The Big Why
Alexandra Levit is an author and commentator who has worked very hard to become (in the words of her web site) "one of the premiere career spokespeople of her generation". She's written a few books and there's a good chance that you've heard her on the radio or seen her on tv. She's also a very good friend of mine. As someone who spends a LOT of time learning about working life, she's been both excited for and curious about this indy software endeavor. Over lunch a week or so ago, she asked me to elaborate a little on why i started Helium Foot and some of what i have learned. My blog sense started tingling and i've taken this opportunity to write about why i'm here, what i've learned, and little bit of where i'm going.
Before i open a can of introspection on you, first let me introduce you to Helium Foot Software. Our first product, MercuryMover, lets you move and resize windows on your Mac via your keyboard. MercuryMover perfectly embodies our mission of providing software to make your Mac more agile, more powerful and more fun.
The Why
My reasons to start Helium Foot are probably not very different from any other entrepreneur. When you get up and go to work every day, you want it to amount to something. As Helium Foot grows, its accomplishments are my accomplishments (and also its failures) and whatever edifice Helium Foot turns out to be, it will be one of my own building. I've worked for a few start ups (and who in the tech business hasn't) and i really longed to have the ownership over my work that really only comes from,well, ownership.Another aspect of running your own show that really appealed to me was the terms under which you work. The terms are my own. For now that means working during all of my free time and late into the night, but my work fantasy is to be home every afternoon when my children come home from school and we'll all do our homework together around the dining room table. In this fantasy, i also have two fully decked out Mac Book Pros and my children both have ponies.