That is what happen to most of my friends. I just got another phone call about an idea and collaboration. Funny how people tend to just start thinking about getting online for some business, see how far Lelong has taken.

I tried to support if I can, so my friends can be a boss. Most failed though, let’s just see how and why they failed.

Boss = Free time. That is the mentality of people nowadays. People tend to think that a boss, should and will be free. Everything will be settled by their employee, or friend. Well, worst yet, Boss = Money + Mouth + Network. Yes, no experiences needed, but I wonder why don’t they just get into some MLM or insurance with that in mind, isn’t it the requirement of those line? Really, this chart can clearly show what they really think about:

Big money come big money, small money come small money. RM1k business is nothing, afterall no business return more than 100% soon. So they wanted to look at the RM100k (At the minimum) to start off. See how people like funding and government and etc etc that giving money for SME? That’s right, if you start small, you are smart potato, and earn a potato. See how some friend see me like a boss who barely afford food and won’t get into hunger, that is just how low I started off

I see that people like to retire earlier… When you are a kid, you wanted to be grown up; when you grown up, you actually wanted to get old.

As a business operator in Malaysia, I too would like to meet some new business person locally, that’s why I choose to move to Klang Valley after a year of consideration. However, the perfect dream doesn’t always comes together, it’s like wearing down parkas for winter to feel warm myself.

Well, we get lots of news about how fresh graduate demand a lot and whatnot. However, we missed the part where the employer looking for more in a fresh graduate. Check what their requirement for a web designer and you’ll be surprise actually web designer, is basically everything IT. The same problems lies in clients and service providers too.

Service provider provided an Internet connection, slow but stable. We client, demand a fast and stable connection. Service provider tried to be fair on bandwidth usage, we client, complaint about downloading.

The same thing with business owner, like myself perhaps…?

I… Seriously don’t know. Just a few points here…

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious country. I believe not everyone think and act like you. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

If others are able to communicate via just email for one project, and you can’t, because you don’t have confident with it, or you scare, or you don’t like or whatever situation you have in mind that bounce away from the idea of having to communicate via email ONLY, then admit it. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

Throwing trash outside a vehicle while in highway, is a big no-no. Spitting beside the walkway is a big no-no too. If you know that, but you felt that is wasting your time, or making your vehicle dirty, or you just don’t care, admit it. You don’t need to bring the whole Malaysia and Malaysian with you.

I believe everyone knows what is morally right and wrong, and why they are right or wrong. But taking the blame for being a Malaysian in Malaysia to justify your action is just wrong in so many ways. Suck it up and be the real Malaysian with a thinking together with an act!

Now, my brother has this problem with noise in the car, but expecting noiseless car engine. I am all for a noiseless car, if I could have some money in my bank, I will go for all those high end car, BMW, Benz etc etc instead. However, if I were to place a whole new sound system and beating all the music, I’ll choose the above car – Proton Saga BLM – instead.

He doesn’t really understand what I’m working as. Web designer is not a very prominent title for small town like Sibu, not to mention Mantin. So I told him that I, design website that he click; work on project basis with client around the World. So that is just some small talk together, surely he started to understand, but not fully. Well, not a big deal, because after all, he wanted to know how I earn a living (how I charge). Here comes the interesting part.

So I told him that I work on a project for around 3 months usually (where 6 months is top, some are even longer), for a four-figure price range. He was shocked, not because my charges is high (seriously!), but because the time that I spend on with the project in comparison with the price range. He is somehow a contractor, so he told me that his work is pretty straightforward and less back-and-forth thing; go to the site to check and measure -> work on it -> deliver the work (physical product) – sometimes involves two round of delivery -> get paid, all done within a month or less than that at four-figure price range as well.

Now, it wakes me up. I remember people asking me questions like “Freelance can (survive) a?”, or “I know your financial bro” and etc. Hmmm… Guess it’s the difference between selling service for physical products and digital goods.

Anyway, browsing through the new laptop, I don’t know where the hell those product designers go. Seriously, why so conventional and yet, so similar? Are those laptop market fight for the same design as well?

Acer, one that know how to design something that is minimal and functional. Dell, started with a minimal design too, but overall look is really sucks to be honest. Lenovo and Asus almost has the same design, all buttons here and there, I don’t even want to mention the rest.

After Acer comes out with something minimal, I thought it was a chance that PC seeing some good designed laptop, but ended up, all those design now applied on netbook and not laptop. Smell like netbook is a good market nowadays?

The problem with laptop manufacturers are that, they don’t know how to market their own product, beside Sony. Most rely on their vendors, fast processor, good sound, latest operating system and etc. There is nothing about themselves, at least, a better camera? With this, consumers are trapped not with their products, but with their vendors instead.

I believe they have the same thinking as I have had when I was in college – Web design will comes after all functions are ready. Or in shorter term – Web design is about how you arrange your web functions.

Some most important aspects has been totally forgotten, like usability and user experience are both often overlooked. They rather have lots of pave beads than having a fashionable one. More concern on the web performance than web usability, that’s why a lot requests like “mouse over like that website”, “look like that website” and etc.

Check around Malaysia corporate/government websites, you’ll notice that they have a nice features on their website, eye-candy effect, live chat, feedback forms, archives and all the thing you can mention. But when you start using it, it doesn’t feel really correct. Heading is too small, colour looks alike, not sure which is clickable and etc.

I believe that is what lots of web designers are looking for to fix the problem, but they required programming language to do so…

After getting all those “necessary” home-tools, I’m thinking to get a milling machine for bigger project I cut back lots of gadget expenses in exchange for these tools!

Although Malaysia labour still consider cheap, but I still prefer to do it myself. Seeing something built up from empty or raw material is the satisfaction I always looking forward to, just like how an empty Photoshop canvas turned into a beautiful website design, and from there, some hand work and turned into a working website.

A tool – Yes, just a tool. Many people who building their website, they are actually looking for a tool to help you get a website than finding the “right” web designer to do the job. Web designer normally not just a designer, web designer solve problem, like how print designer solve your branding on the print.

A designer – Not as simple as designer, but a boy/girl that know how to use Photoshop. Well, to be honest, any business and any product can be find easily on the internet and DIY. The problem is, we all don’t have the time and energy, that’s why we buy. The same thing, you don’t know Photoshop service, you buy one. This also lead to another point.

Expensive! – People normally don’t like to pay for service. Especially a website, which they cannot touch it, they can only click it with a third party devices. That’s why premium theme is working, because they turn a service into a product. But then, it is not exactly everyone’s looking for too.

I hate to admit it, but some web designer is looking for the little money. That’s why the market isn’t that good and shocking quotation always happen. Finding a web designer is like going to hospital, not going to pharmacy. You get your illness solved by a doctor, not by yourself. You can’t solve the illness, that’s why you look for a doctor. If you can, you wouldn’t look for a web designer already.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a small house. 1000 square feet is a nice one. But when it comes to the environment, I hardly give way. I like a silent place, like a library, when it should. Especially on afternoon, but my current location doesn’t allow that.

I just can’t get it. There are those famous Dr.Dre Beat and Sennheiser studio headphones, why can’t those people just use it? Instead, I get to listen to the 90′s disco music almost the whole afternoon. The 90′s disco, you know, Aqua those kind of music with loud beat, and sometimes, there is no song at all. If you want to share, share some good music!

Manner, my neighbour has none.