Now we just start it up!

Welcome everybody!
It's official, we are now open.
To tell you the true, I can barely believe it.
After months of hard work egaroo.com is finally online and open to everyone.
Any question you may have, please feel free to contact us. This is going to be a great adventure and we want to share it with you all. Rest assure egaroo is going to be online for a long time and that we will be working hard to make it better everyday.
You have a lot to read in this blog to know our story as a striving small internet startup. So please, feel at home and make yourself comfortable. Thanks for being here!

Monday Update

Adr and emac 2
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Yeap, as I told you last week, Adr in going on vacation... we're gonna miss her, and in the meantime, make sure all your emails to her get deleted from our server... he, he...
Lucky her. The last time I remember being on vacation is like three years ago... Gosh, I really need to get some!

In other order of things... at least! Today seems to be THE day.

Blue is finishing what was left in programing... and I, well, I'm preparing myself for what is coming, god or bad, failure or success. To all you people who will be reading this blog from now on, thanks for spending your time reading our history. And welcome! Feel at ease, this is gonna be your chance to witness an interesting and exciting (at least for us) enterprise.

New Intern

Intern
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Please welcome Mary Light, our new intern here at the office.
If I didn't mention it, Chris had to leave last week, and Adr is gonna spend less time with us, but we'll keep posting news about her, so expect some surprises. Mary Light is just 20 years old but she is doing great so far. Pursuing a career in Animation, when asked about what she thinks about working with us, she responded: are you guys actually doing any work in here?

Last Friday

More Blue
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Finally! Next week we're gonna be online! Programming, proof reading, testing banners, all is coming to an end. Obviously we'll keep improving the whole system every day. We just started last Friday this final stage, with Blue ckecking all from my Mac.

Last Minute Aclaration

Hello everybody, just an annotation: if you have entered egaroo.com you would have seen that no banner is posted.
That's ok. We have finally started the last stage of testings and all the test banners had to go.
As soon as the site gets ready, we will post it here.
See you around.

Illuminati at Technorati

Illuminati at Technorati
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

I have to accept it, I'm new at this, so don't expect me to know how this Technorati thing works. I just listed egaroo's blog there yesterday and it looked cool. Besides I spend too much time writing those little notes on this pic at Flickr trying to describe how I have organized my Safari bar. I promise to learn how to use Technorati, so next time you will see a more decent and valuable chart instead.

Visits per country

visits-per-country
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Finally, this numbers are from yesterday. It's quite exciting, at least for myself (this is the firts time I ever do something that "global"). I know that for the rest of you, I'm talking to you, bloggers, these number aren't impressive, but try to be a little condescendent with this young apprentice...

Getting Better

Getting Better
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Yeah baby, yeah... These numbers are from two days ago, and something is starting to happen here... slowly, I know, but it made my day.
Next: traffic per countries.

No traffic... yet

No traffic
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Hum... numbers don't lie. I know that. Well, this stat is from last thursday when I started to follow traffic to our blog. Things have changed a little, but numbers are improving...

A little experiment

Screen shot
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

I just had an idea! How would you like having your banner posted at egaroo for free?! Let's do this: the first 100 people who send their banner design to my email address (black at blackgreenblue dot com) will have a full calendar year at egaroo for free. You have nothing to lose, besides it gives me something to take care of while Mr. Blue finish his mundane duties.

Do you have a small business? A medium one? or simple know someone who has his own company? (doesn't matter how big or small). Or you want to bring serious traffic to you exgirfriend's blog about how much she is missing you? This is what egaroo.com is about. Why I am proppposing you this? well, until we can finish programming the last corrections on egaroo system, I would like to make this little experiment to find out if you people are really reading this blog.

The specs for your banner are as follows:

468 x 60 pixels
jpeg or gif
Max file size: 15k
No flash banners please
Your gif banner CAN be animated

You can be as creative as you want, or conservative, if that's your style. You can design it yourself or paid a graphic designer to do it professionally for you. Remember that egaroo will display your banner according to search criteria of our users and eventually there's gonna be lots and lots of banners in every category.

Please send your email with your name and email... and of course with your banner!

See you

A little history

Station
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

I think all of you guys (yeah, sure, besides myself, I think there's nobody else reading all this) need a little history lesson to understand what we are trying to prove here.
Black, Green & Blue is a group of three partners working together in their graphic design/web developement studio.
Since 2003 we've been fighting to become a decent option for young entrepreneurs, being involved in interesting projects. Currently we manage a growing portfolio of clients, having good perspectives of obtaining new and bigger accounts.
But we have always tried to find new opportunities to grow without depending on others people's ideas.
So one day we came up with this odd idea: creating a website/search engine dedicated solely to banners from around the world. It won't matter how big or small your business is, you could even advertise your blog with us. From the moment I envisaged the concept, I knew it had a real opportunity to become something really big.
We have almost finished egaroo (it's not working properly yet and we are adjusting some details) but, as aforementioned, we have to manage our tight time (with current clients and projects) to finish the job. This blog is an attempt to show you the developement of an idea without any capital behind it and its possible success. It is, as well, my personal point of view of the events that fill my life in this adventure. Why an aventure? Besides being a small internet startup, there are more conditions that conveys and gives egaroo.com a special twist, starting from the fact that we are not what a regular startup company located on a regular location is supposed to be... (he, he, I know, I just confused everything up a lot...) But that my friends is all I'm gonna tell you by now. If you want to know more about us, or if this crazy idea becomes what we are specting it to become, stay tunned... there's gonna be a lot of surprises...

Wasting time

Green-&-Blue
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Every time we are ready to finish programming egaroo, there's always a nasty and selfish client who doesn't care about our great IDEA. Gotta kill them all. Until then, Green and Blue will have to keep the pace. And I will have to stay calm and not shoot anybody. Well, not until we launch egaroo, he, he.

The first one

Friends
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Remember this one? It's been like, how much, 11 years? We have this tradition here: Every time we stay late at the office and order some trash to eat, we always watch Friends. Not really fond of Seinfeld myself, I can't just skip this long sessions without jaw ache.

Winter

Fog-2
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Typical foggy night. There's always time to enjoy something cool here at BlackGreenBlue's offices.
Some trash food, a Friends' chapter not seen in a long time, and a view like this.
Smoking a cigarrette next to the window and waiting for a nice shot.

Monday update

Blue
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Well, before anything, meet Blue.
Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
Monday again, and a lot of updates to post.
Thursday: Working late at the office finishing schullo's site (more pics at my Flickr, just click on any image).
Friday: heavy rain all afternoon, lots of water and cascades... and a nice and timely blackout at afternoon.
Weekend: just hanging around.
Some new posts coming.

Instant gratification

coffee
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Remember I told you we do love coffee and one of our dreams is having an expresso machine,
someday? Well, this is what we have today. Not bad, really, it even looks good in this picture.

Lost in translation

chinese
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

I just found this and thouth it looked cool. Let's make a deal: if some of you can translate this, well, that person will have a free banner at our site. Zero dollars, that's right. he, he, he... I'm not even sure enough anybody is reading this anyway...

Soccer anyone?

worldcup
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Hey, is less than a month, and it all will start. Personally, I hate all the buzz created about Startupland being at Germany. Green has this Germany 2006 Album full of pics of soccer players... Is ugly. And kind of girly, he, he... I think I'm gonna burn it tonight...

Welcome to Startupland

startupland
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Well, this is it. Startupland. The land of the opportunity for we all, startuppers. Try to recognize it. Not cheating.... Hey, I can see where you live!

All in its place

computer
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Steven Wonka is our enfant terrible. You should hear him snozing every day at his siesta time. "Cool composition", he said. He is BG&B's Multimedia/Graphic designer... not of real use anyway, he, he... Plays the bass in my favorite local funk band. "Cool entry", he says. Whatever.

Two Strangers

adr-and-blue
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Adr and Blue testing something, not sure what... I was too busy trying to focus the camera I didn't notice they were slapping each other face... he, he... just kidding...
Chris birthday... Pizza for everyone!

Most viewed in my Flickr

street
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Walking home from Caro's by night gives you a lot of nice scenes. This pic is from Sunday, by 10:30 on my way home. Fog, cold and nobody around... just the perfect setting in my 25 minutes walk.

Foggy

fog2
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Of the things I like the most about living in startupland, I can't not deny the weather is in first place. And loving cold, foggy and dark afternoons, this view from across the office it's just perfect.

At niko's

coffee5
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Here at the office we have a dream: our own expresso machine. Being a coffee lover myself I can relate to all of you, startupers of the world, in our insatiable thirst of freedom, and a superb cup of arabigo.

Books and Coffee

coffee1
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Hanging out after hours, there's nothing like a strong coffee and a good book. Niko's coffee shop is a nice and warm place to just see the rain fall down.

black

black
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Ahhh, just to walk. not needing a car to get to your job, taking your time and trying not to get stubbed because of such a cheap camera (well, not THAT cheap, je, je). Seriously, making things happen here at startupland is just so exciting because you can't just take for granted anything, as you people have get used to. So, it's monday, lots of new pics to post.

Just in case

Just an aclaration to everyone:
our site (egaroo) is not working yet.
We are finishing some details and the search engine is not working yet.
Some of the banners you will find there are not from real clients, they are there for testing purposes only.
Some of them are real ones, but no valid identification or links have been uploaded to the system.
So, be patient. As soon as egaroo get online, we'll posted here.

Tough kidda

Tough kiddo
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Adr is not the easy type, yeah, she's tough and inaccessible, as you can deduce. She is BG&B's multimedia designer and has a "thing" with no letting us take a decent pic of her. Anyway, i liked this one... sexy tongue, girla!

Blurrrr

Blurrrr
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Another day at the office. Been busy all week finishing 2 projects due today, so egaroo has to wait until monday. Did I mention we are working in a political campaign for a presidential election here at startupland? Well, that's what Green and B. (not Blue) are doing in this one, updating our Man'site.
Soon (well, not THAT soon) we're gonna get our own Youtube account to upload videos... so be patient... he, he... we haven't even start it officially, and I'm assuming you guys are interested in knowing more about this egaroo' stuff... whatever...

Being concious enough

Well, I've been thinking the last two days about all this. In fact, all this have been on my mind since I realize the power and potential of egaroo as a internet tool.
At the time when this idea ends as a successfull startup, or as a total failure, you will surely know all the little nuances that make this project an interesting experiment.
It is not about a big flat TV Screen, or a nice car, or a expensive house... It's about believing ideas can change your reality if you are open enough to see them. It's about freedom to do the things that are really important in life, and being responsible for the people who surrounds you.
Is it about money? The answer is YEAP. But it goes beyond that.
You see, when you grow up in a place like starupland, you get to realize there are other realities, and when you accept that, and you experience these others realities every day, money keeps its value, that's for sure, but in a different and healthier shape.
Hum... there are so many things left to do. Gotta go.

My power

My power
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Just getting organized and testing (again) the whole system. I just stop to take a pic of my little friend here. The best buy ever! In ancient times, when I was just a humble copywriter, nothing seemed to work better than a simple PC... until I decided to do my own layouts and designs, then... I saw the light!
That's my space at the office... I just hate that green wall (nothing personal, Green)
See you

Are you jumpin' yet?

Screen shot
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Soon I'll get some icon logos ready to post here.
The idea is everybody could download them and use their favorite as a link to egaroo.
Help us to spread the word!

My Sky

My Sky
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

I just love the sky here at startupland, and the weather is just perfect! This view from our officce is just what you need when nothing seems to be working... Back at the office again, feeding my blog, testing egaroo system and trying to figure out how to make things happen faster!!!

Monday At the Train

At the Train
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Monday night at the train, finishing egaroo To Do list for this week. Gosh, the expectation is growing each day and I can not wait any longer to see it online... but we have 2 another projects due friday, so I doubt we can start officially this week...

It all started here

Train's view
Originally uploaded by Mr Black at startupland.

Well, two months an a week ago, this is where egaroo concept just pop up. Reading the sunday newspaper and trying to figure out how to make ends meet, this little child of us was born.