The back story in brief
So, after 10 years of DW/BI/EPM consulting and climbing the
consulting firm ladders, I finally decided to cut out on my own. I’ve toyed with the idea for a few years and
even consulted with a lawyer and an accountant last year. But I always held myself back, unwilling to
take the risk. However, 2013 was a very
mixed bag, as I started the year having a blast - focused on technical
architecture and technology strategy that I’ve most enjoyed. But changes in my firm required movement more
into project management. And put many of
my long-term initiatives on the back burner.
After discussion with my firm’s senior management, I decided to move
on. So, I did what I’ve done before -
reached into my network and started interviewing. Two revelations emerged from my
conversations. First, I have developed
an unusual and valuable combination of skills in with BI and EPM. Second, at my level (Director), the boutique
Hyperion consultancies had basically similar needs requiring more and more PM/AM/EM
work and less overall interesting (to me) technical architecture and strategy. It came to one day standing outside
Bertucci’s ready to go in for lunch, I had a real conversation with our VP of
“people”. After about a half hour, I had
a sudden epiphany -- I was wasting everyone’s time trying to hedge all risk by
not making a firm commitment. So, right
there I shifted and set my end date for three weeks out. I knew the outcome of this was going to force
to me out on my own.
A business established
And on my own I went.
First stop were my archived files from past exploration into starting a
business. Second, back to my lawyer and
accountant to understand more details.
And, of course, into my network to find and develop opportunities (more
later). There were quite a lot of
details to get the business established correctly -- especially from a
liability standpoint. Incorporating is
important, but going out alone means that the protection afforded in the past
by my employers moves to my shoulders.
Here’s the place where trusted advisors are critical.
By the way, if you are in Massachusetts and need excellent,
trustworthy advice:
Surinder Ahluwalia, Esq. http://www.ahluwalialawyers.com/
And the race was on:
- Incorporated (Massachusetts S-Corp)
- Filed with the IRS
- Business name
- Bank account (Randolph Savings Bank - nice service and free business checking)
- Mailbox (UPS Store)
- Web site (registrar and host: namecheap.com)
- E-mail/Calendar/Docs (Google apps)
- Business logo (got a freebie from VistaPrint - nothing fancy - price is right)
- Business cards (VistaPrint)
- Checks (VistPrint)
- Corp Credit Card (AMEX)
- Linkedin Corporate Page
- Business insurance (Rodman Insurance)
- Payroll processing (Advantage Payroll)
- Accounting software (Quickbooks online)
- Computer (Dell outlet)
- MS Office - necessary for Smart View (Amazon)
- Hard drive for external backups
- Receipt scanner (Doxy)
- Cloud-based backup (Crashplan)
- A blog (duh - here you are)
- Twitter (@AnalyticsDepth)
- Fax number (Yes-it’s still needed: k7.net)
There are still many details like setting up Quickbooks and
generating invoices. Plus, as business
starts to flow, I’ll want to get a retirement plan up and going.
Speaking of business, all this activity is wasteful, unless
I actually get some work and make some money.
Networking
The Oracle EPM/BI space is pretty hot right now and projects
to continue to build on the economic recovery.
Companies are flush with cash and looking for productivity
enhancements. Riding Oracle’s coattails
is also a good play now, as they make the strong case for Hyperion-powered
productivity gains. Over the last
decade, I’ve build up a good network and understanding of the players in
Hyperion integration. Experienced
Hyperion headhunters (especially Jim Burke, Dan Counts, and Anthony LaScola) have
proven to be active in placement and, as importantly, have been willing to help
me get established.
With hands-on architecture and design experience plus years
as a BA and PM, I am able to fill many different roles for clients. One reason to go independent is to remain technical. Fortunately, there are quite a few such
opportunities. I’ve reached out to
former managers and colleagues; networked with headhunters; and used some job
boards (especially Dice). Given the time
of year (October), my primary short-term objective was to land a position that
would carry me into the new year, preferably through January. Through one of the high-end headhunters, I
landed a subcontract with one of the big integrations firms. They had recently gone to production with a
large Hyperion Planning system and needed some help with post-production
support and enhancements. Right in my
wheelhouse. It’s been a great four weeks
getting my hands dirty and helping the more junior team members support the
system. The people have been great at
both the client and the partner. I’ve
been extended two week into January. And
perhaps it’ll go further?
In the meantime, I continue to network for new people,
companies, and opportunities. It’s been
fun and keeps me on my toes.
What this blog will be about
20+ years of technology experience -- including 10 years of focus on
Oracle technologies, Analytics InDepth helps companies maximize the value of
their Oracle EPM (Hyperion) and Oracle BI platforms. With strategic
architectural focus, we build, maintain, and optimize your critical Business
Analytics systems.
That’s the statement of focus. And this blog will support that. But its purpose is even larger. I intend to use this platform, plus the web
site, twitter feed (@AnalyticsDepth), and whatever else to exchange ideas and
solutions in the technologies. I have
also learned through the years that having information is meaningless useless
it is shared. So this blog will also
offer interesting ideas, technical solutions, and links to useful information. Sometimes the blog may seem to wander a bit,
but it will always be about my business.
I look forward to future adventures with whoever wants to go
on the ride. Your comments are welcomed.
And any business leads or ideas are always appreciated.
Thank you,
Jonathan A Cohen
Managing Principal
Analytics InDepth, Inc.
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