Capital for Mac development

A few days ago I said that there is no capital for Mac development, that if you want to be a Mac developer you have to fund the effort yourself.

Then on Thursday Robb Beal linked to a press release about You Software. You Software is founded by Craig Barnes, who also founded Extensis and Now Software.

You Software, according to the press release, “has secured a first round of financing from SmartForest Ventures of Portland, Oregon.”

More: “‘Our investment in You Software reflects our excitement about Craig and his team coming back to the Macintosh market,’ said Debi Coleman, SmartForest Ventures Partner and former CIO, CFO, and VP, Worldwide Operations for Apple Computer.”

Okay—so here’s a counter-example, here’s a Mac developer with funding.

This is a sign of growing health, I think. Health in the Mac market and general economic health. (“Growing” health, yes, but neither are really healthy, yet.)

However, my advice to any developer who wants to do Mac software is to act as if you’ve never heard this. My advice is to plan to build a business the old-fashioned way, by creating something of value that people like and will buy. Being an honest, small, independent developer is tons of fun; chasing after capital is tons of pain. (And when you’re chasing you’re not working on your software.)

P.S. Since writing my advice to Mac developers the other day, I was pointed several times to Rogue Amoeba’s Good Ideas. Good stuff, worth reading.