Kustom Notes

Walking out of the cofounderlab.com, disgusted as usual. Disappointed as usual. Though, I feel blessed by God. For I have been molded by life for events of rejection. Granted, it still hurts but it no longer burns.    
 A stocky 5'3"man in - might have been google glass - and I made eye contact and he smiled and walked 2 steps and said hello to me. This olive skinned man, smiled and nodded through out our conversation. I knew who he was before he said hello. I read all the profiles. He is Hussein. A developer. On his profile he already has a project.
     In our conversation, he revealed he is already with 9miles lab. They were able to receive $35k for 6 percentage. I expressed to him I was thinking of applying for techstars. For on their website, they state 110k for 6-8%. He enlighten me, techstars actually only give like 18k for 6-8% And the 110k is only in a debt note. Something to think about later. Hopefully.

Well, Hussein has got to be the most friendly man I have ever met in any of these meeting. Its hard to describe. There is just certain people you hang around and you just feel comfort and friendliness. And yet all the while talking to him, I could not understand hardly any words. His accent was too heavy! He talked about his site..KustomNotes. And then I popped the question..."Do you want to help me later?"
reply "Yes, yes, I help"
me "What? did you just say yes? I am so happy"
I have never reacted with so much joy. I shook his hand. Expressed to him how much that yes meant. Now, In my mind, I'm not sure how much I was going to ask for his help. But just immense surprise was all I need. I"m here asking half a dozen English speaking, American in that room for help. All of them dressed so sharp. All said no.
It took a Arabian (Not sure his nationality. Just going with Arabian) that I can't speak English to even say any interest. It was a shock!

We smiled and laughed at my joy and I quickly said goodbye. For the yes was all i needed.

Now I'm really walking out. I walked out the door. Sitting at a table next to the door alone was a woman I saw in the event. A pretty woman I saw with Hussein. Knowing how it sucked to be alone in a packed room, I said hello. And then she came out with the smiling and friendliness. Oh geez. ok. More talking

So I told her my story. I'm homeless and I was just in that packed room. No one was interested in helping. Except for one man. I was on my way out and this short man in glasses that I can't understand a single word said yes. I think I saw you with him.
"yes, that is my husband"

Wow! I had no question that was her husband. 2 perfectly matched people. Both so friendly and geniune. Then she talked to me about Kustom Notes. I have no idead what she was talking about. I looked at their website and still have no idea what in the world is that. But they got $35k plus Hussein's wife revealed they got another $100k pre-seed money. Yes. I didn't misspell. Pre-seed! Amazing. For a website on templates. I have no idea what it is about.


But what is revealed - it is so true on what they say about how venture and angel capitalists and how they go about handing out money.
Everyone has ideas. And these venture capitalists discovered something.
Its not the idea that makes a company successful. The greatest idea can fail. The worst ideas they funded can thrive....it all depends on the people.
So, they learned to invest in - People. Not ideas

After meeting Hussein and his wife...I see the investors point and they are right.

Wouldn't it be cool, if someday I can bring them from that odd Kustom Note thing and on board to mine. Just musing.

My biggest obstacle to make this successful

Thursday night I went to a meetup event of people with startups/businesses searching for a co-founder. It was hosted by cofounderslab.com

46 people showed up. On the RSVP of attendees, we all written about ourselves. Everyone can see who is coming and what they are about. It is clearly written, I am homeless and coming!

6 pm: arrived. people milling around talking. Got my name tag. You put on a red sticker if you are looking for people to join you. A blue sticker if you want to join someone. I walked through the crowd and sat on a chair by myself and went through all the profiles. Looking for a developer or something. I noticed the co-host was a lawyer. A technical internet lawyer. Nice! And he's the guy at the front desk who gave me the name tag. I'm on it. Here I come Dan.

6:20
"Hi Dan, I"m Edwin. I'm homeless. I have a  employment website i am developing....blah blah...I need help...blah blah..be a great experience...more conversation back and forth.

6:25 "So Dan, in a few months, you want to help me? It would only be an hour or 2 per month."

Dan "Well, I would need to see what you have and what its about"

me "Dan, its an employment website, I need someone to look over the legal stuff when people register. Can you give a hand?

Dan "Well, umm. I really don't know until I see what you have and what it is all about"

me"So you saying no."

Dan "I'm just saying I don't want to be involved until I know what its about"

me "its ok Dan. Its ok to say no. I've been to allot of these things and everyone says no."

Dan "silence"

me "Dan, what you should have said is....well you shouldnt have said no....what you should have said is - Yes, when the time comes, I be happy to take a look and see if its something you can help. Even if you don't want to help, you should have said yes. Because you don't know what you closed the door on. Always leave the door open. For you can always say no, later once you fully see the whole product"


6:30 I'm sitting in the back row.
650 people are asked to go up on stage and say who they are, what business they involved in. What they are looking for. There was no lacking of people lining up to go on stage to talk
6:55 Man talking about how great his interior design website will be and looking for technical guy
6:59 Man in crisp nice shirt and dark dress pants walks up rigidly. Chest out. Hair slicked back. Walking like robot. Not sure what he said. Mostly about new in town and how he did great things with startups and stuff
7:11 Tall white 50 year old white man says he is ex microsoft. A definite feeling of slick oil salesman here.
7:12-7-45 more people. 90% had red stickers. All looking people to join them. One after another someone looking for a technical founder. Come, help me create my thing I think it is so great and later on I will get the glory. ....Wait...isnt that what I am sounding like too? oh my.....I did not go up.....for around 7:10 pm..this was in my mind.....
7:10 pm  This is a waste of time. What in the world am I doing here. All these men sitting in front of me. All rigid. One after another, full of ego. There is something odd about this whole thing. Just because these people applied for a business license of something, all of a sudden they think they are God-like. Everyone looking for people to join them...what am I doing here. I only say maybe 3 people with a blue sticker.

7:45 pm social networking time. Talked to the developer Indian young man sitting next to me. Whats your name, what you do...etc etc. .."Do you want to help me?"
reply "No, I think you have the user experience knowledge yourself"
ok thanks for your honesty

7:55 Waited to talke to brown short wearing person. The one person who got on stage and says he is new to seattle. Coder. Developer. Looking to get into with something on a part time basis. Used to help out with non-profits. I am going to talk to you buddy.

7:56 Gave 'brown shorts' guy a really good run down of the website and just looking for a one or 2 hours of help in a few months. "Will you please help?
reply "Sorry, I don't have enough bandwith at this moment"
I thanked him for his honesty. (Translation: I'm too busy but not busy enough to come to this meeting to find project but not for a homeless person)

btw- I"m in the tacoma public library writing this. Always bring over the ear headphones. Some guy on my left is moaning.

7:57 noticed a guy standing there while I was talking to 'brown shorts' man. When I was done, he talked to 'brown shorts' man. On the name tag of the new guy in our group, charity.com. Charity.com? Are you serious? ok I'm going to wait for this guy.

8 pm 'charity.com' man finished with 'brown shorts' man. I'm standing on his left, inches from him. He looks around. Looks left. looks straight. looks right...walks to his right direction. Walks 5 feet. Returns to my area. There is no one around that is not in an conversation except me. Now 1 foot from me. looks around. Back forth. Turns back to to his right walk away from me.
me "excuse me" got his attention "Hi, my name is Edwin..offered my hand" He walks over to me
     "So i'm just curious. Why did you avoid me?"
charity.com "Oh I was looking for someone"
charity.com man then spends 15 minutes talking to me. And of course declined to help me in any capacity on my website.

I am now about to leave. I knew this was going to happen. I don't why I keep coming to these events. But on my way walking out...something else happend. But will have to save for next post. This computer keeps flashing. flashing. flashing. 4 minutes left on your session. Save your work. Flash. Public libraries. ..

Using Guru.com part 2

Just quickly, if you going to use a freelancer from the internet, Do not ask them to build a complete complicated website.

What would save time and money, is to post creation of the website in pieces.

example: Have them build and create the mockup first. Then post another job for some people to do the functionality in parts of the website.

It will be faster, cheaper and less headache. Currently looking at 3 months to have my website built. The complexity of it is confusing the developer. If I had broke it down in parts, it would have been easier for these developers from India and pakistan.

Guru.com experience

With limited funds, I had to resort to finding a developer from the internet. I went on Guru.com and wrote an outline of my website. I put a a budget of 500-100. Got 37 people who responded with interest to do the project.

I gave the project to an Indian person for $500. It was almost impossible to understand his English. After accepting the project, he immediately requested $200 up front. It was never discussed. I un-awarded him the project the next day.

Found a guy in Oklahoma. He quoted $1300. Talked to him on the phone. English was good and clear. He had tons of really good reviews on Guru.com of people who used him in the past. I awarded him the project. After one week, he still hasn't sent me the project agreement. I messaged him asking him for the agreement. He didn't reply for 48 hours. I un-awarded him the project.

I awarded the third person, and so far it has been going ok. only ok. He is Mark with Appexos.com . Pakistanian and I"m sure he is piecing out the project to someone in Pakistan to build. His English is good. The total cost will be $1200.
  What have I learned? It is very important to being very precise with what you want. I had assumed everyone knows what a Resume is. Nope. So what I have been doing is drawing after drawing of every page of the website. And you think they would know automatically the website needs an internal email system. Nope. That had to be made clear. Working with freelancers from India and pakistan requires everything being stated and made clear. Asking them to come up with the appearance or what the layout would look like is not the way to go.

Right now there is alittle trepidation and worry. The biggest worry is a scam. Talking with customer service of Guru.com and they even said - it happens. So far, the design mockup has been done. But not done exactly the way I want. So I had to do more drawing. But I have been very cordial and polite. So far I've given him $500. That was agreed upon once the design mockups are done. But mockups are nothing. All it is is just what the website would look like. Nothing is functional.

so that where I'm at. Hoping someone from a far away land is an honest person. The website will be built and this man is not going to easily make a design and get $500 and run off. For $500 in Pakistan is a good sum. We shall see. For I have no other choice but to put my faith in this man.

The case for Internet Startup

With no money. No concept or knowledge of web development.  Home is a Van. Office is the public library. Heroin and Meth addicts for spiritual guidance. I attempt to create a website.

 I have had this internet website for a long long time now. A job board website. A website to help people find a  job. Ok, not a trailblazing idea. But I got my secret sauce.

Monster.com had a yearly revenue of 1 billion a year.
Linkin has surpassed them in traffic and revenue
Indeed just got sold for a billion.
And who do you know that has used these websites and gained a job?

These websites are not effective and yet the revenue are so high. For we have all been been unemployed. That feeling of desperation. The stress of submitting resumes. Dressing up and selling ourselves and then praying we be selected. It drives people to search in all avenues to gain money.
Thus you have the revenue.

There isn't much of of the undiscovered internet frontier left. All money making zones of the internet has a clear leader. Social networking - Facebook, Product selling - Amazon Ebay, Porn - Covered well.

There is only one money making sector left without a true front runner. Job Boards.
The lack of a leader is clearly an indication of the ineffectiveness of the sites. Who do you know that  went on Monster and found a job. Craigslist is slightly more effective but then the internet has not helped out. The process is still the same. Write a resume, lie on a bunch of stuff, submit it, wait, wait, bug the Hr rep, wait, wait, dress in foreign clothe to impress, smile, act like life is the company, answer every question with yes, smile, wish the other applicants good luck, go home, wait, watch price is right, get email, get depression because we feel not being selected is a personal attack.

There has to be  better way