Friday, September 19, 2003
... wading through a swamp of peanut butter ...
Some progress (before there's too much excitement, not on the MySQL side):
We're looking into costings in more and more detail.
I've worked out costs for a development lab. Although it was back of the envelope stuff it was five times lower than what I would have estimated using the tried and tested finger in the air methodology.
This is good. But I should mention that costs don't faze me. Well not too much anyway. They're inevitable and many have to be accepted. What's important is that we can illustrate how we'll acheive a viable cost-flow for at least five years. Still, it's good to have lower than expected costs - especially as I wasn't even looking for the cheapest options.
My search went to sites such as HP/Compaq, Dell and Cisco. I was rather surprised at just how difficult it was to find information. If I was going to make a purchase I would have found it quite off-putting. I'm sure these web sites were easier to use a couple of years ago.
Okay, it was difficult but not that difficult. But especially these days you've got to make it very easy for people to select and order your products.
We need a development suite involving hardware as well as software. But that means we become slightly less virtual. Because we'll need somewhere to house them. I heard such places are called offices. That's so second millenium. I was kinda hoping we'd be purely an e-business. Colleagues would be based around the world, working from home and communicating by video conferencing, IRC and email.
Some of that will remain and I think we'll only need a little office with a lab room. That's my estimate for today. Yet I've a feeling that this venture will grow and grow. Hey we might even get carried away and start looking at taking over some property in Redmond, if you know what I mean ;-)
The techie readers - and I know there are so many of them will be worried about my solving the MySQL problem. Don't worry. This will happen, but not this weekend. I'm taking a break and watching some football (second match I'll have ever seen).
We're looking into costings in more and more detail.
I've worked out costs for a development lab. Although it was back of the envelope stuff it was five times lower than what I would have estimated using the tried and tested finger in the air methodology.
This is good. But I should mention that costs don't faze me. Well not too much anyway. They're inevitable and many have to be accepted. What's important is that we can illustrate how we'll acheive a viable cost-flow for at least five years. Still, it's good to have lower than expected costs - especially as I wasn't even looking for the cheapest options.
My search went to sites such as HP/Compaq, Dell and Cisco. I was rather surprised at just how difficult it was to find information. If I was going to make a purchase I would have found it quite off-putting. I'm sure these web sites were easier to use a couple of years ago.
Okay, it was difficult but not that difficult. But especially these days you've got to make it very easy for people to select and order your products.
We need a development suite involving hardware as well as software. But that means we become slightly less virtual. Because we'll need somewhere to house them. I heard such places are called offices. That's so second millenium. I was kinda hoping we'd be purely an e-business. Colleagues would be based around the world, working from home and communicating by video conferencing, IRC and email.
Some of that will remain and I think we'll only need a little office with a lab room. That's my estimate for today. Yet I've a feeling that this venture will grow and grow. Hey we might even get carried away and start looking at taking over some property in Redmond, if you know what I mean ;-)
The techie readers - and I know there are so many of them will be worried about my solving the MySQL problem. Don't worry. This will happen, but not this weekend. I'm taking a break and watching some football (second match I'll have ever seen).
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
... carrying heavy shopping
On the technical side I haven't got over the MySQL problem.
On the business side, however, I've looked into costs for hiring technical skills.
Having drawn the overall architecture I know the skills required. It's a little bit tricky after that because people have mix of skills. You don't just get one bod for PHP, one for MySQL one for PERL etc. They combine. So I made sensible assesments on the possible mixes. Then looked at www.jobstats.co.uk, a good, regularly updated review of IT rates.
Despite the IT recession, over a year a permanent position costs (well as far as purely pay) half the amount that a contractor costs.
So, we now have a good idea for technical employment costs, both for startup (getting the product from prototype to production) and on-going. That's a good start for developing a cost model. And we also have a revenue model so we're getting there.
Also had another look at www.manyworlds.com and found a good glossary on computer terms, slightly angled towards security issues. It made me laugh. I don't think that was the intention but the slang in IT terms is unavoidable. Part of the culture. And I really like slang.
Then had a phone chat with Peter. Although we're getting there with the business model we need to express this as a business plan. We also need to be clear, to ourselves and one another, what our ambitions are. Do we run this part time? Do we become fully paid up executives? What is our exit strategy? Do we run the company totally as a virtual enterprise or do we get office space. How and where do we incorporate and how we will distribute shares? Etc etc.
Anyway that brings you up to date. And don't even think about using the email link to ask me about the progress on MySQL. I might have a crack at it tomorrow.
On the business side, however, I've looked into costs for hiring technical skills.
Having drawn the overall architecture I know the skills required. It's a little bit tricky after that because people have mix of skills. You don't just get one bod for PHP, one for MySQL one for PERL etc. They combine. So I made sensible assesments on the possible mixes. Then looked at www.jobstats.co.uk, a good, regularly updated review of IT rates.
Despite the IT recession, over a year a permanent position costs (well as far as purely pay) half the amount that a contractor costs.
So, we now have a good idea for technical employment costs, both for startup (getting the product from prototype to production) and on-going. That's a good start for developing a cost model. And we also have a revenue model so we're getting there.
Also had another look at www.manyworlds.com and found a good glossary on computer terms, slightly angled towards security issues. It made me laugh. I don't think that was the intention but the slang in IT terms is unavoidable. Part of the culture. And I really like slang.
Then had a phone chat with Peter. Although we're getting there with the business model we need to express this as a business plan. We also need to be clear, to ourselves and one another, what our ambitions are. Do we run this part time? Do we become fully paid up executives? What is our exit strategy? Do we run the company totally as a virtual enterprise or do we get office space. How and where do we incorporate and how we will distribute shares? Etc etc.
Anyway that brings you up to date. And don't even think about using the email link to ask me about the progress on MySQL. I might have a crack at it tomorrow.
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Last resort
Tea didn't work, and beer didn't work even though it was a Bavarian Helles.
But I then found a solution whilst in bed. It wasn't the solution to getting MySQL working. Completely different problem solved.
I've been looking at revenue models and the easiest to use (for both us and customers) seems to be licensing. I even drew up a large spreadsheet matrix: cost/price per user versus numbers sold. And I coloured the cost columns into various bands (cheap compared to competition, costly compared to comp. etc). Obviously we want to sell as many as possible for as much as possible. But existing competitors have already set a viable price. We go too far over that and - depite our added technical benefits - we'll be kicked out of the market.
But in bed I realised that the competitors charge per annum, we'll only have a one-off charge which'll last two years or longer. So we can charge more per license and still come in cheaper. This is good for our revenue stream and makes the business look much more viable.
Right now I think we have a base line revenue model (which no doubt will need tweaking) and should soon start looking at a cost model. Oh, and I have to get this database working or we won't have a product.
(Just to reiterate though, I think it's more important that we have a business model and a business plan than a working prototype. For a production version we'll need to get someone who has a bit more than a month's experience in these technologies. Nevertheless I still want to get this database working.)
But I then found a solution whilst in bed. It wasn't the solution to getting MySQL working. Completely different problem solved.
I've been looking at revenue models and the easiest to use (for both us and customers) seems to be licensing. I even drew up a large spreadsheet matrix: cost/price per user versus numbers sold. And I coloured the cost columns into various bands (cheap compared to competition, costly compared to comp. etc). Obviously we want to sell as many as possible for as much as possible. But existing competitors have already set a viable price. We go too far over that and - depite our added technical benefits - we'll be kicked out of the market.
But in bed I realised that the competitors charge per annum, we'll only have a one-off charge which'll last two years or longer. So we can charge more per license and still come in cheaper. This is good for our revenue stream and makes the business look much more viable.
Right now I think we have a base line revenue model (which no doubt will need tweaking) and should soon start looking at a cost model. Oh, and I have to get this database working or we won't have a product.
(Just to reiterate though, I think it's more important that we have a business model and a business plan than a working prototype. For a production version we'll need to get someone who has a bit more than a month's experience in these technologies. Nevertheless I still want to get this database working.)
Saturday, September 13, 2003
I'm not having a beer, er, yes I am
Well the cup of tea didn't work so I went to a riverside pub and had a pint of imported Bavarian beer. Very nice. Hasn't helped me get near to solving this MySQL problem though.
I'm not stuck, I'm just having a break
I managed to get rid of the original MySQL error message. Instead I get a different one ("Can't find file ./mysql/host.frm" since you ask).
I've tried different things to get rid of it but it still occurs. I've looked at the thousand page manual, trawled the web and had a cup of tea. But I still can't get rid of this message.
Going to have a break now, catch up on emails to friends and then look at pricing structures for the product.
I've tried different things to get rid of it but it still occurs. I've looked at the thousand page manual, trawled the web and had a cup of tea. But I still can't get rid of this message.
Going to have a break now, catch up on emails to friends and then look at pricing structures for the product.
Friday, September 12, 2003
It's one small step for [a] man, one even smaller step for mankind
Well, I've installed MySQL from the binaries. The manual said it was best to install it from the RPM files but the download wasn't clear (to me). And I don't really know what RPM files are.
So I installed it from the binaries and it seemed to go quite well. But it didn't load properly and squinting at the error message I think it's got something to do with user and group name permissions.
The truth is I've been running everything under root (for people less technical than me that's the Linux equivalent of being God). But the guides for MySQL, Exim etc assume that no-one would be such a dafty trousers. So they recommend creating user names like MySQL etc. For some reason I've felt giving them a user name such as root is better but now realise that this is just complicating matters.
[BTW running things under root is okay for me as this is a stand-alone development (at the moment) so poor security isn't an issue. Of course, it will be later so I'll have to go back and create proper user accounts etc].
So I installed it from the binaries and it seemed to go quite well. But it didn't load properly and squinting at the error message I think it's got something to do with user and group name permissions.
The truth is I've been running everything under root (for people less technical than me that's the Linux equivalent of being God). But the guides for MySQL, Exim etc assume that no-one would be such a dafty trousers. So they recommend creating user names like MySQL etc. For some reason I've felt giving them a user name such as root is better but now realise that this is just complicating matters.
[BTW running things under root is okay for me as this is a stand-alone development (at the moment) so poor security isn't an issue. Of course, it will be later so I'll have to go back and create proper user accounts etc].
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Next step
Well I can put data into an HTML form and get it printed out on another HTML page courtesy of PHP.
But before I grow a pony tail I need to be able to get data from the form into a database. Which means I have to install the MySQL database. This isn't going to be fun. I'm going back to the MySQL site to review what I have and what I need.
But before I grow a pony tail I need to be able to get data from the form into a database. Which means I have to install the MySQL database. This isn't going to be fun. I'm going back to the MySQL site to review what I have and what I need.
Light reading
Mornings are spent job hunting. I finish just before lunchtime. There's not really enough time to switch to Linux and do some product development so I've spent time reading business articles.
Today I read a couple of very good articles on business models, one from Harvard and one from Accenture.
Both articles were good to read, very well written and - best of all - short. Also, they dealt with one of the biggest issues in business - having an effective, realistic business model.
Today I read a couple of very good articles on business models, one from Harvard and one from Accenture.
Both articles were good to read, very well written and - best of all - short. Also, they dealt with one of the biggest issues in business - having an effective, realistic business model.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Some progress
Well, I've found that it's Perl, or perl, but not PERL.
I've also found that I don't need it. At least for extracting data from a form. Good. The tutorials I've found on Perl are a bit of a head full.
So, now I'm looking at a couple of PHP sites: uk.php.net/manual/en/tutorial.forms.php and www.beginnersphp.co.uk
It seems I can get data from the web form into a database using PHP.
And I've loaded PHP onto my Apache server.
But nevetheless I think I'll still need PERL, sorry Perl, to get the information out of the database. At least I can put off learning it for a few days.
I've also found that I don't need it. At least for extracting data from a form. Good. The tutorials I've found on Perl are a bit of a head full.
So, now I'm looking at a couple of PHP sites: uk.php.net/manual/en/tutorial.forms.php and www.beginnersphp.co.uk
It seems I can get data from the web form into a database using PHP.
And I've loaded PHP onto my Apache server.
But nevetheless I think I'll still need PERL, sorry Perl, to get the information out of the database. At least I can put off learning it for a few days.
Some relevant displacement activity
Rather than write code in PERL, I've found a tutorial on PERL. Free of course. This has two advantages:
1. I can read it rather than write code
2. Once I've read it I'll have more of a clue how to use PERL to write this code.
Who said pfaffing was a complete waste of time. It's only a partial waste.
1. I can read it rather than write code
2. Once I've read it I'll have more of a clue how to use PERL to write this code.
Who said pfaffing was a complete waste of time. It's only a partial waste.
A quiet few days
Quiet on the product development front.
I have to write some code which will transfer data from an HTML form to an MySQL database. This is all new to me; I've always found coding fiddly and am not too keen on doing it. Still, it has to be done.
Fortunately a bit of displacement activity emerged. Yesterday I went for an interivew in Bristol. Very good interview and the feedback was good. The interviewers said that they found all three candidates exceptional. They stressed this wasn't an indication of who was going to be successful. I may get the results today or tomorrow. This job would be a contract (freelance) assignment and may last six months, unless their counter-party doesn't sign, in which case it'd last a month.
I left the interview at five and got home after 9pm. This morning I went through job sites (I look at 500 - 1000 jobs posted on web sites every day). After lunch I have to bite the bullet and do some coding. Unless I can find some more displacement activity.
I know, I'll have a look at ManyWorlds, a very good web site for business people. I actually spotted an advertisement for them on a banner at the top of this blog site. A very good stumble.
I have to write some code which will transfer data from an HTML form to an MySQL database. This is all new to me; I've always found coding fiddly and am not too keen on doing it. Still, it has to be done.
Fortunately a bit of displacement activity emerged. Yesterday I went for an interivew in Bristol. Very good interview and the feedback was good. The interviewers said that they found all three candidates exceptional. They stressed this wasn't an indication of who was going to be successful. I may get the results today or tomorrow. This job would be a contract (freelance) assignment and may last six months, unless their counter-party doesn't sign, in which case it'd last a month.
I left the interview at five and got home after 9pm. This morning I went through job sites (I look at 500 - 1000 jobs posted on web sites every day). After lunch I have to bite the bullet and do some coding. Unless I can find some more displacement activity.
I know, I'll have a look at ManyWorlds, a very good web site for business people. I actually spotted an advertisement for them on a banner at the top of this blog site. A very good stumble.
Sunday, September 07, 2003
Adding to the blog
Observant readers will notice that there have been some changes to this site, especially on the right.
I've started filling out the links given in the template, starting with techie links.
I've also created a mail address for this site and put it in the (non-techie) links. So now you can all email us and tell how great this site is, that we should give up the business we're developing and switch to writing, and ... oh hang it all, just give us loads of money ...
Please don't send c.v.s/resumes; if anything, let us know if you're looking for some innovative managers or executives. And flames, spams etc won't be appreciated. Really, they won't. And don't assume that this company will be set up in the UK, as if.
We'll look at the emails but not every day, maybe once a week.
People who know us, please continue to contact us in the usual way.
I've started filling out the links given in the template, starting with techie links.
I've also created a mail address for this site and put it in the (non-techie) links. So now you can all email us and tell how great this site is, that we should give up the business we're developing and switch to writing, and ... oh hang it all, just give us loads of money ...
Please don't send c.v.s/resumes; if anything, let us know if you're looking for some innovative managers or executives. And flames, spams etc won't be appreciated. Really, they won't. And don't assume that this company will be set up in the UK, as if.
We'll look at the emails but not every day, maybe once a week.
People who know us, please continue to contact us in the usual way.
Taking it easy
Sometimes you just have to take it easy. Like yesterday.
At breakfast I had my first cup of strong coffee for many weeks. A few hours later I experienced what seems to be a migraine. No pain, but it wasn't very nice. I kept away from the screen and took even more physical rest than normal. But, as I've mentioned before, the laptop is my friend so I rather casually drew up a schematic of the systems architechture for this product and thought some more about the reveune possibilities.
And it was the weekend so I was entitled to a rest (I'm so sure the CEO's of many blue-chipped companies would agree with this). The really bad news is it seems I should avoid taking coffee from now onwards. First alcohol, now coffee, I don't know what I'll do if I get banned from eating chocolate (especially Belgian milk chocolate).
At breakfast I had my first cup of strong coffee for many weeks. A few hours later I experienced what seems to be a migraine. No pain, but it wasn't very nice. I kept away from the screen and took even more physical rest than normal. But, as I've mentioned before, the laptop is my friend so I rather casually drew up a schematic of the systems architechture for this product and thought some more about the reveune possibilities.
And it was the weekend so I was entitled to a rest (I'm so sure the CEO's of many blue-chipped companies would agree with this). The really bad news is it seems I should avoid taking coffee from now onwards. First alcohol, now coffee, I don't know what I'll do if I get banned from eating chocolate (especially Belgian milk chocolate).
Sleeping on it
A film I rate highly is Apollo 13. Of course I knew the ending before I first saw it but nevertheless I still wondered what was going to happen. (I can say the same about The Longest Day: early in the film the supreme allied generals discuss whether to launch the D-day invasion or post-pone. Now, I very well knew they went ahead and invaded (I covered this in History O level) and if they decided to post-pone then it would have been a very short film. Nevertheless when I first saw the film I wondered what decision they would reach).
At one stage of the Apollo 13 mission the crew's air filter stopped working. Carbon dioxide was now filling the cabins and would eventually kill them. So at Houston they had to devise a solution only using the contents of the space cabins. And they only had a few hours to do this. Once they had developed the solution, they would write it up as a "procedure" and relay it to the astronauts.
When the Houston team was given their assignment they immediately, and rather stoically, went ahead and came up with a botch-up replacement air filter. Certainly, as far as the film is concerned, not one of them said "Tricky. Better sleep on it".
Yet, I've found in developing this project that sleeping on it produces solutions. I make quantum leaps in technical development simply by going to bed. I wish I did this for my engineering degree.
In recent days I've developed (and indeed drawn) a systems-level architecture for the product. Up until now I've been looking at various components (Apache, PERL, Exim, Linux etc) and wondering if they're right for this project. But now it's all come together. Well, at least at the schematic level.
And I have more clarity about the business side. In fact I think my initial, finger in the air, estimate for technical headcount can be reduced. But then again, maybe I was just using a different finger.
And a lot of this clarity has emerged after a night's sleep.
I guess there needs to be some balance between continuous working and thinking about an issue and rest. But I think some people can easily use it as an excuse to rest rather than perform. Imagin the Apollo 13 crew's reaction if they were told "Jim, our best engineers are working on a replacement air filter. Don't worry. As we speak they're going off home for an early night".
At one stage of the Apollo 13 mission the crew's air filter stopped working. Carbon dioxide was now filling the cabins and would eventually kill them. So at Houston they had to devise a solution only using the contents of the space cabins. And they only had a few hours to do this. Once they had developed the solution, they would write it up as a "procedure" and relay it to the astronauts.
When the Houston team was given their assignment they immediately, and rather stoically, went ahead and came up with a botch-up replacement air filter. Certainly, as far as the film is concerned, not one of them said "Tricky. Better sleep on it".
Yet, I've found in developing this project that sleeping on it produces solutions. I make quantum leaps in technical development simply by going to bed. I wish I did this for my engineering degree.
In recent days I've developed (and indeed drawn) a systems-level architecture for the product. Up until now I've been looking at various components (Apache, PERL, Exim, Linux etc) and wondering if they're right for this project. But now it's all come together. Well, at least at the schematic level.
And I have more clarity about the business side. In fact I think my initial, finger in the air, estimate for technical headcount can be reduced. But then again, maybe I was just using a different finger.
And a lot of this clarity has emerged after a night's sleep.
I guess there needs to be some balance between continuous working and thinking about an issue and rest. But I think some people can easily use it as an excuse to rest rather than perform. Imagin the Apollo 13 crew's reaction if they were told "Jim, our best engineers are working on a replacement air filter. Don't worry. As we speak they're going off home for an early night".
Friday, September 05, 2003
So that's what it's all about
So, I can now create web pages, even forms. Might as well grow a pony tail and goatee beard and start wearing shorts.
Mind you, I haven't created the actual HTML form I need.
Whilst practising I copied a design from an example given in one of the free on-line tutorials. I ran though it and it worked. It even fired an email off with the test details I'd put in a field. Kweeel.
What I hadn't done was look closely at the core code. It sent an email off to a live email account. Fortunately it was the email account of the publishers backing this web tutorial. Sorry guys.
Now have to go and collect my new speccies - it's not all work you know.
Mind you, I haven't created the actual HTML form I need.
Whilst practising I copied a design from an example given in one of the free on-line tutorials. I ran though it and it worked. It even fired an email off with the test details I'd put in a field. Kweeel.
What I hadn't done was look closely at the core code. It sent an email off to a live email account. Fortunately it was the email account of the publishers backing this web tutorial. Sorry guys.
Now have to go and collect my new speccies - it's not all work you know.
Thursday, September 04, 2003
No more pfaffing, no more pfaffing
Enough is enough, I can pfaff when I'm dead.
What I need to do is first relearn HTML. Then learn about CGI and Apache Web servers. I'm going to go through a couple of on-line tutorials (e.g. www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/Overview.html) and then sort out the webpage required by this product. That's the focus. Back when it's done
What I need to do is first relearn HTML. Then learn about CGI and Apache Web servers. I'm going to go through a couple of on-line tutorials (e.g. www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/Overview.html) and then sort out the webpage required by this product. That's the focus. Back when it's done
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
That sickening feeling
I send a spreadsheet for Peter to review. He calls and says all we need to do now is add more company details.
But I've spent most of yesterday and today adding companies!! Surely.
I look at the email I sent him. He's right. There is only one company entered.
Not a nice feeling.
I double check and open the original spreadsheet... ... they're all there.
Big feeling of relief.
I resend the spreadsheet and this time it seems to have included everything.
I'll definitely make sure I back up today.
But I've spent most of yesterday and today adding companies!! Surely.
I look at the email I sent him. He's right. There is only one company entered.
Not a nice feeling.
I double check and open the original spreadsheet... ... they're all there.
Big feeling of relief.
I resend the spreadsheet and this time it seems to have included everything.
I'll definitely make sure I back up today.
Always something more
I've just finished the trawl of competitors, whose information I've added to a spread sheet.
It's not the neatist spreadsheet around but it'll do for now. It does show that our proposed product (the "proposition") has strong elements of uniqueness within the market place worldwide.
If we ever present a business plan to externals like venture capitalists it'll have to be tarted up.
One thing I've omitted is financial data. I'm keen to see how players in the same space (that is with products close to our proposition) have fared.
But, although I will do this research, in a sense it's irrelevant whether they've succeeded or not. Our job is to ensure this product succeeds.
All this gung-ho, 90 hour/week, totally focussed, totally confident attitude is quite tiring. I need a cup of tea.
It's not the neatist spreadsheet around but it'll do for now. It does show that our proposed product (the "proposition") has strong elements of uniqueness within the market place worldwide.
If we ever present a business plan to externals like venture capitalists it'll have to be tarted up.
One thing I've omitted is financial data. I'm keen to see how players in the same space (that is with products close to our proposition) have fared.
But, although I will do this research, in a sense it's irrelevant whether they've succeeded or not. Our job is to ensure this product succeeds.
All this gung-ho, 90 hour/week, totally focussed, totally confident attitude is quite tiring. I need a cup of tea.
Monday, September 01, 2003
It's been a trawl
I've spent most of the day (when I haven't been job hunting) looking at potential competitors world wide.
The problem with the web is that there's a seemingly infinite source of information. And I think I've looked at it all.
Fortunately such is the nature of our product that not having a web prescence would be mad: so I don't have to go to business libraries and trawl through loads of directories just to get the basics of our competitors.
I will, however, probably have to go to a business library to get hold of the financial data for serious competitors. A few years back, even a few months back, you could get this information from free web sites. Now it's a premium service.
I'm keen (and I'm sure Peter is keen too) that there's absolutely minimum expenditure at the moment.
The other thing that has surprised me is the sheer amateur-ness of some of these companies' web sites. Some, I just gave up trying to find out what they were about. We must be careful not to copy their mistakes.
It's Monday evening and I'm tired. Although it seems the Internet is my friend these days (er, because I use it all day looking for jobs and then business research) it's very tiring.
The problem with the web is that there's a seemingly infinite source of information. And I think I've looked at it all.
Fortunately such is the nature of our product that not having a web prescence would be mad: so I don't have to go to business libraries and trawl through loads of directories just to get the basics of our competitors.
I will, however, probably have to go to a business library to get hold of the financial data for serious competitors. A few years back, even a few months back, you could get this information from free web sites. Now it's a premium service.
I'm keen (and I'm sure Peter is keen too) that there's absolutely minimum expenditure at the moment.
The other thing that has surprised me is the sheer amateur-ness of some of these companies' web sites. Some, I just gave up trying to find out what they were about. We must be careful not to copy their mistakes.
It's Monday evening and I'm tired. Although it seems the Internet is my friend these days (er, because I use it all day looking for jobs and then business research) it's very tiring.
