Stef Lewandowski
Create something every day

To coincide with my thirtieth birthday I received the exciting news that I have just received £50,000 of seed funding for my new business idea.

I am very happy and excited!

The funding has come about after about nine months work producing a series of prototypes, doing market analysis and research, then putting together an 80 page document/business plan.

A month and a half ago I submitted the plan and prototype to Screen West Midlands (the local public sector agency who supports ’screen based media’) under their Advantage Digital Fund.

My idea has been picked as one of two successful projects out of what I believe was a very competitive first round. The fund is available up until November I believe, so check it out and I urge you to make that killer web idea you’ve got happen if you are based in the West Midlands.

I’d just like to extend my thanks to the people who reviewed my application for putting their belief in something I feel very passionate about!

What’s it all about?

I’m in the unusual position of really wanting to shout from the rooftops about what the project is all about. However, I’m still being a little cautious (I think that’s probably wise unless you tell me otherwise?), so for now I’ll be telling a few people in person about what it is all about, but not publishing online a name or a url, or full info on what the project is all about.

Sorry for being mysterious - I just need to make some headway on it before it goes out to my first group of invited users.

I’m blogging my progress

Having said that I’m going to be blogging my progress here, under the ‘startup‘ category, and hopefully by being a little non-specific it might actually help build a useful resource for other people who want to do similar things?

I’m thoroughly excited about taking all of those years of experience of making websites for others and helping people use the web and applying that experience on my own web venture.

How’s this different?

As some may know I’m something of a serial (profit/nonprofit) entrepreneur and always involved in starting up interesting things, like:

3form - this was all about producing a web design service for clients, not about building websites that are self-perpetuating and owned by me.

Type - this is an experimental record label, and whilst we’ve been consistently outputting great work, John is the man who makes everything happen, and it’s not exactly set up to be earning us millions of pounds!

Creative Republic - this is a not for profit that’s all about connecting up a community of creative people.

Plus Festival - this is also a non profit, but I made the hard decision to be involved from the sidelines for now.

The new project is different because it combines the commercial aspect of my work at 3form with the social/non-profit thinking. The result is hopefully a sustainable, for-profit idea that could have an ethical and social impact.

Sorry for being mysterious. If you do hear from me what it’s all about I’d just appreciate it if for now you don’t mention the specifics online.

There’ll be a nice URL and some explanation coming soon!