Sunday January 16, 2005 - 3:52AM EDT
Depressing week it was. But I found my web hosting provider, has everything I need for a good price. Almost finished the website. Sunday I will finalize the styling and content, then await the template from my designer to bring everything together. I'll probably sign-up for hosting/gateway/merchant on Monday. After that the only two major things are creating the ads to execute the marketing plan and getting the license agreement written up by the attorney. So close, I'll make by the 24th. I need to get out of this room, too much time in here. Eagles game will be a nice respite tomorrow.
Saturday January 15, 2005 - 2:23AM EDT
Crappy week. Got stuff done but that is all I did. I'm losing touch with the real world. This is so depressing, almost there though, just another week or two.
Tuesday January 11, 2005 - 4:03AM EDT
Things are really moving now. It was a long day but I got a lot done. I banged out a detailed internet marketing plan and refined once again the business strategy of this thing. If this marketing plan hits then I am golden. I think I fully understand how I am going to do this finally. My next step is getting the website completed and ready to accept customers. From there I will execute the marketing plan. Then wait and see what happens. Well I can't really just wait and see, I still have to be doing something, but I will need to see what kind of feedback I get. I don't know how long it will take before I get any kind of reliable feedback. Could be days, weeks or even months. I can't wait that long though. I just paid off my bills for the month, including my school loans. I have enough money to pay the designer and shell out for advertising. I'll be broke by the end of the month most likely. Anyone reading this and want to help get the word out on Linkzu contact me, I don't have money though, so I'm offering percentages. I need this thing to pop by the end of the month. Do I have a chance in hell of that happening? I damn sure hope so.
Monday January 10, 2005 - 11:01PM EDT
Short entry today. I don't even have the space in my head to have unrealistic expectations for this software. My mind has been racked with getting everything setup. Closer and closer.
Sunday January 9, 2005 - 10:20PM EDT
This week is a big week, going into key development stages before launch. I'll signup for the web hosting, merchant account and payment gateway this week. Depending on how busy my desinger is I shold be able to finish the final website completely (you listening dude). I have been constantly working on the marketing plan and I think I have nailed it down now. I will begin the ad designs and advertising inquiries this week too. By the end of the week I plan to have the website fully operational and have everything ready to execute the marketing plan. The following week I'll get the legal stuff taken care of with the licensing agreement. I am looking at trying to launch by the 24th. This is an extremely aggressive schedule though, so it will be tough. I'm very nervous about this whole thing. It could go either way. I just need enough money to pay off my school loans. I really don't know what the fuck I am doing. I have the ideas but beyond that I know nothing about selling software. Fuck it, I got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Sunday January 9, 2005 - 1:13AM EDT
A lot of posts made today, but I did a lot today. For the moment the fatigue has left me and been replaced by focus and energy. I have a good feeling about this again. It is moving along. The comp for the website that my designer friend did is awesome. The software distribution scripts are in the final stages and I have drawn up startup cost estimates. Again, this thing will be made on marketing.
I have a lot of ideas for software. Just using technology to solve problems. There is not nearly enough of that today. A lot of people just don't understand or care to understand technology enough to use it properly to solve problems. I just need one success to get me on my way. They speak of how the Internet bubble burst. I guess it did, but I think there is more opportunity now than before. Internet technology has much higher penetration and the market isn't flooded with loads of garbage. There is probably still some leftover fear from the bubble burst that hampers the established firms and favors the newcomers. I don't know. I'm tired I am going to pass out.
Saturday January 8, 2005 - 6:06PM EDT
I'm tired. Very tired of just about everything. Not angry tired but just tired. I just want to sit somewhere and wait until I die.
Saturday January 8, 2005 - 5:54AM EDT
I've redone the business plan and marketing plan. I have also filed the trademark application. Now I am at a key point. I have a basic foundation for this project done (done to the best of my current crappy-ass abilities). Now I am ready for some real action. What is the next step? There are three main areas that need to be worked on. Website, marketing and legal. Which one do I take on next? I think I will take on the website first. Get that completed and tested then move on to the next two.
Friday January 7, 2005 - 8:27PM EDT
Last night I actually got a decent night of sleep. Probably because instead of turning around in bed all night I lifted at 2am followed by going to the diner at 3am. So I didn't actually get in bed until 4am but that is when I usually fall asleep anyway and I woke up at the same time I usually do. Finished reading some books recently. Movie and business books. Very light reading. Much work to do if I am to pay off those loans and make a movie in the next year or so.
Thursday January 6, 2005 - 9:11PM EDT
Just about to give my QA testers information to test out Linkzu and the distribution scripts. (ha! like I have QA testers or some kind of procedure, it is just a couple of dudes fucking around with the software). I am so up and down with this project. One second I think it will be great another second I think it will be a terrible failure. Fuck... I have to start paying school loans back by the 15th. There it is, I just got an intense feeling of calm (is that some type of oxymoron or something). OK, my next steps are polishing the software distribution scripts and integrating them into the rest of the website (2 weeks). At the same time that is going on I will need to take care of administrative tasks of trademarking and payment setups. Also continue to refine and enhance (I sound like a goddamn corporate bullshitter) the marketing plan and business plan. I just need to figure out what to do to maximize workflow tonight. I think I will revise the business plan and maybe work on the marketing plan more.
On a side note I was thinking about how humans need to abstract their own thought into language to communicate with other people and even themselves. It got me thinking about Frued with the glacier respresenting the coinscious and subcoincious mind. We ourselves need to abstract our pure though into language to communicate with ourself. There is a whole bunch of stuff that goes on in our mind that we are unaware of because we just can't find the language of outlet to translate it into something that the coinsicous mind understands. Then that got me thinking about dreams. They have to be manifestations of the subcoinscious mind, seems like they are the best way our minds have to translate subcoinscious thought into coinscious thought. Maybe that is why they are so weird and don't make sense a lot of the times. Anyway, of to read and write.
Tuesday January 4, 2005 - 10:39PM EDT
I have enough cash on hand to make loan payments for a the next few months. My plan is this. Finish up the various software I am working on in the next two months. First month is Linkzu second month is AUW. In the first 6 months I'll make enough money on them to pay off my loans ($50,000). The next six months I will save enough money from the software to finance the independent film I want to make in Japan about convience stores ($100,000 +). By the begining to middle of 2006 I will have a finished feature-length film that I will begin trying to take on the movie on the indepedent film festival circuit. After that I will try to get a distribution deal. Then at that point my movie will be accepted and watched by millions all over the world or it will be so bad that it will be relegated to a corny internet download that no one downloads.
Tuesday January 4, 2005 - 7:09PM EDT
The first iteration of the software distribution and customization script is done. It is very rough, but a good base to start the next iteration. Before I begin on the second iteration I have some other websites to take care of. I also have to return a bunch of phone calls.
Tuesday January 4, 2005 - 3:13AM EDT
Almost done the styler. Today I was thinking about this project...specifically what I would do if it fails. I haven't really seriously thought about this not working out somehow. I am operating under the assumption that it will work out for the best. I don't know what to do if it doesn't succeed on some level. It must not fail.
Sunday January 2, 2005 - 2:31PM EDT
I'm sitting here watching this pathetic eagles game and working on Linkzu. Finished the rolandsgifts.com work yesterday so that is out of the way. Still some ESG stuff to do and huffart.com and dutchhutch.com work. First I need to finish the software distribution scripts. ...
Friday December 31, 2004 - 3:33PM EDT
I am just about done the first iteration of the software distribution scripts. I just need to finish the automatic styling script and I will be done. Once I finish that then I will begin the second iteration and flesh out all the functionality and organize the IA properly. The third iteration will involve setting up the payment gateway and integrating The Greenhouse into the rest of the website. I am moving, albiet slowly, but moving along, it is still rather dark and I see no light yet. After the second iteration I'll rework the business plan and continue with filling out the marketing plan. The last things I'll do before launch is payment gateway setup and getting the license agreement written up. Still a long way to go and I have to finish some work on another website today. The famous Edison quote about invention being 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration is more true than I could ever have imagined.
Friday December 31, 2004 - 1:55AM EDT
I have finished a good portion of the software distribution scripts for The Greenhouse. I have so much farther to go, it seems like I'll never complete this thing. I am not just talking about the software distribution scripts I am talking about everything. I still have to do trademarks, license agreement, help section, online chat, setup payment gateway, merchant account, gather links for the database and finish the website. The marketing plan is a whole other moutain of work. I have get prices, contact information, ads made, accounts setup. There is also a matter of rewritting the business plan, I thought of a backup plan that might make money in case my initial idea doesn't pan out. It is so much and on top of that I have other freelance work I need to work on. I have to cut out doing absolutely anything except work if I want to get this done. I won't leave the house until this is finished. I have plenty of food and water here. Fuck I am screwed.
Wednesday December 29, 2004 - 4:34PM EDT
Awesome. That story is great. It is about pulling THE MAN's foot out of your ass and exposing the illusion protrayed in the public eye that is the American Dream.
Wednesday December 29, 2004 - 4:35AM EDT
I stepped on a scale for the first time in a while. I am almost back up to my heaviest weight when I was lifting all the time. I'm at 183lbs. I didn't even realize how much weight I gained. I have been lifting regularly for a while now so I guess it is not unexpected. I usually hover around 175lbs if I am not lifting. NFL here I come. I have some guarded excitement about Linkzu, I look at the potential for it and see good things but other than that it is still a pipe dream. Still a lot of work to do if I am to get this things launched in a month or less. I think I will rework the business plan, mainly fill in some missing things. I got some literature and how to construct a business plan and I will modify my existing slop based on that. I also have some new marketing ideas to add to the marketing plan. The marketing plan will probably make or break me. I think I have a solid pool of ideas I just need to flesh them out a bit. Fuck, if this doesn't work then I'll have to go back to work for THE MAN with his foot firmly entrenched in my ass. If it does work then I already know my next step. After paying off my school loans I will make that movie I have wanted to make in Japan. Then build a spaceship and become a space bounty hunter. After a short stint in the NFL of course.
Tuesday December 28, 2004 - 6:29PM EDT
Cold, cold, cold evening. I fucking hate it. I constantly check my email every minute waiting for something, anything. I get a little excited when that icon lights up signifing new mail. Usually my spirits are crushed when all I find is spam. I gotta do something, I am restless. If I had any money I'd go buy something. But not really because there is nothing to buy that will raise my spirits. The Linkzu software distribution scripts are coming along nicely. Should be finished with them by the end of the week. I also input ESG projects into the client tracking software along with a new Rolandgifts.com project. What do I know about making a movie? Nothing, its pathetic. I don't have the slightest clue as to where to begin. I don't even know how to write a screenplay let alone all the other stuff that goes along with making a movie. I need to finish these scripts soon.
Tuesday December 28, 2004 - 1:14AM EDT
I hate this cold weather. I don't even want to leave the house anymore, it is fucking depressing. Didn't get much done today unfortunately, maybe tomorrow will be better. Did begin to plan out the software distribution scripts. Will work on them more Tuesday. There is something wrong with my mouse, it keeps sticking and causing double clicks. I'll have to pickup a new one soon, it is getting anoying. New Years will probably suck as usual. I don't remeber what I did last year, nothing interesting probably. Trying to find new music, but you always have to pay for it. Sure I have my massive collection of mp3s but I need some new stuff and I don't feel like buying a bunch of CDs (downloading from those online stores is the biggest rip-off that no one seems to recognize). Thinking about getting a Sirius subscription just so I can listen to commercial free music over the net, nevermind the car radio. That would make a great gift for somebody, a liftime subscription to Sirius radio. I signed up for the free 3-day trial just to have something to new listen to over the next three days. All they play on local radio is the same 25 fucking songs over and over again. I still get those strange euphoric spikes. I'll just be sitting around doing whatever (usually programming) and suddenly my mood will radically change for a moment and my head will feel weird. It just happened a few seconds ago.
I see this tsunami disaster on TV and I hear them say that it will require such a huge humanitarian effort. Particurlarly providing drinking water for people. I wonder how much bottled water the united states drinks in a day, probably enough to provided drinking water for all the victims of that disaster for a month. It will be a nice demonstration to see whether peopole really care or are just lamenting the crisis because that is what they are "supposed " to do. There is no reason that hundreds of planes and ships shouldn't be traveling to those affected parts of the world to bring supplies that are readily available. Am I being idealistic? I just don't get how humans treat each other so badly. What are they fighting over, they have to realize now that this earth in only one and no one will survive at the rate we are going. I also keep hearing that there is no warning system in that area of the world because tsunamis are extremely unlikely. That is a laugher, I want to see a reputable scientest come on television and say that. It is just reporters repeating nonsensical garbage. If you look at a map of that region of the world all you see are some of the poorest nations of the world and tourist playlands for the rich. What is "unlikely" is that those countries had any money to pay for a warning system or any other rich country giving a damn about those people. Funny how they have a system in the Pacific that has been active for 40 years yet somehow they decided it wasn't important to cover the rest of the world. Obviously this "experimental" technology is not ready. That is ludicrous.
I got nothing else to say.