Cat bag-ectomy: freckle’s live

Hey, that thing I wrote about—it’s live!

freckle is a new time tracking app (web-based service) made especially for small teams. freckle is made by me, Thomas and the lovely boys of abloom. It’s very different. I like to say “refreshingly different,” but of course, I may be biased. But it’s definitely different.

Click me for a bigger picture

I’ve got a lot to talk about regarding the interaction design of freckle, the process of building it, the launch, etc.

But off the top of my head, here are some bullet points:

• even though we shun the “startup” moniker and all the sleeping-under-desk clichés that come with it, I’m really tired. We worked long hours yesterday, but it’s not so much the hours as the constant doing. Also my neck hurts.
• champagne and The Final Countdown, plus a little Wagner, plus a lot of Harder, Better, Faster, Strong: required.
• it’s a good thing I’ve had lots of practice at ignoring what naysayers, well, naysay, because people on the internets are enjoying getting bent out of shape like OMG HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO THAT?!!? over the tiniest, inconsequential things. People, didn’t your mama tell you to be nice?

Of course, there are people saying nice things, too, and we’re really surprised and pleased by how much re-tweeting has been going on after our announcement. And we’ve received helpful, politely written feedback from a number of folks, which of course makes us want to help them even more. But it nevertheless amazes me how aggro people can be.

Anyway, further post-launch grab bag:

• I hate credit card processing. Seriously, this is a whole series unto itself.
• Also, this is 2008. How can it be so hard to sign up to do credit card stuff? I don’t mean the security measures and contracts, those make total sense to me. But why don’t the godforsaken service providers make it easier to figure out what you need and what you need to do to get it?
• Our underlying goal in building freckle is simple: we want to be self-determining. We all like doing client work but it’s not something that builds real equity in our own futures.
• I don’t for a minute believe that freckle time tracking alone will give us all that. It’s great value, totally different, and will help people increase value of their own (my #1 requirement for software). But it’s “just” a time tracker. Our plans are bigger, and time tracking is step #1.
• That said, this is only version 1 of the time tracking phase of the plan. We’re not going to release it and then abandon it for the next project. No, no, not only has Amy learned to keep her mouth shut and just execute, but she’s also learned that her schizophrenic project focus can only hurt. (Is it creepy or funny when I go into the 3rd person? You tell me.) I have learned my lessons and I’ll be damned if I’m going to forget them.

I have grand plans for this little time tracking app, but to cite Amy’s Productivity Lesson #1 (shut up and ship), I’m not going to blab about them just yet.

Suffice to say, we are not resting on laurels or other vegetation.

Also, my next post will not be comprised fully of bullet points, I promise.