Helium Foot Software

Queue Public

Today marks another first for Helium Foot Software. We released MercuryMover v2.0 as our first public beta. By way of introduction, MercuryMover enables you to move and resize the windows on your Mac from the keyboard. Of course, we're hoping that this public beta generates a little interest, but really i think that the product will speak for itself. If you're the keyboardin' type and you give MercuryMover a try, i'm confident that you'll like it. The new features only make it even more compelling and my goal is to get MercuryMover to the fingertips of as many users as possible. After that, i can only hope that people will grow to be as dependent on it as i have become. I already can't go back to v1.1 due to my heavy use of the shortcuts feature. The genesis of this feature was the specific placement of my iTerm, and iChat windows on my secondary display at my former full time gig. In that job, i would position these windows whenever i rebooted, and would leave them in place until the next reboot. I meant this feature to be something that you used to set windows up and then leave them alone. As is often the case, i was completely wrong! The most powerful use is to have your windows not just where you want them, but when you want them. If you're like me, then "when you want them" is probably "right now". My two most common operations with MercuryMover have become:

• hitting "d" which moves the window to the left edge of my main screen, sizing it to about 55% of the width of said screen. This shortcut is perfect for reading (documents, emails, web pages etc) and writing prose (email, blog posts, documentation).
• hitting "/" which moves the window to my secondary screen (which is to the right of my main screen, is considerably smaller and its bottom edge lines up with the bottom edge of the main one). this is perfect for something that i want to see while still working (console, a TaskPaper to do list etc)

I'm MercuryMover's longest standing user and its biggest fan, but i don't love it because i wrote it. I wrote it because i love it. Try our public beta. I bet that you'll love it too.

Secrets of Success

My good friend Kevin Hoctor of No Thirst Software and co-consipirator on the Mac Software Business: Year One podcast recently revealed the secrets of indie Mac software success. As an indie Mac guy myself, i was all ears (and if you've ever seen my picture you would know that i actually have a lot of ear.) Here's what he says:

The secret of success is never failing.

Brilliant! Of course, he was being a little glib but, if i can paraphrase, what his post really says is this:

The secret of success is never quitting.

This sentiment really resonates with me right now while i'm on sabbatical trying to grow Helium Foot to the point where it can support my family. While i'm hoping that this sabbatical doesn't have to end, in all likelihood i'll be looking for a "real" job in a few months. Will that mean that my sabbatical, or Helium Foot has been a failure? Not a chance. I've already accomplished so much in the last few weeks (such as getting the public beta of MercuryMover out). Helium Foot is a long term commitment for me, and whatever happens in the next few months or years, i fully expect to work hard, persevere and eventually succeed.

I would like to add something to Kevin's recipe:

The first secret of success is starting.

I once read a quote about becoming an indie that had a profound effect on me: "Just start" (I'm fairly certain that the quote is from Daniel Jalkut, but try as i may, i can't dig up the original reference). I spent years thinking about starting Helium Foot and i made a quantum leap towards success the day i decided to just start.

C4

When i was in school, my friends and i had a tiered system for rating bands. An eternal favorite like The Beatles: first tier, no question. A good band, who we may not remember in 10 years? Still a second tier band. Then there were the ones that had absolutely made it as rock stars, but there was clearly a gulf between them and their first and second tier counterparts. The archetypal third tier band? Kansas. After spending the weekend at the C4 conference in sweet home Chicago, i return to work inspired, excited, humbled and with full recognition that Helium Foot is a third tier shop.

First the conference. Outstanding. Jonathan "Wolf" Rentsczh has put on this conference for three years now, and in addition to being crazy smart, a consummate geek and a great guy to hang around with, he really puts on a great show. Definitely a first tier guy. The schedule was packed with passionate speakers discussing extremely interesting topics; and the sheer amount of talent amassed was really overwhelming. I met bona fide luminaries, and a ton of smart, hard working folks who are doing exactly what i want to do: make great software and support yourself doing so.

Now that third tier part. I met a lot of really smart people (smarter than i) who are where i was about 18 months ago. They have an idea for an app, or maybe have worked on it, but aren't ready to ship. I've arrived in the sense that i have a shipping app and all of the infrastructure needed to sell and support it. However, when i compare myself to a lot of the people that i met this weekend, well let's just say that i won't be so quick to heap derision on Dust in the Wind anymore. But even the recognition of my place in the Mac indie ecosystem is kind of inspiring. I both have a long way to go, and am excited to work on getting there. We're not staying in Kansas anymore.

Follow Me

In addition to inspiration, i took something else home with me from C4. I've been dragged kicking and screaming into 2008 and am finally part of the twitterati. If my loyal reader would like to follow me on Twitter, you'll find me here.

Just Start

In a recent post, i tentatively quoted Daniel Jalkut with this simple quote:

Just start.

I emailed Daniel, and he wasn't sure either, but was better at finding it. Gus Mueller, another Mac Software Business: Year One podcast co-consipirator had quoted something that Daniel said on the MacSB group. So i was right that it was Daniel, and he was right to, well, just start.

MercuryMover v2.0

MercuryMover v2.0 has shipped! For those of you just joining us, MercuryMover enables you to move, resize and dominate the windows on your Mac from the keyboard. I've written about the new version here and here and am proud to get it out into the wild.