The old startup days - Issue #3
Back in the days when i work hard in the beginning of my startup at euphorya in year 2011–2012. The 1st and 2nd year was really fun, late-night work and also so much memories from different projects. My humble beginning before using macbook pro i use Compaq Laptop, Windows 2000, Adobe Photoshop, Acer Laptop, Samsung LCD monitor and how i fall in love with web designing is all started from using blogspot.com then i started to use a different types of templates and finally make my own custom templates and grow my business for making cheap, affordable websites.
Wait! Why i’m working so hard? Oh wait! Is passion that made me do what i love to do the most for the lovers. The lovers are my clients and people who supported me in many ways.
My first laptop i invested in back in 2005, i paid installment at Courts Singapore Store for consumer electronics and furniture retailer. I use compaq, i believe in windows back then before i switch to macbook pro, Apple. I use this for graphic design and i use them to sketch on piece of paper.
I fall in love in web-designing and decided to be serious in web-developing from time to time and switch to wordpress, bought my own server, domain, email and create CMS platforms and also e-commerce websites like woo commerce. Back in the days i use to design for other companies for production purpose. So much memories as a graphic designer. I didn’t know i wanted to be a graphic designer, all i wanted to do to create something on the computer and fall in love with beautiful graphics back in the days when i use microsoft paint and also adobe photoshop 3.0 since the year 2005 as i started to do freelancing designing tshirts, posters and web-banners and promote it over at myspace.com before facebook started and get so popular. Doing designing, marketing, business is not enough you need to know also about accounting finance and also security. Security is really important because it keeps your work safe and also your transactions safe. So i have to learn so many things along the way. I didn’t study well at school, my english and malay language is just enough for me able to communicate and write what i think and feel. But i love art, computer and science alot. I don’t know why but since young at the age of 7 years old i love to do research, case studies, understand how the universe works and also about astronomy.
I don’t even know what i want to do in my life as in my career. I didn’t do well in school either. I’m very playful and love to play sports. I didn’t take life seriously as i wanted to be who i wanted to. But i was told to study religion when i was young and to grow up be a good person and achieve a good career. I was young, bright and creative in many ways. I love to laugh and smile. I don’t even know what i will be in the future. But i’m pretty sure what i want to do like doing creative and tech stuffs is the only thing i like. So now suddenly i become a business man is like the career shape me in many ways, but all i want to do is create and build something. Business is really difficult. One thing, i hate debts or dealing with finance. But oh well, this is part of parcel of everything so i just have to understand.
It started out as a try out kind of thing, then over night turn into passion, then i started freelancing, then i started to do networking and travelling and started to be in a community, from time to time then i wanted to start a company.
I didn’t even know what business is or how to run a business. Along the way i have to pick up things really fast. Thank you to internet, i have so many resources to find from marketing, sales, community and getting my resources.
Design & Print decals for iphone
honestly, not many people will understand what i do. Lol they just want to know how much you are earning. And no one knows the process of running my startup. I’m glad the reason why i started to do business not just wanting to make more profit but my intention is to build/create products because i love and is fun and it turn into my passion.
Everyone is chasing after money for some reason but i’m just taking my own sweet time to build, one step at a time and learn from my experience.
One of the reason i have to blog this because is my memories and to make me realize what i have done in the past. I want to work smarter and at the same time to do better products and service for my clients in near future. Everyone know business is not easy! And the more i grow older i learn more about religion, the restrictions of the things i can do and cannot do in business and it takes years for me to change from time to time. Everyone wants to be a better person and we know life in this world is just for a while. I want to do my very best. There are many things i achieve and many things i failed and made many mistakes. But this is life! So learn it the hard way. At the end of the day don’t depend on anyone, is your own hard work and of course through Almighty’s plan and help. So keep your head up and be strong.
One of the best sales i made in 1 invoice, $1000 in just 1 day for designing.
I also created my first official website from blogspot.com and then after that i transfer the domain out to godaddy.com back in early days. I didn’t know about hosting or anything. Everything else is just self-taught, i learn alot of tutorials by watching youtube.com videos. I learn html/css from xml blogger templates. It was fun, until i create my own blogger template. I’m pretty oldschool. I started to make websites for bloggers and small startups back in my neighbourhood. Each website i charge $100. So cheap and it was the most basic stuffs i did back then before more on to advance like wordpress themes.
the first mobile version of euphoryadesign.com blogger template i did back in 2012. I just started web-development at that point of time. But i think it was hard, i like graphic design more. It was fun to use google products at that point of time.
I bought alot of premium themes on Envato Marketplace. Later then on Creative Market. I don’t know how to develop a website until i start to just do it! I can’t believe it i could actually also learn basic php language too. Sooner later i started to understand javacript. I felt that my startup agency, Euphorya was making alot of improvement. I also did provide graphic design for sponsor ads on facebook and instagram. I create graphic design banners too! Apart from that, i learn how to make DVD cover designs for record label. It was a huge experience to work with big company.
DVD design cover i did! It was really fun. Just do everything on Photoshop.
Just me and my graphic design artwork i did for one of the biggest record label company in Singapore. It was a great experience to work with them. Everything needs to be fast!
Originally published at www.fajarsiddiq.com on August 1, 2016.