Into the thick of it now, with limited time. Blew off the afternoon yesterday with some woodworking for a friend, but hopefully it doesn't set me back much. Did print up more biz cards, and get my onepage summary updated. I have a networking thing tonight with programmer types, for which I did a bit of the organization... not that I really want to do much of that. Tomorrow interviewing a young new grad, like really new, finishing exams today.
Travel on Thursday...
Researchinator needs to go passport hunting at home...
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Short Days Are Good
A nice short day today I expect. Well, short in the Global HQ. I have various things that will be easier at the home office - like printing new biz cards.
So I enjoyed a cool but sunny walk in this am. Going to work on logistics planning and a some collateral clean up and shift home for late lunch and more work there. So, short and sweet on the blogging today...
Researchinator sees a busy week ahead!
So I enjoyed a cool but sunny walk in this am. Going to work on logistics planning and a some collateral clean up and shift home for late lunch and more work there. So, short and sweet on the blogging today...
Researchinator sees a busy week ahead!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Making Some Early Moves
Still kicking. It's a busy time. Some networking yesterday eve that I still need to follow up on, and a contact who might be collaborative from other channels, need to meet next week or so.
Booked some travel to a seminar in NYC next week as well.
Researchinator is on the move...
Booked some travel to a seminar in NYC next week as well.
Researchinator is on the move...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Road Ahead - Looks Bumpy
Spent sometime scanning for conferences and hob-nob events that I can attend to network. The balance between stealth and networking should be interesting. I'll do more of that today, both the scanning and the networking.
The need to get some cash in is rapidly becoming the important part of this venture. My small cadre of collaborators is a nice base, but loosely coupled at this point, and they have chains of limited length, due to their other commitments, so I can't get them really close yet. So I'll start to beat the bushes to scare up others.
Meanwhile I think I have a pretty workable demo. I need to do some run-throughs to ensure it speaks to my goals well and then start to take it on the road, and get beaten up a bit. I need to plan a way to manage the depression that comes with the constant skepticism of the audience a start-up needs to court. My sense from previous involvement in this area is that the audience is about 60% charlatans who cultivate the power of the critic without actually holding any potential value or useful ability, 35% gatekeeper types who are negative to any thing that comes their way, and 5% genuinely capable, open minded and in a position to be engaged in an opportunity.
The most deflating people to deal with are those without any experience, who are also unable to hold down a real job, but who position themselves as 'start-up gurus' They just repeat obvious platitudes that are perhaps fresh insights for a 20yr old, but for anyone else sound like they've just opened a business 101 textbook and are reading verbatim.
So while the initial crafting of a business is challenging, dealing with the pursuit of funding is the toughest of all.
I guess that's one of the reasons that immersing myself in some technical content has been fun on this project. Not only renewing that distant part of my skill set, but also because you can make progress without having to deal with difficult yet empowered people.
Still, I have had the pleasure of engaging with the odd visionary person who can ask the tough questions yet still embrace a good idea and run with it. That's a very rewarding experience, and one that I hope happens in the next couple of months before I make a decision about the future at the end of June.
Researchinator anticipates becoming more of a sellinator...
The need to get some cash in is rapidly becoming the important part of this venture. My small cadre of collaborators is a nice base, but loosely coupled at this point, and they have chains of limited length, due to their other commitments, so I can't get them really close yet. So I'll start to beat the bushes to scare up others.
Meanwhile I think I have a pretty workable demo. I need to do some run-throughs to ensure it speaks to my goals well and then start to take it on the road, and get beaten up a bit. I need to plan a way to manage the depression that comes with the constant skepticism of the audience a start-up needs to court. My sense from previous involvement in this area is that the audience is about 60% charlatans who cultivate the power of the critic without actually holding any potential value or useful ability, 35% gatekeeper types who are negative to any thing that comes their way, and 5% genuinely capable, open minded and in a position to be engaged in an opportunity.
The most deflating people to deal with are those without any experience, who are also unable to hold down a real job, but who position themselves as 'start-up gurus' They just repeat obvious platitudes that are perhaps fresh insights for a 20yr old, but for anyone else sound like they've just opened a business 101 textbook and are reading verbatim.
So while the initial crafting of a business is challenging, dealing with the pursuit of funding is the toughest of all.
I guess that's one of the reasons that immersing myself in some technical content has been fun on this project. Not only renewing that distant part of my skill set, but also because you can make progress without having to deal with difficult yet empowered people.
Still, I have had the pleasure of engaging with the odd visionary person who can ask the tough questions yet still embrace a good idea and run with it. That's a very rewarding experience, and one that I hope happens in the next couple of months before I make a decision about the future at the end of June.
Researchinator anticipates becoming more of a sellinator...
Monday, April 6, 2009
Week Kicks Off with Wintery Day
Snow in the air, rather aggressively this morning, so drove to avoid getting wet. I thought we put that away for the season. It's a bit invigourating though, a dramatic touch. We haven't had any really for well over a month I think.
Getting down to it. Need to start my mornings more aggressively. I clean up correspondence and contact stuff for the first hour, sometimes two each day. Would like to make that a bit more efficient.
Contact from the sickly Lawyer struggling with efficiency during major recovery. I will have a day of drawing updates at somepoint. Anyway, best jump into the main project work.
Researchinator tries to keep focussed...
Getting down to it. Need to start my mornings more aggressively. I clean up correspondence and contact stuff for the first hour, sometimes two each day. Would like to make that a bit more efficient.
Contact from the sickly Lawyer struggling with efficiency during major recovery. I will have a day of drawing updates at somepoint. Anyway, best jump into the main project work.
Researchinator tries to keep focussed...
Friday, April 3, 2009
Friday Challenge
What a Friday - this isn't a featureless day, but for the wrong reasons. First it appears our nice big chunky Koi is ill, so I'll have to get home a bit early and do some remedial work with him. He' seems to have some raised scales and is looking a bit bloated. If it's dropsy it probably means Koi-on-toast for breakfast this weekend.
Then one of the cats starts dispersing her pre-consumed food around the house. Probably just a hairball thing, but still. I really don't need the cleanup effort. With my mother in the hospital this morning too, where she'll be for a good week starting treatment, it doesn't help the atmosphere at all. My significant other is on plane returning from her biz trip to Germany, so at least there will be moral support around the house this weekend.
But on the biz front, I acheived some goals yesterday. Still a billion things to do, but at least I can share some of the stuff with the investors from afar. I should put together a video or something too - yeah like that's going to happen.
Today I'll work on some demo scripts and such before bailing to play fish doctor and generally clean up before the return of my SO, and await news on how my mom is doing.
Researchinator remembers simpler times... Like yesterday.
Then one of the cats starts dispersing her pre-consumed food around the house. Probably just a hairball thing, but still. I really don't need the cleanup effort. With my mother in the hospital this morning too, where she'll be for a good week starting treatment, it doesn't help the atmosphere at all. My significant other is on plane returning from her biz trip to Germany, so at least there will be moral support around the house this weekend.
But on the biz front, I acheived some goals yesterday. Still a billion things to do, but at least I can share some of the stuff with the investors from afar. I should put together a video or something too - yeah like that's going to happen.
Today I'll work on some demo scripts and such before bailing to play fish doctor and generally clean up before the return of my SO, and await news on how my mom is doing.
Researchinator remembers simpler times... Like yesterday.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Deployment Process is a Necessary Evil
Just cleaned up some linked-in connections. Wasting my morning away I'm afraid. Oh well, the networking part of the biz is important too. Some connections there can enable connections elsewhere too.
Trying to keep all my server-side architecture in my head, and document it before it leaks out is tough. I think the process is coming along. Glad I've put the effort in keeping it as simple as I can, though there's probably still more that can be done in that direction.
Sunny change of weather makes it a nice walk today. Will I do the walk for lunch too, or will I find something around here. Love the economics of being able to walk home for lunch though.
Researchinator looks at getting somewhere before lunch time...
Trying to keep all my server-side architecture in my head, and document it before it leaks out is tough. I think the process is coming along. Glad I've put the effort in keeping it as simple as I can, though there's probably still more that can be done in that direction.
Sunny change of weather makes it a nice walk today. Will I do the walk for lunch too, or will I find something around here. Love the economics of being able to walk home for lunch though.
Researchinator looks at getting somewhere before lunch time...
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