Day 11: Actually a lot more than a day

So I kinda fiddled with the idea of the new web application and kept thinking about how to make it ‘fun’. Its kind of a problem about being a perfectionist. So I hereby declare to stop thinking about perfecting it and just do the bare skeleton out without any skins. A naked web app!!

So onto Project Butterfly, spent the few days refreshing my PHP and mySQL and honestly, there are so many functions inside that I never knew, really an eye opener. The darnest thing was that the book came with a CD-Rom and I didn’t borrow it from the library so I’m stuck. Anyway, I got other books so I’m just gonna head-dive into it tomorrow. Just finalizing the database design with some possible scenarios to ensure its working. Seriously, I’m not really a good back-end person but I hope I can become one by force.

Only 8 more days before I head off to Seoul, excited but yet worried about the progress. Really need this project Butterfly to get out of this sticky situation. So here I am cheering myself on, GO Ethan!!! Only you can change your own life, DO it! 

Day 10: New Idea Popping Out

Ok, so I was out for a few days for the Lunar New Year holidays and was all day out with my relatives and friends, catching up to see what we have been up to. And of course, throw in all those nice blessings for each other.

Actually, yesterday started hitting the books and am currently refreshing my knowledge of PHP and mySQL. Just one more chapter to go and its onto the first exercise but something amazing happened. While conversing with my beloved, a sudden web application idea hit me and it could be done within a week. Its not anything amazing and not really looking forward to earning much from it, just a useful platform.

So while working on Project Butterfly, I would also establish time for Project Grasshopper (since we are into insects). It should not take more than 2 weeks to go ‘live’. Unknowingly, I’m only left with 14 days for Project Butterfly, gotta establish the database soon to get things going but it proves to be quite a task in view of expansion. Will scribble something down tonight while pondering over and hopefully can get it documented by tomorrow.

Oh, the refresher on PHP and mySQL was great, brings me back fond memories of lectures and tutorials by Mr Seow. Get the database out of the way then let’s go full throttle.

Day 9: Done with the Wireframes

Finally, after 2 days of rest and its back to action. Finally squeezed out the final processes of the wireframe out and its all done. Looking to keep it simple for phase 1 with all basic user expectations met before committing time to enhance it, gonna keep it for phase 2.

Like what Facebook does, make some mistakes in the name of speedy development because at least the progress is there and yet time to improve on it. At least maybe I would know what is wrong. Trying out all the progress navigation and keeping it really easy for customers to complete their order in 3 steps. Next up, going onto Database modeling and this should be completed during the Lunar New Year period.

Not gonna take a break and my MacBook will be with me while awaiting for the relatives to come and give me their red packets. Hahaha. Hopefully, not too many social obligations will turn up during this festive season as I need the concentration to complete Project Butterfly by end of February. Need the $$ desperately to go back into “Normal” mode.

Day 8: Back from the Grave!

Oh man, remember the saga about my MacBook dying? It came back to haunt me and then I had no choice but to do a clean install as the corrupted file was still causing a boot up issue. Therefore Saturday was blank and Sunday was my rest day. Fret not, doesn’t mean I’m losing steam but I’m back stronger because now my MacBook is fine again with new upgrades!

Today I had company dinner but I told myself to finish more than usual to make up for the lost time and I did! I am 90% done with the wireframes and only left the “check out” procedure to document. After this, most likely would run through a simulated user testing with my colleagues to see how intuitive the wireframes are and its onto the Database modeling. Taking a little longer than expected but this process has to be done right because users are the most important. And not forgetting the Simple Stick~ eliminating for simplicity. Gotta push myself harder to make it “idiot proof”.

Things were a little rough financially but finally had my first client for an e-commerce site and Facebook marketing is on its way~ So hope things will be much better soon. BTW, Lunar New Year is here and my renovations job is kinda “on hold” as these people take 3 weeks break (gawd, they really know how to enjoy). So momentum should be picking up~ Can’t wait to crack the cocoon of Project Butterfly!

Day 7: Nothing Done!

Seriously!? Yes!! Nothing for Project Butterfly is being done because I spent the entire day devoted to my own start up, Studious Media. That doesn’t mean the day was unproductive, if fact, I finished designing an entire page plus script and style it! You can see my hard work for the day here.

The story is, I am currently working 2 jobs to make ends meet, and one of them is Studious Media. However, so far no sales and actually I have been getting request from people about E-Commerce packages. And so, to ensure that I can put food in front of me (I’m not married), I needed to please my customers and make them stop asking me for quotations. In a way, it does free up more time to work on Project Butterfly. So please forgive my one day of diversion.

By the way, I also created a Facebook page for my studio and trying out Social Media marketing since that’s kinda free and I’m low on funds. Even doing some A/B experiments about sharing on FB. Tomorrow will be a full day of wireframing the product pages and hopefully can discuss with my uncle about the process flow. Coding is not far away, I’m pretty much excited about it!

PS: Friday evening, everyone’s enjoying. But the life of a start up founder, I’m just here in office sharing my day with all of you. I’m actually quite glad that people like my post (so please continue to support me morally) and I donated $5 to Christian Mihan‘s indiegogo to help him buy a computer. Not much, but just trying to help~