Software industry information and primer
June 16, 2020
by a searcher from INSEAD in Vancouver, BC, Canada
Hi all,
I am looking for good resources to better understand the software industry. Software is clearly an area of interest given how the business characteristics align with what typically defines an attractive search fund deal (e.g. recurring revenue, cash flow generation, recession resilience, etc.).
I do not have a deep knowledge of the software industry but I am looking for resources to help get me up to speed. Any suggestions would be helpful!! Books, courses, websites, blogs, research reports etc.
Thanks in advance!!
in Charlotte, NC, USA
Secondly, I'd suggest meeting with software CEOs. Reading and courses are great, but understanding what makes a great operator is done best by meeting with lots of different kinds, hearing the horror stories, etc.
From a venture investor point of view, I suggest reading and listening to everything Marc Andressen, Bill Gurley, and Tom Tunguz have to say.
Last, the Invest Like the Best podcast is a treasure trove of interviews with investors and CEOs of some of the best companies around (Stripe, Spotify, etc.). You have to dig through the archives to find them, but it's worth it. Highly recommend the Brent Beshore episodes (there are at least two) for more search-specific content.
Hope this helps.
from Tufts University in San Francisco, CA, USA
Christoph Janz (Point Nine) has also created a great set of resources on his blog (http://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2015/05/6-things-to-pre-empt-90-of-due-diligence.html?utm_content=bufferaad24&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)