Web 2.0 Entrepreneur

When I can’t entertain everyone…

• Posted by Tengku Zahasman on October 24th, 2007 filed in Ramblings


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Ever since I started this blog, I’ve received numerous amount of requests through my contact form. Some asked if I could be free for programming works, some offered me interesting job positions, some asked for my opinions on their Web 2.0 ideas, some wanted me to review their web apps in this blog, some proposed for becoming business partners while others simply sent supportive messages for my writings. Thank you to all of you and I appreciate every messages sent

My concern now is when people ask me if I could work with them on certain projects. While I do take some of the projects and programming works proposed, I had to pass few of the rest even though I’ve seen some of the most brilliant ideas you guys poured. It’s not that I don’t want to take those projects, but sometimes I just can’t. Allow me to state some of the situations when I just had to say no:

1. I can’t take up big projects that needs to be settled by the next week - because that will only mean sleepless nights with high amount of caffeinated drinks to me, which won’t make me feel any better. If I am to accept external projects, I hope it’s something I can do on a steady progress. No client-work-with-urgent-deadlines please. I prefer working on self-initiated projects.

2. I can’t work on controversial apps - especially when adult content is involved. While I do understand that there’s huge business opportunities for porn-based applications these days, I just can’t find myself working on something I believe to be morally wrong. And even if I do, it definitely won’t go into my portfolio - which means there’s nothing much for me there. I’m sorry if we disagree on this matter.

3. I can’t work on unplanned apps - Even if you can’t provide a complete functional specs, at least point me to some highly-similar apps and sites with the designs you wish it would look like, perhaps some working examples…. anything. A simple naked idea won’t do much. If I have to think 90% of how the app will turn out myself, I’d rather declare it to be mine in the end. Your idea is great, but we need to work together to make it a reality.

With these said, I hope to hear more ideas while keeping the constraints within my ability. Remember that I also have my own projects to work on. So give me some space, and I’ll give you your idea

Work with a partner or go solo in your Internet venture?

• Posted by Tengku Zahasman on May 1st, 2007 filed in Thoughts, Entrepreneurship


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People say that “two heads are better than one”. I say it’s true, but ONLY IF the other person is also as passionate as you are in whatever you’re venturing in. Getting the right partner can boost your business’ productivity to the max but be careful not to hook up with the wrong one as they will give you more headaches compared to working solo. I am currently not running my venture with anyone else. I work out everything by myself. I am the planner, I am the developer, I am the marketer and I am the technical support. That’s one of the obvious benefit of the Internet business - it allows you to run your business on your own because when it comes to the Internet, many things can be automated.

Is it cool working solo?

While I’m already comfortable working as a one-man-show, I realized that this should not continue on forever. I thought how great it is to have a partner (or co-founder if you wanna call it) who is as passionate as I am and having that person to work with me in making the business a success. Being able to share ideas together would be fun and energizing. Knowing that someone else is also working hard on your projects can be a stress reliever as you’re assured that something is being taken care of. The reason why I’m still working solo is not because I don’t want a partner, but because I have yet to find the perfect one. Finding the right partner is not as easy as finding the right staff. Finding a staff means you look into their skills and personality and offer them money. But for a partner, you want them to be as close as to your own clone. You have to be at the right place at the right time, with the right person. That’s why it’s hard to find the right partner. But it’s also not impossible. It’s a lot easier if you already have a close friend who shares the same passion with you in venturing in the Internet business and becoming a successful Internet entrepreneur.

What’s my recommendation?

If you ask me whether you should find a partner or just work on your own, I’ll have to ask you how huge and how far do you want your business to go. If you only want to be a work-at-home mom/daddy and get thousands of dollars a month out of blogging, then you can do it solo (your siblings or your spouse can be your partner if you ever need one). But if you’re aiming in building a huge business one day, developing international web applications, getting tenth to hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, getting an office with a few staffs or maybe even build your own skyscrapers (woah!), meeting people and making your own business travels, then you better find ‘the right’ partner soon. Be smart.