

Ask HN: Selling Web Software to Government? - breck

Does anyone out there have strong experience in selling web apps/software to government(state or federal)? Would you be willing to offer some pointers?<p>We've never done it before and are complete neophytes, but are exploring the idea as another way to bootstrap. Any general pointers would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you're in the SF area and would want to grab lunch or a coffee that would be great.
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inerte
I am from Brazil and probably the whole process is different, but here are
some of my experiences.

\- Most of the times a gov doesn't "buy" things directly. They open a bidding,
auction, whatever is the english term. They'll put a set of requirements, and
let companies bid anonymously...

\- There's a certain threshold for this "bidding" to be required. In Brazil a
couple years ago, cities couldn't buy anything above R$ 750.00 without the
whole bidding process. So, vendors priced their stuff at R$ 749.99;

\- Another method to manipulate the bidding is that the buyers will agree with
the vendor(s) to make a certain set of requirements that only the vendor(s)
can satisfy;

\- There's the chance that in four years, the next administration, they'll
kick you out;

\- You'll get many, many leads. A new mayor is elected, he puts his people on
charge. They're from party X, and party X also controls other cities, and
they'll recommend you;

\- Some politicians will try to pay with influence, that is, instead of money,
they'll talk about the wonders they can do to you or your company in different
spheres of the administration. This is different of straight corruption where
money exchange hands, it's sold more like a friendship, one hand washing the
other. It's like having friends in the police or lawyers. How easier your life
will be;

Other than that, the whole politics thing, it's like any normal commercial
transaction. You sell something, gives support, and life goes on. I worked
during 6 years making software for law firms, and law-related parts of the
government. I wasn't directly involved in the whole politics things, I was
just the programmer and my boss was the marketing/salesman guy, but I would
get lots of hints here and there.

There's also the issue of legacy applications, worse than on the enterprise.
Govs don't have the financial incentive to change stuff, to make things run
more smoothly. You'll deal with a lot of old stuff, or crap things made by
family members and their relatives.

