Progress

So today was productive putting feelers out trying to make connections, getting some fantastic advice, filling out my app for Foundry. Wish I'd known about that group sooner but a late app is better than no app.
So basically I'm going to use this blog to chronicle the struggles I encounter as I try to develop Pleeb as a successful social networking platform. One of my biggest hurdles/obstacles was to find great legal counsel. But they couldn't just be great with knowledge and experience and insight, they had to make a great personal fit also and pay me the attention i'm looking for. Who hasn't felt the brush off from lawyers before you know? Especially as a no-name nobody wannabe entrepreneur with nothing (yet) to show for it. At this stage the only person that believes in you is you, and if you're married your outstanding and amazingly supportive wife, kids too. All your other fans are 20/20 hindsight fans IF you're successful.
For me this project is REALLY quite crazy on the outset, i'm a mental health therapist with an entrepreneurial brain, trying to create something in social networking. If there were two fields that were not even close to each other it would be mental health therapy and tech ventures. If it wasn't for my absolute passion for this project I wouldn't do it. There's a little voice, hopefully not the still small one, telling me i'm crazy for trying to do this. It bugs but shoot the project is vital for people, and i'll always be wondering what if if i dont do it. So here goes nothing.
So the critical lawyer need is resolved. That leaves one last crucial need: Find a successful tech venture entrepreneur to mentor and advise me. Getting connected with such a person is a barrier/hurdle in and of itself. Convincing them to actually take the time to mentor a newbie wannabe like me in a field I have absolutely no experience in is another.
The one thing I spend 90% of my time doing is strategy, most of which is currently occupied with figuring out how to make the service so compelling that people will want to use it repeatedly.
Today, in addition to cleaning out the garage, I got to start addressing some fundamental questions I dont yet have the answers to. Also I'm gonna be working with a great statistician Kelly Gneiting on developing a survey to post online and get some primary marketing data on.
Talking with my attorney today really highlighted the challenges i'm going to have getting angel funding. At the moment it REALLY looks like a very high granite mountain but who ever got to the top without smart strategy, persistence, and an attitude of never giving up? I got the last two and as I said i'm constantly strategizing; with expert advise that strategy can only get better. It may be time to start mountain climbing, literally. Heaven knows I need to get in shape.