Official Scoutle Blog

Today a very nice article about Scoutle has been published by the well-known Dutch blog Frankwatching.com So far, the voting (Top or Flop) goes well! So if you haven’t already voted for TOP, don’t forget to do so!

Read the article >>

Logo Frankwatching.com

Recently, Scoutle has received the “Quality Seal” from the Europrix Media Awards 2008 and Scoutle developer Godfried van Loo is listed in the PICNIC Hot100. “The Hot100 are the most talented, newly introduced, most passionated and promising up-and-coming creative media talent.”

Of course, you can meet Godfried at the PICNIC Conference coming Thursday (September 25th).

More info: Europrix Media Awards

More info: PICNIC Hot100

Although from the outside nothing may seem different, today is a special day for both Scoutle as well as for myself. After 1,5 years working full-time on Scoutle, shaping the idea followed by developing, the money has simply run out. Besides, I didn’t know Scoutle would grow this big in such a short period of time.

About one week after launching Scoutle, May 8th, I started with a new, full-time job at Springer (English | Dutch). I was given a great opportunity there and am still very grateful. However, after the TechCrunch post, Scoutle took a huge jump and I can tell you this… You can’t have a full-time job when your startup has a speedy start.

I was working from 09-17 at Springer, rushed home and continued my day from 19-01 to work on Scoutle, knowing that some things had to wait till the next evening. There are a lot of things you need to fix as soon as possible in the first weeks after launching, even things you thought were just 100% right. As you can imagine, these kind of working hours are not something one can keep up… The weekends were even more crazy. At a certain point, I just didn’t want to answer the phone anymore… There are way to little hours in one day.

But well… After two weeks, I resigned but promised to stay until the end of June. I left with good understanding, which of course also is something valuable. So now, July 1st, I can focus myself on Scoutle again, 100%. Which is a great relief and helps me get a little more sleep as well. I’ve planned and had several meetings already, throughout the country because it is about time a final business model gets written. I have been contacted by and met several interested, and interesting, people that offered me to help and with help, I mean serious business. This I take very seriously because now it’s time to bring Scoutle to the next level… Let’s say, 100.000 users. And if possible, by the end of this year.

I am now working on a complete new version of Scoutle, having new features but also, a complete new design to help people understand and start using Scoutle quicker and easier. Also, this will help getting a team together. the me has to become we soon, these things can’t be done on your own.

So… serious business but I can’t wait to get started with it. I hope to get together a team soon, find some investor(s) and partners and launch the new version of Scoutle… all this, somewhere in the beginning of September. If you still have some suggestions or tips I should think of in the new version… don’t hesitate to contact me.

Yesterday I was contacted by interested and large blog communities. After one month after launch, this is a very nice thing of course. Hopefully in the future I can tell you more about this.

It seems like every positive thing that happens to Scoutle is followed by a less happy one. A huge number of attacks on the server yesterday slowed it down like crazy. I could only look at this. These attacks are a very common thing to happen. I almost get used to it. When looking at the log for the first time I had the idea the whole world was against me. However, I will need to find a way to deal with these attacks in the future.

An interview in MarketingFacts, a well-known and respected Dutch marketing blog, has just been released. An interview is a lot more personal than an article about Scoutle itself. Also, because it is MarketingFacts, it made me a bit proud but also a little nervous at the same time. I hope this will bring in more Dutch users but also to get more feedback on how to improve Scoutle. Maybe even from people in the place I live that may not know me nor Scoutle. How cool would that be!?
It’s a long story though but well!