Update: Scott has launched Transactor Code Agent and has set up a special discount for Startup Success Listeners at http://www.transactor.com/startupSuccess.

The Startup Success Podcast

This week Bob and Pat talk to Cathy Tullysmith, founder of Opscotch about her new startup to help companies manage a helpdesk. Opscotch is a pure Saas system that’s incredibly easy to try, so if you are interested, just go to http://www.opscotch.com/ and check it out. Cathy is also the founder of http://www.techecards.com/, a site that owes inspiration to Bob and that drives a surprising amount of traffice to Opscotch.

Bob talks about the dangers of growing too slowly – unless that’s exactly what you want to do.

Patrick talks about the Professional Developer Conference (much of the content will be available online), where many announcements about Microsoft’s cloud platform, Windows Azure, are expected. Even if you don’t use Microsoft’s cloud, you should probably be looking at cloud computing.

Download Show #44 here: Show #44 Or if you prefer, Subscribe to the podcast in Apple iTunes.

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The Startup Success Podcast

This week we break format and Bob grills Pat on if and why Microsoft Windows 7 matters to Startups and MicroISVs. Put aside the marketing and hype and the reflexive Microsoft hating: is Windows 7 just a rehash of Vista? Exactly what opportunities exist for startups in Windows 7?

And, Pat covers a few specifics for startups interested in being Windows 7 compatible.

Download Show #41 here: Show #41 Or if you prefer, Subscribe to the podcast in Apple iTunes.

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Please call in your suggestions, comments and constructive criticisms to our Listener Hotline at 206-202-6473. When you call, tell us if it’s okay to play your comment in our podcast.

Bob Walsh is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bobwalsh or you can email him at bob.walsh@47hats.com.

Patrick Foley is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/patrickfoley or you can email him at patrick.foley@microsoft.com

Show Notes:

URLs mentioned in this episode of the Startup Success Podcast:

• Frontrunner for ISVs: http://msdev.com/frontrunner
• .NET framework: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/default.aspx
• Boot from VHD: http://blogs.technet.com/keithcombs/archive/2009/05/22/dual-boot-from-vhd-using-windows-7-and-windows-server-2008-r2.aspx
• Windows 7 for developers: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/default.aspx
• Windows Server 2008 R2: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/default.aspx
• IIS: http://www.iis.net/
• New version of IIS (7.5 – Patrick misspoke and said 7.1) in R2/Windows 7: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/iis-r2.aspx
• Biggby coffee: http://www.biggby.com/
• Jennifer Marsman’s blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/jennifer/

This week’s show…

… Is sponsored by StartupToDo.com. StartupToDo.com is an online productivity app and community for startup founders, microISVs and anyone who wants to create their own software company. Be successful faster at StartupToDo.com!