Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Mission and vision:
Dead_Last_Gaming's (look at that, i just named my company) mission statement will be:
"to strive for perfection of engineering and innovation of design in order to make truly exciting creations".
Basically anyone can build a computer by watching a video or following a guide. What we bring to this space is a new level of customization and precision. From custom C&C'ed water blocks to fit AIB (add in board) partner hardware (usually has better VRM and clocks than reference hardware) to precisely machined case modifications, we strive to make hardware not just more functional, but beautiful. This commitment to excellence and design drives this company hence our vision statement:
"to change public perception of what hardware should look like".
From fabricating component modifications to complete solutions, functional solutions do not need to be another "beige box" design. We believe that form and function go hand in hand and that form is too often neglected.
I hope this isn't too "sales pitchy", but it seems to be a decent jumping off point for this exercise. I have experience building gaming rigs, workstations, NAS's, server cabinets, as well as machines for specific purposes. My only concern is that i may have gone too wide with my approach. The question is; should i focus on a more specific market segment, or is it okay to start off a bit overly ambitious?
Also, though i feel i may have gone a bit overboard with some of the language, I am actually competent enough in this area that i'm not promising the moon. That said, most of what I've done are either personal projects or projects I've helped friends with, so i'm a bit fuzzy on how to monetize this.
Shadrach White:
Shadrach White is the entrepreneur who spoke to us about some of his past and present endeavors. His "don't be afraid to fail" approach seems (on the surface) very different than that of the speaker who visited us on the previous class period. This was further tempered with "failing sucks but" we should see it as a part of a learning experience. Where they do share similarities is in that they are both involved in emerging markets. I call this an emerging market because while government contracts are no new thing, the legalized sale and distribution of cannabis is Mr White spoke to us at length about past projects before showing us his pitch deck. He runs a company called CloudPWR which is currently seeking local government contracts involving software solutions pertinent to the sale of legalized and medical cannabis. He showed figures for projected growth as well as explaining why his company is best positioned to fulfill the growth needed. The big take-away from his presentation were that success are largely dependent on hard work and luck. He explained that he just happened to be in the right place at the right time to become involved in the legalization process in Washington state and that the direction that his business changed from there. Had he not been relentlessly seeking contracts at the time he was that opportunity may have passed him by. Though sometimes success seems to hinge on good planning and at other times it seems to hinge on luck, highlights the fact that hard work is required for both conditions to find purchase.
Shadrach White is the entrepreneur who spoke to us about some of his past and present endeavors. His "don't be afraid to fail" approach seems (on the surface) very different than that of the speaker who visited us on the previous class period. This was further tempered with "failing sucks but" we should see it as a part of a learning experience. Where they do share similarities is in that they are both involved in emerging markets. I call this an emerging market because while government contracts are no new thing, the legalized sale and distribution of cannabis is Mr White spoke to us at length about past projects before showing us his pitch deck. He runs a company called CloudPWR which is currently seeking local government contracts involving software solutions pertinent to the sale of legalized and medical cannabis. He showed figures for projected growth as well as explaining why his company is best positioned to fulfill the growth needed. The big take-away from his presentation were that success are largely dependent on hard work and luck. He explained that he just happened to be in the right place at the right time to become involved in the legalization process in Washington state and that the direction that his business changed from there. Had he not been relentlessly seeking contracts at the time he was that opportunity may have passed him by. Though sometimes success seems to hinge on good planning and at other times it seems to hinge on luck, highlights the fact that hard work is required for both conditions to find purchase.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
Matt Tolintino:
Matt runs Namatad which makes firefly. It is an very promising product that aids fire fighters in locating each other in emergency situations while working a fire. As impressive and innovative as the product he produces is, it was not my biggest take away from this lecture. Firstly, it is easy to see that having a stable situation can be essential to starting a business (evidenced by his ability to not take a salary for a year). Also, Money is useless if there is no unified focus for your business (evidenced by the "sheepish" way he explained the 30 million dollar pivot he had previously been a part of). finally, some ideas are just waiting for a purpose (see his explanation for how firefly came about). Some final thoughts are that he does not appear to be set up for the expansion that will likely be necessary. Also, there are likely maritime applications that have not been explored. Not only for emergencies, but for cargo container location (container logs can be a pain) etc... (if i understand the tech correctly from the pitch deck). The tech seems to have potential for explosive growth is the point i am trying to get to, which brings me to another point; he did not have time to discuss the patent process, their defense, or how to tell if an idea is worthy of the application process. I would like to have learned more about these topics, but sometimes an hour is not enough time for everything.
Matt runs Namatad which makes firefly. It is an very promising product that aids fire fighters in locating each other in emergency situations while working a fire. As impressive and innovative as the product he produces is, it was not my biggest take away from this lecture. Firstly, it is easy to see that having a stable situation can be essential to starting a business (evidenced by his ability to not take a salary for a year). Also, Money is useless if there is no unified focus for your business (evidenced by the "sheepish" way he explained the 30 million dollar pivot he had previously been a part of). finally, some ideas are just waiting for a purpose (see his explanation for how firefly came about). Some final thoughts are that he does not appear to be set up for the expansion that will likely be necessary. Also, there are likely maritime applications that have not been explored. Not only for emergencies, but for cargo container location (container logs can be a pain) etc... (if i understand the tech correctly from the pitch deck). The tech seems to have potential for explosive growth is the point i am trying to get to, which brings me to another point; he did not have time to discuss the patent process, their defense, or how to tell if an idea is worthy of the application process. I would like to have learned more about these topics, but sometimes an hour is not enough time for everything.
Brian Forth:
I missed this lecture due to family medical issues, but i did a bit of research and read other blogs (actually only 1 posted at the time of writing this) about the lecture. I found his profile on SiteCraft, i poked around the site a bit and found a very polished space populated with various web based services. Not much is information is actually presented in Brian's profile. In his lecture he talked about how his business grew out of side projects he took on as a teacher. I get the impression that there is a lesson about persistence in pursuit of ones goals to be found in this journey, and i am a bit sad that i had to miss it. (Edit) After reading through some other blogs I have a more complete view of this speaker. Gear lab was spun off of SiteCraft and employs 40 people and was also spoken about during this lecture. I later found out that Chuck Johnston works for Gear Lab and is one of the core members there. I had him as an instructor for computer ethics while progressing through the CSS program. Although this would seem to be an indirect connection, it is important to note that many of professor Johnston's examples come from his work history. It does sort of show how interconnected that the software industry is and how important interpersonal relationships are. Knowing this demonstrates how simply maintaining positive relationships can draw someone into a startup.
I missed this lecture due to family medical issues, but i did a bit of research and read other blogs (actually only 1 posted at the time of writing this) about the lecture. I found his profile on SiteCraft, i poked around the site a bit and found a very polished space populated with various web based services. Not much is information is actually presented in Brian's profile. In his lecture he talked about how his business grew out of side projects he took on as a teacher. I get the impression that there is a lesson about persistence in pursuit of ones goals to be found in this journey, and i am a bit sad that i had to miss it. (Edit) After reading through some other blogs I have a more complete view of this speaker. Gear lab was spun off of SiteCraft and employs 40 people and was also spoken about during this lecture. I later found out that Chuck Johnston works for Gear Lab and is one of the core members there. I had him as an instructor for computer ethics while progressing through the CSS program. Although this would seem to be an indirect connection, it is important to note that many of professor Johnston's examples come from his work history. It does sort of show how interconnected that the software industry is and how important interpersonal relationships are. Knowing this demonstrates how simply maintaining positive relationships can draw someone into a startup.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
3 Ideas for business startups:
- Custom built gaming / workstation PCs. I have experience building, modding, and optimizing PCs. I have experience modding components and chassis, engineering custom water-loops, as well as modding the OS to match the builds. This could start as a service business where i would charge to help others with repairs and upgrades until i could raise enough capitol to start doing custom and pre-built systems. Initial startup costs would be the price of a website.
- 3d printers. I have (in the past) sourced the parts for, built, and coded a 3d printer / laser cutter. This could follow a similar model to the previous idea; starting as a service based buisness where i help others build, repair, or setup their 3d printers until i attain the capitol to start making my own kits / pre-built printers. Initial startup costs would be the price of a website.
- Catering. I have nearly a decade of experience as a chef before i injured my back and decided to try my hand at this Computer Science thing. Although standing on the line for 10 hrs a day is no longer an option for me catering is still in my wheel-house. The deposit usually covers the raw materials in the catering business, and i still have enough friends in the culinary business that wouldn't mind making a few bucks on the side that i could probably even pull in temporary help as needed. Initial startup costs would be the price of a website.
*I could probably build the websites myself, further mitigating startup costs. It is also important to note that these are ideas that i am comfortable sharing, not my best or only ideas for a startup business. When / if i am ready to move forward with one of my more promising / unique ideas i will probably seek further advice.
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