stick with free options. The answer isn't "free is alwa…

The most expensive software decision I ever made wasn't choosing the wrong vendor. It was choosing the wrong approach. I spent months and significant money having a custom software development company build a solution that I later discovered already existed in a mature, affordable off-the-shelf product. I'd simply never looked.That mistake taught me that the build-versus-buy decision matters more than any vendor selection. Choose the wrong approach, and you're committed to a bad pat…

The first custom software development company I hired was a disaster. I chose based on price, didn't check references properly, and couldn't articulate what I actually needed. The project ran twice as long as estimated, cost more than budgeted, and delivered software that solved a problem I didn't have.That failure taught me something no directory or "top companies" list ever mentions: the company you choose matters far less than how you evaluate them. A good evaluation pr…

The first time I opened a computer case, I was terrified. I'd read about static electricity destroying components. I'd heard stories about people breaking pins on expensive CPUs. I'd watched videos where confident technicians made it look easy, but when I was staring at the actual motherboard with a screwdriver in my hand, none of that preparation helped.I learned hardware the hard way—through trial and error, broken components, and countless hours of troubleshooting. Looking back, …

The graveyard of AI startups is filled with companies that had impressive technology and no viable business model. They raised money. They built demos. They generated buzz. Then they ran out of cash because nobody had figured out how to turn their technology into revenue.I've been fascinated by the business side of AI for years—not just what companies build, but how they monetize it. After analyzing dozens of AI startups and tracking which ones actually generate sustainable revenue, several…

I've been wrong about startups before. In 2021, I dismissed a small AI company building text-to-image technology as a novelty. That company was Midjourney. In 2023, I underestimated how quickly AI coding assistants would become essential developer tools. By the time I realized my mistake, the companies that had shipped early had already built defensible positions.These misses taught me something about evaluating AI startups. The companies that end up mattering are rarely the ones with the m…

I'm not an AI startup founder. But I've spent years watching them—some up close, some from a distance. I've seen founders raise millions and ship nothing. I've seen others build quietly, generate revenue, and grow without ever making headlines. I've seen the same mistakes repeated by smart people who should have known better.This isn't a guide written by someone who's raised a Series A. It's an analysis written by someone who's observed enough successes and f…