Post #1: Genesis

Michael Lindner, Mon, 09-Nov-2009

Prolog.

Having your own startup is one of the most exciting experiences one could afford. It involves plenty of hopes with tons of fears; ultimate belief in your skills followed by a cynical pessimism about them. It requires you to act differently than all you have learnt; it makes you doubt every fundamental axiom. It frees you to be the master of your time, just to find out there is never enough of it. Having your own startup is like nothing else.

At the base of every startup stands the point of decision. In the hi-tech companies dining halls; during thousands of driving phone-calls; around coffee tables with Saturday-night whiskey on the rocks; anywhere, anytime – millions of marvelous ideas are thrown to the open air. The human brain is the greatest tool for inventing the future. But the human brain has one major limit: It strives for keeping itself working. Clever enough, it concludes that this requires some food, water and a bad to sleep in. For greasing its wheels so it really works as required, it might further demand music, culture, a vacation from time to time. These are achieved through a magical mechanism: Salary. The outcome is clear and evident. The brain enjoys its innovative ideas; it juggles them at every social event; it provides sources of endless proud to its owner; but it does not let that shift itself from its main goal: Surviving.

Some brains, though, are made with defects. The manufacturer does use them, maybe in order to reduce costs. The final product is a deficient creature. Its brain provides ideas, but lacks the essential mechanism of surviving. This special kind of mentally-ill creature has earned the epithet entrepreneur.

Qliqa.

The idea behind Qliqa came out a long while ago. The idea of social-networks was in its very early stages. The screens and the browsers hardly provided room for an additional pane. No one really understood the meaning of "Web 2.0". The concept of real-time web has not been born yet at all. But believing the idea, I started moving it on. Slowly, step by step, without taking unneeded risks, the idea started materializing. Continuing this way, Qliqa would have probably been completed at last. At last. But at last is too late. Fortunately, I was equipped with one of those badly fabricated brains.

So I took the decision.

Blog.

In this blog, I will provide insights from our work. Part of the posts will deal with the evolution of our product. Others will analyze the trends of service, marketing and other aspects of the Web. Some posts will cover our business experiences. A few will report on the personal life of a startup entrepreneur.

I will be more than happy to get your feedback. A feedback mechanism will soon be added. Meanwhile, you can contact me directly at michael@qliqa.com.

Enjoy!