Because I just had not been able to create the best idea ever, back in the Netherlands again, September 2007, I started with an old idea, dated from 2005. A Social Network for children without a common language (called Eukidoki). I still love the idea for it to work so I started building it again. This time in a new version.

After one month of programming the real depressed moment finally arrived. It was about 3PM and I was working on Eukidoki when I realised what I always wanted to ignore… There is no way I can get the money to translate the site in all the European languages… Or in other words… You can’t do this project on your own without a lot of money.
After over 7 months, it was like I had given up. Just like that. I was alone behind my desk and thought I should give it up. Just find a job again. Give all people around you the rest they need. The last part was very hard. Many people had supported me all that time, but for the people around you it is also hard to keep believing in you and letting you go your own way without advising you to stop it.

But that moment I can remember very well… It was like the real end.. Forget about it. I walked to the couch and thought about the time I had spend and why it didn’t work out. Why was I unable to come up with a good idea in 7 months!!! Should I have asked more people to help me out? Should I have listened to those that said to forget about it earlier? Did I do everything to inspire me?

Half an hour later it hit me… I still don’t know how but I thought about an automated social network. Not in a way Scoutle has become, far from it actually, but I just thought about how weird social networks would be when you create a script that would write your messages every now and then or comment on pictures of your friends.

I guess what they say is true… You can’t force an idea, it comes when you don’t expect it. The half an hour on that couch were absolutely not a nice thing to experience, like I didn’t believe in myself anymore. Maybe that was the key in my case.

But that automated social networking was a funny idea. Just to keep me busy while finding a job. I didn’t think it would turn out the way it did at all.