What it takes to launch a site

You may or may not know that I’m working on two startups right now. The first launched today: EstiMike, a simple and straightforward way for estimating the price of a home.

What’s interesting is how these startups are getting built. I created EstiMike working all alone. I negotiated a contract with my data provider, I hired an artist to develop the mascot, and I coded the website. With just a small investment, I think I have created a pretty useful tool.

Now compare this with other websites that provide real estate information. According to CrunchBase, Zillow received $87 million in funding; Roost recently received $13.5 million.

Now, these sites are far more ambitious than my simple EstiMike site. But my point is that it doesn’t require an large staff and millions of dollars to create a useful website. It can still be created by one guy with an idea.

Where have all the posts gone?

Greg’s Rants is neither gone nor forgotten. However, most of my writing now goes into our corporate blog – Decidedly. Besides that, I’ve finally taken to Twitter, and you can find me as gglockner on Twitter. But I do have some rants in mind, and I’ll post them when I get a chance. See you in the ‘net.

This news isn’t new

Today, Matier and Ross write that the Bay-to-Breakers race is out of control. It took them this long to realize this?? Over four years ago, I ranted that Bay to Breakers was a terrible race. It is a disgrace both to runners and to the city of San Francisco.

Finite writing capacity

At work this week, I’m writing marketing material. And I have little motivation for blogging. That made me realize that I have a finite capacity for writing. If I’m writing for work, I’m not eager to write for myself. And vice-versa. Work takes precedence, so no great blog posts this week. This also explains what’s happening when I don’t blog much.

Why I’m voting Democratic

Many friends know that I’m a closet Libertarian: I believe that the role of government is to protect my liberties. But I’m also a pragmatist: I know that the Libertarian Party is a fringe element, and so I need to align myself with the Democratic-Republicans. So which to choose? A few months ago, I finally realized that I am better off voting Democratic. The Democrats are better at protecting personal liberty, while the Republicans are better at protecting financial liberty. I can always make more money, but there’s no way I can make more freedom.

We get 37 MPG or better. And you?

Today, my brother joined our Hybrid club. Dad and I have a Camry Hybrid, and my brother now has a Civic Hybrid. With petroleum prices at record highs, it just makes sense. I am averaging 37 MPG in the Camry. Are you? Detroit, are you listening??

I’m not dead … yet

Sorry for the lack of posts. Most of you know that we’re moving in 11 days. I always strive to blog at least once per week, but I may continue to lapse over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

More news coming

Was traveling most of last week, hope to post more soon…

Welcome back to Weight Watchers

A while back, I posted that it isn’t hard to lose weight. Well, it isn’t hard to gain it, either. I’ve managed to regain half of my losses from 2000-01. Why? Because I fell into the trap of thinking that I know all the rules and that I’m smart enough to keep the weight off. (Isn’t this the same thinking used by drug addicts?). Anyway, the good news is that I also know what it took to lose the weight in the past. Here is where Weight Watchers gets it right. No gimmicks. No pseudoscience. It’s simply a program to ensure you eat less than you require, while giving you the education to understand your nutritional and emotional needs. It’s not a diet, but a lifelong change in your habits. That’s why it works in the long-term.

Depending on the kindness of strangers

In my haste to board a flight this week, I did not notice that my computer did not shutdown properly. After takeoff, I discovered that it was still running and the battery was nearly depleted. I turned to the gentleman next to me and asked him if he had a similar model Dell, and he said yes. Next, I asked him if he was planning to use it during the flight, and he said no. Finally, I asked if I could borrow his battery, and he said yes. His simple generosity was truly appreciated. Thank you, sir, wherever you may be.