🚀 go-pugleaf

> Lets say I decide to form a company to develop software products.
> Now I work for many months building my product and place it under
> GPL.

Sounds good.  Several people are doing this.

> So how do I eke out a meager living doing this?

Meager?  Why not go for big bucks while you're at it.

> Do I charge for it(I assume I can only charge for the media), while 
> distributing the sources? 

A distribution fee for your products will probably be the least of
your income, at least if I were to do something like this.  I'd make
the software available for FTP/UUCP/etc and I think most users would
get it this way.

> Do I charge for documentation? From a usability standpoint
> shouldn`t a product be usable without docs? Shouldn't on-line
> docs be bundled with the product?

How much docs are you going to write?  Simple programmer docs,
extensive help docs, etc?  I'd start out and write simple docs on the
basis of how to use the program.  Additional docs would be nice
though, but wait a bit....

> === Support? ====
> Do I charge for "support"? And shouldn't I be building a product that does
> not require much support?

Your program will have bugs.  That's a given.  If they're easy to fix,
fix 'em for free.  But if they take a lot of work to fix, then you try
to get someone to pay for it.  If company X would love to use your
product, but aren't sure if bugs will get fixed, get a service
contract.  You'll fix their bugs, with utmost effort, in exchange for
a fee.  

> What happens if some other company say  "Swan" decides it wants to compete
> with me on "supporting" my own product? 

Then you get competition and the free market decides who wins.  The
essence of capitalism.  Read Adam Smith and others for more information.

> They are bigger than I am (I'm just a one man army)and better
> known? 

're the author.  That makes you more knowledgeable about the
software then them.

> Do they want to squash me like the small bug that I am?

No, they just want to pay the rent the same as you do.

> How do I survive? Other than some nice organization
> giving me an unsolicted grant(can I count on this happening?).

Provide better service.  Give the customer a reason for choosing you
over the other guy.  Nicely installed software.  Better documentation.
Better response time.  A bigger smile.  Etc

> I get the feeling that software engineering/programming/hacking
> would then just become a "gentleman's" hobby, something you do
> outside of the scope of your real income generating career(or
> perhaps you just do it in an institution of higher learning).

Read the GNU Manifesto and see that your example fits kindof into the
example RMS gives of musicians.  There are a lot of people who
continue to be musicians without much hope of making a buck at it.
Those who can, do.  Those who can't continue to program anyway, since
they like it.


david d [zoo] zuhn		Univ. of Minnesota Dept. of Astronomy
zoo@aps1.spa.umn.edu		      Automated Plate Scanner Project