PH Start-up is a Fairy Tale

I have to put this quick update after I got the following mention on an article of Piclyf/Eric Su on the The Next Web Asia. This place has been quiet for some time, not that any one cares. But I got busy with a start-up whirlwind romance, then moved on and get busy starting on a new 'day job.'

The Filipino startup community

I first asked Eric about the startup community in the Philippines, which he told me is very fragmented. There are a bunch of folks in Manila who are trying to sustain one with regular meetups like Roofcamp, and blogs like StartupPhilippines.com. The city of Cebu is also undergoing a fantastic birth of one, mainly through the efforts of Caresharing co-founder, Marc Buenconsejo, and his wife Rose, who is also the editor of Techboba.com. There are actually some fantastic startups like InSync, Infinite.ly and Cashcashpinoy but the problem is that most of these Filipino founders aren’t actively helping foster a community.

via thenextweb.com

Since I'm mentioned in an article about 'The Filipino Start-up Community' so I though of putting down my thoughts about start-up in the Philippines.


* All I can say is that start-up in Philippines is like a FAIRY TALE -- happy endings only happen in the book. In start-up case, happy endings only happen in Silicon Valley... And, just like in fairy tales, they key to success in PH startup is to foolishly believe in it (my best shot at trying to be poetic about it=)).


* I'm really sick and tired listening of comparing the start-up in Philippines to Silicon Valley. I guess aside from the programming language, there is no eeny weeny comparison between the two. So let's stop the disillusion of having the Silicon Valley start-up culture/environment here. My point is that it's like planting an apple tree in the dessert, I no longer know how to finish this line. But I don't mean to discourage us from creating start-ups, it's just let's not get frustrate of why we cannot have the Silicon Valley because we're not Silicon Valley. New York even wonder why they cannot get the Silicon Valley style of start-up so how much is the Philippines which is like 360 degrees away from the Valley.


* If Filipinos can unite for Edsa 1 to x, there's no reason why we cannot rally for a start-up effort. It's just a matter of pushing the right button in us but that's the big question -- what is the right button.


This is getting boring so I'll end here.

Anyhoo, I hope I'll be able to make some noise again here the soonest (until I get a grip of all the changes and such) to make up start-up fairytale stories, create my own imaginary start-up world, until the right buttons will be discovered.

Piclyf: Our Story by Eric Su

I've known Piclyf way back Twidl.it times. A few would ask why I keep on using Piclyf when there are other picture-sharing tools. The thing is I'm not really much into the product, but of the Piclyf team, the people behind the product. It's rare that you can find people here that are courageous enough to go against all odds.

So it was nice to see one of the co-founders, Eric Su, in live talking about Piclyf -- the product, their team, and their story. I'd done a short rough interview of him some time ago, which you can find here.

Most of us only know about start-ups when they're no longer start-ups, which, for me, is just the tip/ending of the story. The real story is when they're still yet to be discovered. So below, you can view the video of Eric Su talking about Piclyf's story, taken during the last meetup, and find out how they were able to survive with only one-week worth of cash for the their start-up team.



I'm sorry for the crappy quality, and I was not able to finish the whole talk since I ran out of batt. You can also find below a (incomplete) video of Eric Su's The Startup Game.



You can check the following links for Eric's slide presentation used during the meetup.
* The Startup Game
* Startup Tips

Haybol.ph -- an interactive Philippine Real Estate Listing

Haybol.ph is a Philippine real estate search tool. Or, if you have a property for leasing or selling, then you can post it on Haybol.ph for free. It's a web-based application so you can do all the listing online by yourself.

It has a ready set of forms online so you will be guided when making your listing.

If you are looking for a real estate properties -- house, building, lots, etc -- to buy or rent, Haybol.ph can help you with that. You might ask, "so what, I can do it in other classified ads sites or listing sites?" It integrates Google maps. What I like with Haybol.ph is that it gives me the different listings in an area in one view. This can free the buyers / renters from the hassle of having to scour the whole area just to find different available properties.

Haybol.ph is free for both seller / leaser and buyer / looker of properties so go and register for an account, and start checking in your property listings.

It is co-founded by Edge Dalmacio. And, it's incubated by Orange & Bronze, a Filipino-owned software development firm.

Photo shows CEO and co-founder of Orange & Bronze Software Labs (O&B) Calen Martin Legaspi (3rd from left), gesturing as he fields a question from the media during the company’s formal launch at the O&B headquarters in Makati City. Looking on are (from left): O&B developer and online search site haybol.ph co-founder Edge Dalmacio, O&B chief technology officer and co-founder Butch Landingin and O&B head of consulting services Mike Mallete.

via newsbytes.ph

Start-up = No Life = insanely FUN

I started being part of a team working on web / mobile product last week of December, 2011. Thus, I can hardly find time to update this blog because I have to be 'living' the so-called 'start-up life.'

I started working with only one person in the team, the hacker chick, Odina whose secret to not sleeping is Cobra Energy drink. (Sorry, too lazy to rotate this.)

Then, it grew because Odina needs a partner so she can get some sleep. She might overdosed with Cobra Energy drink just to finish the whole thing.

GroupsME -- collaborate via mobile phone

GroupsME's tagline is "Empowering people to collaborate as a group through mobile." So it's mainly a mobile application. They launched first the SMS-based version of it, and I believe they will be later on releasing a mobile web version, and probably a native client for different mobile OS.

The gist of it is that GroupsME will provide you and your group, organization, businesses or whatever association you have a one unique number. So you no longer need to get all your members / friends mobile number, and so the other members of your group just so you can update each other via text / sms. Every one in the group can just text that one number, and all members who are registered to that group number will receive the message.

Following is just a sample that it works. Sorry, it's such a crappy screenshot from a mobile phone. But anyhoo, you can check GroupsME at http://groupsme.nsparks.com/ and use it for your fan club, businesses, and movements.

You can also use it for marketing -- you can send updates to your clients in one go. Then, it can be also a branding to your business since you have that unique number. And, then develop / create a bond with your customers with quick personal updates.

It also has a corresponding web app. I'll just share the public view of it. You can simply sign up a Groupsme account, and you can see how it works.

GroupsME is developed by Next Sparks (NSparks), a software start-up based in Cebu, Philippines. The main guys are Ian Bert Tusil and Stephen Paul Suarez. 

Ian (yellow shirt) and Paul

Over a quick chat, I asked them how did they come up with GroupsME. And, the first answer they blurted out is that they just wanted to do something cool. They just develop their 'first' version for a month, so I believe they're that cool.

I've known Ian years back, and back then he was into e-commerce web apps so I'm kind of surprise as to why he's now doing mobile. Well, I guess some people just wanted to do cool stuff. I guess, without them knowing, they're on the track since, as the statistics God say, mobile is now the new black.

fan pic

The InkSquad -- what you think, we ink

I got hold of my InkSquad shirts, 2 shirts of the same design -- his and hers. So below is my ilabuyo! shirt by isip, with Mr. Moon behind.






I came across The InkSquad video by WYDMNL (Why You Do What You Do Manila), it's just inspiring to see how two people started the business for a cause which is to showcase Pinoy artistic talents, and how they do it with much passion. It's started by Trina Samaniego and Ramon Tayag. See video for the rest of the story.


WYD EP. 9 - THE INKSQUAD from WYD1 on Vimeo.

I've a few threadless shirts, and I thought why not support our own InkSquad. And, it just feels good to be in a shirt, which is created with much passion and attitude.

Piclyf.com -- Local Tech Start-up Invested by a Skype Co-Founder. For Real?

piclyf.com

Interesting to know that a tech start-up, Piclyf.com, based in Davao, Philippines gets attention from a Skype Co-founder, Toivo Annus. It is not just attention, but also money as he invested on Piclyf.com.

Also interesting that they also have Nix Nolledo, Xurpas co-founder, as their Advisor. I know Xurpas as the provider of Globe Mobile Tweeter. 

So Piclyf has quite a powerhouse behind them. Now let's see if they can get the Asia's Top 50 Apps where they are nominated together with other 2 Philippine-based software applications, Yehba (mobile instant messenger), and InsyncHQ (App for syncing your Google Docs). 

Let me say 'Hi' to the team of Piclyf:

Eric Clark Su

Blue Jayson Basanes

Joseph Andrew dela Serna

Mark Valles

Sherwin Gaum

(Pictures all lifted from Piclyf's About page.)

It looks like pictures uploaded to Piclyf are handled by quite a good-looking team with powerful friends -- Skype & Xurpas. =)

My Piclyf page, now show me your page. =)