Welcome to the public launch of Ostiary
May 22nd, 2008Every product usually starts with a simple proposition. The well intentioned goals to
- Solve some ill defined problem referred to as “the need” experienced by a group of people referred to as“the market” and
- Launch the product or service in “SIX MONTHS”.
Anyone who has been an entrepreneur in the technology field knows that this rarely happens. Yet almost every entrepreneur enters a business with this in mind.
The team that worked on Ostiary are seasoned business people and KNEW that six months was unreasonable (even unthinkable) yet no one thought that it would take three and half years to go from a sketchy idea on a PowerPoint to a public release. But it did.
The journey we all take when we embark on creating something new whether it is trying to set a new sports record , climb Mt Everest, film animals in the Antarctic , create a piece of software, a music album a movie or start a restaurant is always simultaneously exciting, exhilarating and rewarding yet downright hard, treacherous , nerve racking and very often lonely. From the intoxicating heights that come from creatively solving problems along the way to the anguished depths reached when everything goes wrong every conceivable human emotion is experienced, felt and fully expressed. Yet despite this , every day thousands around the world embark on the same journey to achieve something new for themselves or create and invent something new for others.
“So why” you may ask “if the pain is so high do they do they do it?”
And the answer is very simple “Because they must”
Somewhere in the spectral of our genes is that neural circuit that compels us to embark on such journeys. It is deeply embedded in humans and when triggered becomes unstoppable no matter what the logic of the circumstance confronted or what arguments friends and family cogently present.
No journey is ever sustained without the sustenance from our belief in the idea and the often blind encouragement from our inner self and the few family and friends that are prepared to go out on the same precarious limb and no journey is ever completed fully on our own.
In collaborative endeavors such as software or film the journey is always undertaken and completed by a team and it is always the efforts of the team that get you to a finish line.
The Ostiary journey was no different and our launch is the direct result of the many members of the team who worked incredibly hard over a long period of time to get us to this point and unlike the grueling marathon that eventually ends after 26 miles, the sport of business is a marathon that really never ends. This launch then represents the end of our phase 1 AND the beginning of phase 2.
Once a product is released you become solely and entirely dependent on the audience and customers that use it and who will ultimately review and critique it . The life and breath of every company is dictated by the acceptance or rejection of your companies solution to the “markets perceived need” . Every product is judged by those that adopt your solution. If the judgment is in your favor and the word gets spread then some life is breathed into the product as it starts its “own” evolutionary journey.
The stark reality of business is that NO customers means NO company so the effort of every startup is to find customers, get their adoption, service their requests for change and evolve the product along the needs of the users.
So for Ostiary the customer takes the center stage and becomes the single focal point of our daily efforts.
This said we invite you to “Trial” the software and give us your HONEST feedback. We don’t care HOW you give us the feedback (call us, email us, or post to the forum) but we care passionately that you give us your honest and thoughtful suggestions on how to improve the product so that it eventually meets YOUR needs.
The only way you can judge us is by giving us a try.
We look forward to working with you and making you part of our team