1st time startupper? Looking for seed or Angel funding?

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Work.

I was looking for 'to-do' list apps for my Mac this morning and was pretty non-plussed by the usual suspects; Things, EtreTask, CheckOff etc etc..

So I made my own.

Neat huh?

I'm using an Agile development tool called AgileZen which lets you set up an online Kanban board pretty easily (for a single user it's totally free). I then used Fluid to turn my board into a native OSX app which I can fire up from my desktop an use independently of my web browser. (Instructions below)

This rocks because I now not only have quick access to the basic 'to-do' features the other apps can provide (task ordering, prioritisation, tags), but also some of the other productivity stuff the free version of AgileZen lets you play with..

- Better task visualisation (view backlog, 'ready' tasks, stuff you're currently working on, completed tasks and archived tasks)
- Task owners/creators
- Total work time
- Charts denoting different phases of work
- Efficiency metrics

Anyway, here's how to make your own awesome (and free) desktop to-do list..

1. Sign up for a free AgileZen account
http://www.agilezen.com/pricing

2. Have a play around, read some of the hints and tips, and create your first board. This board will be your to-do list, and you can rename it later.

3. Download and run Fluid - this will turn (almost) any URL you feed it into a native desktop app
http://fluidapp.com/

4. Configure Fluid by adding the URL of your AZ board and click 'Create'

5. Fire up your new app and go to Preferences/Advanced. Select the option to 'allow browsing to any URL'

6. You're done! Log in to AgileZen through your new app and feel smug.

Plug alert: this works well for an individual - if you have a few people working with you, check out Teambox, a really cool project management tool built in Barcelona

 

Hijacking the WiFi at your old university may make you feel smug at having blagged yourself some free workspace, but reality has to kick in sooner or later... 

 

Starting a new business is tough, but with the advice and wisdom of those who have been through the process already, us young'uns can hopefully get better and more efficient at changing the world through our innovation. On top of founding my own tech startup, I am currently lending some brainpower and time to a couple of other bootstrapped startups who are looking to launch some great initiatives and products over the coming months. 

If you have 2 seconds, and in the past have successfully launched something, we'd love to know your response to the following question...

http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/NzUzOTEzMzA2

 

Thanks for answering, I'll do a follow up post if the feedback is interesting...

Developing an innovative web product? Get stuck in to these resources from Seedcamp. There's some great advice, covering product development, keeping lean, CRM, metrics and more....

LINK: http://seedcamp.com/pages/resources

I'm a huge fan of Wordpress as a means of getting a website up and out there as quickly as possible, and I just came across a selection of some of the more unusual and creative uses this fantastic blogging platform has to offer. Have a look - it could spark some ideas.

LINK: http://bit.ly/6vBm5L
via http://twitter.com/collis

I just came across a good discussion of the merits of building a Minimal Viable Product (a skeleton product with the absolute bare minimum of functionality). The idea is that your MVP can give you good feedback as to whether you should invest time and money into building a full feature, or should can development because nobody cares. Have a read...

http://venturehacks.com/articles/minimum-viable-product

I am in the process of writing a business plan for my first major web project as Founder/CEO, and wanted to share a little tip for others in the same situation. In business (and indeed life in general), your 'elevator pitch' is supposed to be your opportunity to convey very concisely to potential customers, investors, employees and the public exactly what you do, and you will be repeating your opening spiel a million-and-one times throughout the course of your project. Help to speed up the process of reaching the optimal elevator pitch by building a spreadsheet that lists each version of your pitch and your audience's level of  engagement with each iteration. If your project is in its early stages, you will likely have many different ways to describe exactly what you are setting out to do - recording people's reactions to each pitch will help you identify more easily  the elements of your pitch people 'get', and which versions leave people staring at you blankly.

Use a platform such as Google Docs to manage this - other founders and early employees will benefit from collaborating in this process.