Analytics with their own software question

[u/jessi_97]

Hi everyone,

I have a question for people who developed their own software before eventually working with, or joining, a company that wanted to use it.

I’m very interested in sports analytics and have spent a long time developing my own analytics software. I’ve recently been contacted by a few sports teams through my website, and some of them are interested in working with me and using what I’ve built.

The problem is that the software was originally built for me to operate, not as a polished product that I could simply hand over to somebody else.

Right now I use the software myself, analyse the data, and then produce reports for the teams. The software itself is quite complex and has a lot of interconnected parts, and realistically I think someone would need months of training to understand how to use it properly and understand what the different outputs actually mean.

That leaves me unsure about what the best setup would be if I started working with one of these teams.

For people who have been in a similar situation:

• Did you keep operating your software yourself and provide the company with the results/reports?
• Did you eventually train employees to use it?
• Did the company expect ownership or access to the software?
• Did you license the software separately from your employment?
• Or did your software simply become part of your job and remain your own tool?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who built something themselves first, and then had a company become interested in both them and the software.

How did you structure that relationship, and is there anything you wish you had done differently at the beginning?

Sorry if this is a slightly unusual question, I’m finding it difficult to explain the situation clearly.

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[u/PotentialPlus8616]

You built something that works, that's the hard part. I'd keep running it yourself for at least the first season and structure the deal so the software stays yours, because once you hand over the source code or start training their staff, your leverage evaporates.