For those of you looking for an Eve related post, this isn't going to have much to do with Eve. My apologies for that ahead of time. But there are some events, some moments, that transcend the internet space ship game we all come here to read about, and this is one of those moments.
Today is the sad end of a ten year long dream.
Ten years and three months to be exact. Back in November of 2001 I did something crazy, insane and slightly nuts. I quit my well-paying and secure job during the uncertain Anthrax filled post-911 recession and started my own company. With no real prospects, with no real money and little more than an idea. And a ton of determination.
And it worked. During our best years we grew to over thirty full-time employees, with dozens more available in our freelance pool. We helped start and grow three other companies that got off the ground based on our support. We worked with clients all over the world and did some amazing and very successful work. And we poured money into the economy and generated well over 1.5 million for charities that we supported. It wasn't all perfect and we made some mistakes along the way, hired some people we probably shouldn't have, made some bone-headed business decisions, the usual stuff. But we learned and adapted. More importantly, I learned and adapted.
And then 2008 came. The recession was not a surprise and we took steps to prepare as best we could. What was a surprise however was the immediate effect it had on business and our clients. And it just went on and on seemingly without end.
No one factor led to today. In fact the list of factors is rather large in hindsight. But today I had no other choice and effectively closed the business I started a little over ten years ago.
Funny, in hindsight, 2008 was when I started playing Eve. Eve and the community surrounding it quickly became a way to relieve the stress associated with trying to keep the business afloat. The ebb and flow of business directly tied to the ebb and flow of the decisions I made in-game. Anyone that has been following this blog for any time knows the history and how much moving around I've done in-game. Behind almost every single one of those decisions was my business. Increased stress at work? Time to get out of the commitments involved with Null Sec. Increased demands on my time? Maybe life in low sec would work better. Last year when I started Lucifer's Hammer? Those also happened to be the best days of business last year. And when Lucifer's Hammer faltered at the end of Summer? Well, that's when things really started to get serious again.
And here we are.
They say change is the only constant and so things change once more. What does the future hold? I can't say, anymore than anyone else can. Immediately I need to manage the coming days as best as can be managed. Liquidate whatever assets that can be liquidated and work to bring everything down that I spent ten years building up.
To all of you waiting on commissions, again my sincere apologies. My time and energy have been eaten up by this for the last nine months. If anyone wants or needs to cancel, I certainly understand. But I will get to each of you, that promise is still there.
And Eveoganda isn't going anywhere. I might be more silent and less wordy for awhile, but the blog will continue. As will my enjoyment of Eve and the community.
That is a lot more than I wanted to write, but I felt you deserved to know. RL>Eve. And the past year has certainly proven that.
Fly safe my friends.
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