Lessons Learned: Ingres CEO Roger Burkhardt says "start with the customer"

Too often, startup executives spend their early days focused solely on their technology. That can lead to the development of products that are cutting-edge and powerful but for which there is no market.

There's another way, says Roger Burkhardt, CEO of Ingres, a provider of open-source database software and services.

"Start with the customer," says Burkhardt, who as the former CIO of the New York Stock Exchange was a buyer of enterprise hardware and software. 

You have to provide customers with a value proposition, he says.

As we reported in early December, Ingres says it's long-term top line growth is above 30% and the firm hopes to execute an initial stock offering sometime this year. The company posted two cash-flow positive quarters in 2007 and is forecasting it will be earning a profit, less stock option costs, by the end of 2008.

Another piece of advice from Burkhardt: "surround yourself with great people and give them a slice of the company" to motivate them.

Lastly, Burkhardt shared something we've heard over and over again from veteran entrepreneurs: "cash is king. When you spend it, you no longer have it, so make sure you've got enough," he says.