Alone. For now.

Denis has been under a good bit of pressure lately between finals, a car crash, an impending month-long trip to family in Russia, a chance to present at a prestigious optics conference called CLEO, and so on. For that reason he hasn't been contributing like he wanted to. He has decided that it won't let up for a bit and has requested that I not let him hold me back. He's signing off. After Russia we can see where things are.

Anyway, the goal that we set together seems pretty difficult to make alone. We'll just have to see.

Regardless, I am here to build a company. Not to become a computer programmer or just have fun but to learn how to build a company. In my view there is no company until you have revenue. And I don't see why there should be revenue until there is a product worth selling and worth buying. So I don't know about the timing. But I am pretty clear about the goal: I want to produce something worth selling and worth buying.

I see creating a company as something similar to earning a PhD. In both cases you are trying to create something worthwhile and original. In both cases you have to learn a lot to do so. Both can take a good chunk of time and commitment. Both can open doors and create opportunities that would otherwise remain shut. I am excited to have the chance to be involved in both.