I posted an idea for a proven business a few days ago based on an area why my employer has given up on (too "small" for a multi-billion dollar company) and yet customers still seem to like and want[1]. I'm pretty sure this would be worth a few million at least, and I'd even be qualified to do it. Why don't I do it? Because it would be dull as ditchwater and I'd hate every minute of it. There's more to life than that.
The point is that solving dull business problems like that might be lucrative, but not many of us are motivated enough to do them.
I doubt doing oVirt is a million dollar idea. One of the biggest reasons for going with oVirt was redhat being behind it. rh will keep rhev on life support for its customers (thus staying in competition for a bit longer) and there are plenty other more popular opensource alternatives already. I mean, sure making millions isn't impossible, but you would not need good software so much, but good connections instead to make it work.
Yeah, Red Hat put a fair bit of money and investment into a direct VMware takeout using oVirt/RHV. Pretty much went nowhere. There's presumably some money int here post-Broadcom acquisition but Red Hat is mostly betting on Kubevirt and OpenShift. Some (presumably smaller-scale) customers will prefer more of a like-to-like lower-cost replacement but personally I wouldn't bet on it as a business.
Yeah, my feeling is that if you're a billion dollar business with associated high overheads, then a few million is not worth it. If you're a zero dollar start-up with focus and a tolerance for selling boring software to boring companies, then there's money in it.
I still remember something someone from IBM told me during my prior analyst gig. Don't remember the specific but something to do with Linux and Power I think. Basically, he said that if it's not a billion dollar opportunity it's not worth all the costs and distractions up and down the line to pursue.
You're right that the million dollar opportunity is a lot more interesting for a startup. Of course, it's also going to be a lot harder for that startup to displace VMware (which the potential customer probably is using). I'm not sure going after those crumbs is a terrible idea but there are already other option like Xen too.
Something can be both conceptually simple yet difficult to execute. (The key to losing weight is "just" to eat less and exercise, piano is "just a bunch of keys," etc)
Personally I have a mortgage and a family, so I'm not eager to burn through savings to build a company 0-1, but if I had to, I described exactly what I would do.
Hehehe, you just described most normal people: a mortgage a family, cannot just wake up and say I am going all-in “this great idea”. Your idea is therefore only reachable for early age people or singles.
I am trying to revive a project I believe strongly which is kind of ready to sale, but I cannot get a damn 4 hours to seat down and look at it without being interrupted by life’s chores or just being too tired
Anyway I have similar fantasies to yours. It feels good to not be alone, both in circumstances as in fantasy.
I've been there! I recently released an app that has been 99% ready for sale for a full year, and the only way I got it over the finish line was to wake up every morning at 5am to get an hour or two of work in before my kid wakes up. :) I'd love to do something bigger, but this will have to scratch that entrepreneurial itch for now!
It's easy, just build a million dollar asset and sell it. Pssh, I am on my third one this week.