Well, to begin with, we are very late coming out with our development blog. To tell you the truth, it was not a priority when we first put the project together but we knew at some point, it was going to materialize.
I guess the first thing is to tell you what this is all about and quickly bring you up to date. After all, we have been working for almost three months now and finally, things are looking like a real project, so there is plenty to tell.
Let me start by saying that this turned out to be bigger and a lot more complicated than we ever anticipated. More always, when doing these kinds of projects, you will undoubtedly need more time and money than originally envisioned. This is the case with OurScene.com.
Oh no, not another social networking site!
About one and one half years ago, Jason came up with this idea for a social networking website that would create an environment for collaboration between fans and artists (bands, singers, musicians) to promote and enhance the local music scene. It was not until last September that we finally got the resources to get started, negotiated to buy the domain for $300 and got the ball rolling. Basically, this is the concept:
OurScene goes beyond the messages, comments, blogs, pictures, and videos of today’s leading social networks and makes music the focal point, providing
users—fans and artists—with a set of powerful all-new features that will undoubtedly enhance the fan-artist experience, as well as the local music scene. The features available for fans include: Music Player, Playlist and promoting opportunities for shows/concerts. Meanwhile, artists (bands, singers, and other musicians) can sell their merchandise, schedule events, manage tours, connect with—and expand—their fan base in a way never-before possible and obtain promotional support at the local, regional or national level.
Neither Jason nor I had the know-how and experience required to take on such a massive development task, so we needed to hire experienced developers to handle the load. We always knew that the development cost would eat most of our resources so we set out to get some startup capital. Jason called his brother Eric, who quickly responded providing the initial funds to cover the development cost and sustain us for the next few months. The intent was to have sufficient funds until we had something to show and, hopefully, at that point in time, gain access to VC money for the launch and marketing, but for now, this is a family funded project.
We formed a company and were ready to go but we still needed to find a development team.
Fortunately, we are friends with the guys from Trapezoid, a web development company in Miami with 13 years of experience. Both principals, Richie and Ted, have been involved in large scale projects which made us feel very confident about the possibilities. After a few meetings we reached an agreement and put the plan in effect. Trapezoid would develop the website platform using the following technologies: The application framework and logic is being developed using Adobe ColdFusion MX 7 with Adobe Flex 2 for all back end functionality. Microsoft SQL Server will be used as the database platform; Jason is handling the graphic design aspects of the website while I handle the administrative side of the business.
Today the project is on track for a beta launch sometime in early spring 2007 but there is a lot more to do, like all the legal stuff, updating the business plan, revising our financial requirements, funding options, implementing our marketing strategy, etc.
Stay tuned