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I have an iPhone app (already made) that requests an ad in two parts - an image, and text. We currently use OpenX to deliver our ads, but our needs are much more simple, and we'd like the control of rolling our own solution.
So, I would like to create a simple backend. Database that holds the image, text, link, mobile link, and advertiser info. Then some sort of script to pull and deliver that info to our iPhone app.
Also, I'd like a basic set of analytics: impressions, clicks, maybe geo, etc. should I build this in or integrate Google Analytics or go with something like MixPanel?
Some details about our expected performance. We currently have a 512Mb VPS (Linode). We have between 400,000-500,000 impressions each month. We would want to build something that could scale much larger.
I'm drawn to Ruby, but want to use the best and easiest setup for the project. Python? PHP? JavaScript? I don't know much about databases... MongoDB, MySQL, nosql?
As always, thank you for your responses and help.
I've looked into various VPS solutions. Specifically, I have set up accounts at Rackspace and Linode. I'm attracted to Rackspace because of their Cloud Files option that will publish to a CDN, but realize that is independent of the actual VPS.
However, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to Linux. I've never ssh'd into anything before, or run much in a terminal.
Where can I find a good guide for setting up an Ubuntu server for hosting a few Wordpress setups?
Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
We started working hard at creating our brand. Logos, webdesign, website copy, flyers, and SEO. We divided our time equally between these tasks and selling the product. We were headed to profitability in short order.
I quickly learned my cofounder was over his head in personal debt, and could no longer work full time. Some of our borrowed money went to him to try to keep him around for a couple of extra months ($1,200). It didn't work and he had to get a job.
We've been floundering back and forth, spent the majority of our money, I invested another $1,000 to help us make one more sales surge to allow us to dedicate more time. We planned to see if this startup would work, setting a sales and spending goal in under 60 days. Success and we continue, failure and we cut our losses.
We planned to make it happen starting next week.
Friday afternoon I got a call from a business owner in another state, telling me that our business name infringes on his trademark for his business name. Our name would be mycompanyname to his companyname. We had only checked and seen that companyname.com didn't exist, we did not check the trademark database.
At this point, discouraged, unable to afford new marketing materials and a complete redo of everything we've done so far, we're left with little money and a threat of a lawsuit if we don't change everything.
Here are the mistakes that I made, and will learn from:
1) Learn about the financial position of any cofounder. A cofounder's personal situation will hugely impact his/her ability to grow the business.
2) Investigate any trademarks or copyrights on any of your branding or naming. Wasting time in a bootstrapped business will ruin you.
3) Have a plan. Not just a mental plan, but an actual written plan. Decide what is required of the cofounders, decide where money will go, decide your failure point.
4) Be prepared to drop the project, or go it alone. Putting all of your eggs in a basket carried by your cofounder can lead to disaster if you aren't prepared to run with the project yourself.
What other lessons can I learn from this? Where can I improve so that my next project doesn't fail in similar fashion?
tldr: My business failed because I made mistakes in timing, my cofounder, and business branding. What else can I learn from my experience?
EDIT: After a few comments, and an e-mail, I should clarify that this is not necessarily a web-startup or app. It's a business targeting seniors (hence the flyers, which were placed in senior centers and used at senior health conferences). My cofounder came into the picture as the one with more experience working with the senior market. We had suppliers for our product, so our main focus was to sell, sell, sell. So, to add another lesson:
5) Cash in a small bootstrapped company should be spent on client acquisition. Not on whiteboards, office refrigerators, business cards, or flyers.