NBT000: Welcome

My company is called Flaming Tarball. A tarball is like a Zip file, most commonly used to distribute software, so one that's on fire has got to be awesome, right?

My first project is Meegloo, an app for citizen journalists and social reporters. It's a pet project but one with potential mass appeal. Right now, I've built all I'm willing to and the rest is down to marketing; whether that involves me talking about it, actively using it, or lending its name as a sponsor to events (all of which I'm doing).

That's not a full-time job yet, so while that bubbles under I'm getting started on Flaming Tarball's Next Big Thing. Because this is more of a conventional product that has a simple business model, a demonstrable and unfulfilled need and a clearly defined market, I'm starting a little more traditionally.

The last thing I built was idoxiny. That took about 8 or 9 hours in total, and was not researched. NBT however starts with research. Research into the market, the competition - and how best to roundly send a boot up their collective arses - and advice.

I can't tell you what the thing is yet. Partly because I might find in a day or two that someone's already doing it better than I could, or that it's an unworkable idea. But because I don't think that's the case, I'm carrying on for now. Also it's because, as you can imagine I have to protect my intellectual property. I am however going to be as honest with you as I can: tell you when I 've found something uplifting or disheartening; what stage I'm at and what challenges I'm facing. And when I'm ready to I'll reveal things pixel by pixel (a bit like Mr Chips off of Catchphrase), and the rest will, I hope, be history.

This isn't the end of Meegloo or a sign that I'm losing focus on it. It's just in a place where the bulk of the development - for now - is done, and it doesn't yet fill 100% of my day. I'll be gabbing on about it at SXSW, working it at TEDxBrum and of course there's the launch type thing, which is all in hand.

Anyway, I look forward to telling you more very soon!