Viral Ventures Inc Company Blog

2006-04-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

2006-04-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

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2006-04-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

2006-04-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

2006-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging updates, things have been overly hectic here. Obviously we pushed back launch until the second semester. We've been building some really cool new features, a more reliable system, and an AWESOME design and user interface. Seriously, simplicity is key. In a few days, I'll begin my " What does launch mean" series. I think you will all enjoy this. Cheers, and happy New Years

PS- I have a new cat named Mini.

-Jason L. Baptiste

2005-10-14T03:52:00.000-07:00

Updates

- Things are far along. We should be doing focus groups soon
-Design is going to throw some interesting things in
-Some new features added in
-Launch dates being thrown around
-Fundraising is going to be pretty cool. Expect something so entirely different

How intense is the new iPod? I just downloaded an episode of Lost. I love this industry. In the past 24 hours, I've seen the face of entertainment change. In the past 90 days, the web has advanced so much. 2006 is going to bring forth so many things we could never imagine.

I'm a fan of Jigsaw. Definitely, some cool contacts. My brother's information was in there. lol, he is going to be pissed. I'd suggest it to anyone. If you are a PR person, definitely join on up! I've found tons of editors, that will be useful

I'm feeling a lot better. This medicine is some strong stuff though.

I'm kicking ass in school again, thank God. At least, I'll finish off well, before I take a leave for next semester's road show.

-J

2005-10-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE ENDGAME

So yesterday, was a really critical and rough day. We had to make some "changes" in our staff. Costs were going to change, maybe alter our budget. Was our launch date going to be pushed back much farther,etc.? Well, after what was the most draining day of the past 6 months (besides when the iPro servers crashed during the beta test at the good ole MMI days). So how has it ended up:
-Kick ass new team to fix things
-New design thats gonna blow everyone's minds away
-One or two new features
-Launching nearly on time

UGather will SHIP ON TIME. Real artists ship, and that is what I stand by. UGather.com is going to BLOW YOUR MINDS.

Congrats to the following:

-Weblogs Inc- congratulations on being bought out by AOL for that nice sum of cash. you guys deserve it!
-XuQa- Congrats on an AWESOME site. If I were facebook, I would watch out. Murti, we have to catch each other on AIM btw.

Thats all.

-Jason L. Baptiste

PS- Leaving to visit Home in New Jersey tomorrow at 6 AM. I CANNOT WAIT. Once this is all over, I'm going back there to live my life nicely and build some more cool things. :-D

2005-10-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

What a week

A couple of weeks away from launch so we're going crazy. Pete and I are constantly pranking each other. Hmm, definitely feels like the old days when we were with MMI. we're definitely adding in some new features. The site is almost done. We might even see the close to finished product minus some bugs. Anyone else out there have any cool ideas or features? Let me know...

2005-09-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

I <3 Tagging

That's right I am a huge fan of tagging. Folksonomy is king in Web 2.0. We've added it to UGather. How could we not? Information is so diverse nowadays, that limiting it to such constraints is just stupid. check out openomy for something cool with file storage and tagging. The next year is going to be huge for the Internet, and I'm just glad to be a part of it. We're on track with the launch of UGather.com as well :-).

2005-09-29T01:54:00.000-07:00

So so tired. I gotta stop going to bed at 5 AM. We havent even begun the hard stuff for launch. UGather is going to kick ass. We're building a last minute feature, that will really help the organization of information. Check ya all later

-Jay

2005-09-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

It has begun....

UGather.com is going to demolish a lot of things out there. We're not too far away from the launch, and we have some really cool shit going on. Expect to really get a service you enjoy. UGather.com has some pretty sick tricks up its sleeve as well.

BAY AREA MOVE IN 2006

2005-09-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

So, it's been almost a year that I have been doing this entrepreneur and business creation shindig. Honestly, it has been the craziest, most intense, emotion filled year of my life. Its intense how much knowledge I have picked up, along with some of the accomplishments. Sitting at the table with heads of some of the largest companies in the industry at 19 (now 20) is a trip. Being on the headlines of MTV adds a nice twist. Most importantly, waking up every morning and truly loving what your doing is definitely the greatest feeling of all. Knowing that what youre doing is being looked at by tons of people and being respected is pretty amazing. I always say, I could never sing, so the rockstar thing was out, and I could never really catch a football too well, so the athlete thing was out of the way, but... I was good at that whole leadership and deal making thing. Hence, I started a company. I figured I'd pair it up with technology, the one thing in life I have a devout passion for. So here are my insights after being a dotcommer startup CEO for the past year.

The Product Should Be Nothing Short of Perfect

Perfect d0es NOT mean flawless and bugless. God knows we all have those problems with a dotcom startup, thats what a Beta is there for, right? I'm talking about, make sure your heart and your soul are into it. Make sure it is something that you are proud to tell people about. Make sure it is something that you would be a user of EVERY single day of your life. Be excited about it. The product is like your child, care for it. Maybe that sounds really deep, but it needs to be.

Think Outside The Box

Be afraid to think different. Apple did it, and created an industry. Dare to go where no one has gone before. Technology has no limits really, that is what makes it so incredible. Look at whats there and see how to do it better, but DIFFERENT. Make something people want to talk about, write about, and be a part of.

You Are Your Biggest Enemy

Forget the competition some of the time, and just focus on yourself. If you create a great product, that people will find to be a necessity, then you are set, right? Just enjoy it, make something cool, something different. If you tell yourself that "my competition" is better, then just be different. Your only defeat can come within. Push through until 5 AM, or go with no sleep. Take yourself to new heights, and do things you thought you could never do. Walt Disney was right, it's fun to do the impossible. Only you can declare defeat, no one else. When a war is lost, it was never the winner that declared the other team lost, it was the losing party. you decide when you want to lose.

Its Only Work If Youd Rather Be Doing Something Else

Make sure this is the only thing youd rather be doing NOW. Maybe down the road you will want to do something else, but this is it for right now. If youd rather be doing something else, then go and do that. Change is the ammunition for greatness :-)

LISTEN TO OTHERS

You do not know anything. that's right Mr. CEO, you KNOW nothing. Your users and customers know it all as a collective whole. They hold everything you want to know. Go out and learn it.

Confident, NOT Cocky

If you're not sure of yourself, then why are you doing it? Give answers and make sure you let people know that you're definite about it. Even if that answer is "I don't know", then let it be known you are definite about it. Just like girls like confidence, business likes it too.

Your Team Is Your Family

Many may disagree with this statement, but well they can blog on that. Your team is your family. Hang out with them, trust them, and make sure you treat them as equals. that trust will show in the product, the board room, the interviews, and more. you are a company, not an individual. A CEO may be a leader, but it is only as good as its team members and partners. Would you ever betray your family, I hope not. Don't betray your team. Once that trust is gone, then most things are gone.

Partnerships, Partnerships, PARTNERSHIPS

Work with other companies. you all have something to gain and win. Trade and partnerships are key. Making friends with their friends is always key as well.

Your Investors Need to Be Active

Nuff' said. If it is good enough, youll have choices for investors. Pick the ones you can get a beer with after signing the term sheet.

So lastly, if there are any readers with a .edu that want to beta test UGather, let us know. This is truly an awesome site, that students are going to use as a major resource. social networking was a nice spark, but its not the end game. The end game, is what those users contribute to the community, not who they are on a profile page. More to come about UGather.

Sincerely,
Jason L. Baptiste
CEO of Viral Ventures