It’s Been Fun
(My farewell message cross-posted from tylerthetechie.com, after I shuttered the business/experiment.)
While it’s been fun, Tyler the Techie was put out to greener pastures on November 15, 2010.
Why?
Tyler the Techie was started in 2008 as an experiment. Although its doors are now closed, it was ultimately a success. One which I am exceptionally proud of. A little history, for those who seek it: the impetus to start Tyler the Techie came from witnessing the all-too-common “techno-frustration” among friends and family — common phrases included “The IT guy at work is so rude,” “How do I right-click?” and “[Acme Corp. Geeks] took two weeks to bill me a fortune for fixing nothing.”
And so I set out to find a sustainable business model which focused on three goals:
- Personalized care, rather than Pick-A-Number triaging;
- Preventing problems, rather than fixing them after the fact;
- Decreased frustration and stress for all parties involved.
The business became a hit within weeks. I had plenty of customers, still enough free time for myself, and even considered expanding (though decided against it each time it bubbled up). Every day I learned more about how to run a business and how to genuinely help people, and my biggest source of new customers, by far, was referrals — the best kind of customer, as any business owner will tell you.
But as time went on, my heart just wasn’t in the game anymore. My passions had changed, an incredibly difficult realization to come to terms with. After months of deliberation, I made the arduous decision to shut down Tyler the Techie. It wasn’t easy — I still think about it daily — but it was the right thing to do, both for me and my customers.
Thank you
For all of your support. It’s cliche, sure, but I really couldn’t have done what I did — proven a new business model — and wouldn’t be where I am today without my (understanding and patient) family, my (often suspicious) friends, and my (grateful, and thankfully humble) customers.
So what’s next?
For me? San Francisco. Starting November, 2010, I joined Disqus, the web’s favorite commenting platform. (Hence why I waited to publish this letter for three months.) Disqus has a first-rate team, is invested in by world-class investors, and builds a spot-on product to boot, one which I’ve personally used and enjoyed for more than two years. I joined their Community Support team and have loved every day so far.
For Tyler the Techie? Although it is no more, I dream of a day when this and similar business models have grown and matured, and still pursue this goal in the form of cafe talks and bar-room meetups with like-minded people. If you share this vision, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter and my personal blog.
Beyond that, only time will tell.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
