Bob Walsh writes about startups and micro-ISVs, covering outsourcing, launch delays, iPhone development and costs like Google Maps licensing.
HN commenters recommend it as a great resource for startups and MicroISVs and cite its post on Google Maps' $10k licensing cost.
Yes it's available until your business has been around for 3 years or has >$1mm in revenue. You are supposed to be a business although verifying that is done more or less in good faith. You are required to have a URL and an email at that URL. You don't have to be using the MS stack though.
If I remember correctly, there are program directors, you contact one and ask them to sponsor you. They do whatever they feel they need to to verify that you're a business (our sponsor just looked at our website which had some simple info on what we were working on) and then they give you a key that you use to sign up. More info, including the sponsor we used, can be found here : http://www.47hats.com/2008/11/47hats-is-now-a-microsoft-bizspark-partner/
I come to your site and I have no idea what it's for. Even if a friend in a band said, "hey, check this out," if I don't see something on the homepage that tells me I'm in the right place, I'm going to close the window. So in big letters say it's "Analytics for musicians" or whatever. Then I know this is the site my friend told me about.
I did wait, and got the message to watch a 9 minute video. You lost me. You might have 60 seconds to show me why this is the greatest site ever. Nine minutes is waaaay too long.
I highly recommend MicroISV's that Sell by Bob Walsh. http://47hats.com/ebooks/ $20 ebook that will tell you how to make a successful landing/homepage. Best $20 I ever spent.
Here's a timeous post via Bob Walsh:
http://47hats.com/2011/07/outsourcing-101-for-startup-founders/
It does a good job of breaking out approaches for different skills, considering timezones etc.
One idea:
"Hire one or two people from Philippines for $3/h to help you hire someone. Ask them to post your job on the different websites I cited above and to filter the good from the bad based on the criteria you give them.
I found my own Ruby on Rails developer this way and we have been working together two months and I can't be happier. It costed me $20 to get two people look for a developer for me."
1) Yes you are correct, I am lucky that I keep my expenses low and that I can charge a good rate to my clients. But as it has been pointed out many times, consulting while bootstrapping is a big distraction. But for me, it is also a way to socialize and stay sane by reminding me that I am still an able developer even when my startup is not doing great.
3) Yes, this is something that you learn overtime. Start small, start now :) I have written this article that presents a way to start outsourcing for a lower cost than development : http://47hats.com/2011/07/outsourcing-101-for-startup-founders/
It's Bob Walsh's new project (http://www.47hats.com/) and pretty much a direct competitor to the Micropreneur Academy (http://www.micropreneur.com/). I haven't subscribed to either of them, so can't speak to the quality though. Seems to be a more lucrative extension to the Startup Self-help book industry in my opinion.
"The Web Startup Success Guide" by Bob Walsh is fantastic
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1430219858?tag=keysofgeni-20
In case you don't know Bob, he's the guy behind the http://www.47hats.com/ blog, which is a great resource for startups and MicroISV's. He also does The Startup Success Podcast.