Some history — Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for. Most of all, I’m thankful for the energy and Passion my startup has given me. I’m thankful for the amazing people I’ve met and communicated with through social media. Some of them never meeting them in person but getting a ton of support, guidance, mentoring, and a lot more.

In March of 2010 when I set out to build my startup I had no idea where I was going. I had a really rough idea of what I was trying to do, but that current manifestation is so different than my early thoughts.

The path I’ve taken has zigged and zagged. What a journey.

The last time I took a journey like this was way back in 1995 when I set out to create a product. That product would end up with hundreds of installs and a lot of satisfied customers but took over 3 years to create. It was 3 years from the date I started before I had my first paying customer. I remember the check they wrote very clearly, it was for $2,000 and was a new customer in Sacramento.

My new journey, with my startup has not produced a dime. Its only cost money. And so much time. What I’m trying to do is very different than the norm I’ve done. Many have said how does a guy that created business applications, come up with an idea like this.

The idea first came to mind back in 2004. At this point I wanted to create a database product that could hold information and mutate like a virus and share information. I dabbled with it and a few helped me embed code inside a database. When the table was opened this code would automatically run. I had big plans for this technology and it was the very start of the road to my startup.

In 2004 I also was working with Windows CE and was learning about version 5.0 at the time and outlining a lot of technology that was to similar to the Iphone of today. I remember having a meeting with a VP at Mitec and drawing on their whiteboard trying to get funding for a new product and telling them about my ideas. They went to China with my ideas and decided not to move forward.

The problem at this time was a delivery mechanism. My idea needed a way to spread and social media didn’t exist as we know it. The cell phone was the closest solution at the time I could come up with regarding my idea. I needed something else.

More time goes by.

In 2010 I remember the Facebook explosion hitting everybody. I remember standing somewhere and it hit me. The world was connected. Not only was it connected with Facebook but with Twitter as well. Exactly how Facebook and Twitter fits into my equation and my startup doesn’t really matter the point is we are connected. I don’t have to have your phone number to communicate with you. There are several ways I can communicate with you now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mike

~ by Mike on November 22, 2012.