Co-Op Now on Revision3
I was disappointed when I heard that 1up.com laid off the guys that put together The 1up show. It really was one of the only reasons I ever went to 1up.com afterall. Shortly after their unfortunate lay offs, the team decided to start up Area5.tv and their own video podcast called Co-Op. Upon visiting Revision3.com this morning, I noticed that Co-Op is now on Rev3!
This little fact was actually announced first in the latest episode of Rev3's The Digg Reel. The host, Andrew Bancroft, stated "We've got a new show on Rev3, it's called Co-Op." He went on to say "It's all about videogames and it's from the guys who brought you the 1UP videogame show." The show will be released every Tuesday so they'll be held to a tight timeline, but hopefully they'll be able to deliver good content that won't overlap Revision 3's The Totally Rad Show's gaming coverage too much.
I'm extremely curious about the business arrangement here since other shows that weren't produced by Rev3 such as Wine Library TV are no longer with Revision 3 after some tightening of their belts. However, I think it's a great home for Co-Op and I can't see how it wouldn't be a successful partnership. I'm wondering if Area5.tv will produce anything else independently since they've already got that going... Several people donated to their cause and helped them buy some new camcorder gear so I'm also curious if they'll be using that or Rev3 gear for their shoots.
7 things I keep in mind
It's been a little nuts not having a normal day job lately. The unemployment checks are now steadily flowing in and it's great that I have enough coming in to keep afloat, but it's definitely tight. I've really tried to keep a good schedule of applying to jobs in the morning and then doing iPhone app development and/or web development in the afternoon and evenings. I'm working on my app as well as an app for a new start-up.
Most of everything I'm doing for the iPhone is completely new to me. I can be pretty hard on myself when it takes me longer than I expect to figure something out, but I think I'm doing well overall. I'm upset that I didn't meet my 30 day iPhone app deadline for instance, but in the end I know that it's better to spend extra time to make it work well. I'd rather spend extra time and release something I like rather than rushing just to finish by my made up deadline. There's no need for just another fart app... I might do silly apps in the future, but I guess I just have slightly higher standards for my first creation.
The following is what I've learned to be important for me to keep in mind as I work on various projects:
- Schedule everything and stick to it. If you don't think you'll finish something, just make sure it's not because you're making excuses for yourself and there is some real reasoning behind it.
- Market yourself. I mostly think just joining in on the conversation and trying to share what your doing is the best way to market yourself. I never want to come across as if I'm just a spammer.
- Network. The two minute elevator pitch goes hand in hand with marketing yourself, but is more about finding the next big thing.
- Link up with a trustworthy partner. If you have people in your circle that are like minded, meet up and partner. Going in alone is okay, but you're not going to be an expert in everything and having someone to fill in those gaps is extremely helpful. If you can't find a business partner, then you'll need a friend or a loved one that is supportive of your goals. I know I talk my girlfriend's ears off with my ideas, but she's a great source of support and encouragement for me. Couldn't do it without her.
- Network more... There's no need to really expand your workforce unless you're doing something that requires more than a few hands, but it never hurts to let people know what you're doing and meet people that like what you're doing... I think there's also a good balance between keeping secrets about your projects and letting everyone in on it too. I love sites that do the whole "sign up for the beta" thing... Half the time, even if I really don't know that I'll care about what the product is, I get hooked because I want to be one of the exclusive ones with access to it. Sigh.
- Work from home and don't buy stuff unless you absolutely need it. I think I'm as frugal as they come, but it is easy to get tempted to spend money on some expensive hardware even though the inexpensive version will most likely do things just fine. Until you can legitimately justify the cost, don't spend the money.
- Don't sell yourself short. It's tough to know your value, but it's not all about money either. I believe that when you're doing something you're passionate about, that will show through in your work and could lead to bigger and better things.
Wish me luck. 
Rollerhome Spots
On The Web
My friend Lawrence and I finally launched the Spots feature on Rollerhome.com. There's surely some bugs that'll still need fixing, but for the time being it works fairly well and I'm enjoying using it.
Why Spots?
Where Do You Want To Skate?
Spots is a feature that really makes Rollerhome.com the complete destination for everything Rolling related online. You can now meet new people in your area via the forums and profiles, find that perfect skate spot and plan a session with your friends. There's still a lot of fun things we could add in to make it even easier, but since Law's busy raising a youngster and working and I'm broke and trying to find a job or an actual income, it does make spending a whole lot of time on these things a little challenging.
Hopefully, with Spots going live we'll see an increase in traffic that might justify doing some ads or partnering with various companies for advertising deals. Obviously there are a lot of other sites out there with a similar goal or feature, but competition just means that people want this and we're hoping our delivery and ease of use bring in the users...