There are so few web startups (that we know of). We, ourselves, find it hard to just focus on developing our web app since we also take on development work for select clients — we are, after all, self-funded. I’m sure there are more Filipino web developers or business-minded fellows who have web app ideas that have potential but are afraid to take the plunge of dedicating their time.
I’m pretty envious of how Israeli startups are in the radars of VCs like Sequoia Capital while a lot of Filipinos are happy to just work in Singapore or sell year-1999-looking webpages for SMEs.
We need PinoyWebStartup as an online hub for Filipino-founded web startups, whether their products are for the Filipino community or a niche or with global reach is not relevant. If we showcase the few tech startups who’ve taken the leap, then maybe more great ideas and great implementation will follow — perhaps we’d have a fighting chance to get coveted VC funds, and just get overall exposure for good apps.
The chance to connect with like-minded netpreneurs - this reason’s good enough for me.
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Comments
Jason
January 15, 2008 10:24 pm
Israel? Damn. We gotta get our act together.
Good that someone finally stepped up to the plate on setting up a web 2.0 group for Pinoys.
thepoet
January 18, 2008 12:45 pm
I wish you luck on this voyage. I was one of those who tried but I failed miserably. haha! It take a lot of guts, time, and dedication for a site something like this to take off.
AJ Batac
January 28, 2008 8:00 am
Good Luck Marie and JP on this one. You guys have my support.
JP Dela Torre
January 28, 2008 11:43 am
@AJ: thanks for dropping by and support… we are actually 3 people behind this. marie, mau (the designer), and me.
Mark J
January 29, 2008 12:22 am
Cool! I just found this website, and i’m really happy that there’s already a website focusing on the startups here in the Philippines.
I agree, i think we should start and promote the startup culture. I’m involved in a startup myself, our website is at: http://www.simpleteq.com. We are based in Cebu.
I already subscribed to the RSS feed, and hope to hear from more startups companies soon!
JP Dela Torre
January 30, 2008 11:05 am
@Mark: if you could email us info about your company so that we could add it to the company list, that would be great… thanks for stopping by…
Andre Marcelo-Tanner
February 2, 2008 6:50 am
define pinoy web startup
i think one problem of web startups here is monetization, lets face it google ads on a local site hardly cut it, theres not much advertisers, so other revenues have to be looked at. Online classified sites (sulit,carfinder) seem to be doing well, also shopping like divisoria look good too. I think PH devs just follow where the money is, thats why you find most startups here do outsourcing work. Also I think more startups should use .com.ph domains
Cellconversion
February 7, 2008 12:20 am
This will become an interesting hub for us “startups” to discuss stuff primarily logistics, where to find funding, customer retention, process building, and possibly to share alot of other things.
I agree most of the startups are providing “services” rather than primarily developing and maintaining a product. I know a number of Filipinos who have started there own product and have grown them over the web - neither doing Made-for-adsense sites nor outsourcing.
Btw I dont know if my “startup” company can qualify as one - http://www.cellconversion.com (our site still sucks - never found the time to fix it). I m also glad pinoy money talk is also here.
I have also started informing the other local forums and blogs about this site.
Marie Casas
February 11, 2008 12:49 am
@Andre: I know! My “define pinoy web startup” article is still a draft… It just seems to be such a daunting task but I’ll try to work with JP on it this week. I wouldn’t go for .com.ph domains for your web application if only for its high cash outlay relative to .com. It likewise limits your market to the Philippines — which to me is still too little considering the digital divide issue.
For the company site, I’d think .com.ph is okay. Then again, how come Philippine startups that manage to get global attention have .com and have US addresses like Mplyd or Morph or Wablet?
@Cell: Thanks! We’re not so much for promoting forums but I decided to include PMT since they have a GoldeXchange platform spinoff.
Can you email me more about your web app at feedback (at) pinoywebstartup.com?
Winston Damarillo
February 11, 2008 7:41 am
Marie and Team,
Great initiative - Best of luck on your efforts. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know :).
I will make sure to keep you guys in the loop on activities within my companies and advocacies.
Go Pinoy Technoprenuers !
Marie Casas
February 12, 2008 9:49 pm
Your words made our day Winston.
We just might take you up on your offer
Michael E. Carluen
February 24, 2008 8:05 pm
Marie, JP, and team:
Mark, Winston, and I are proof that the “PinoyWebStartup” does exists. Your team’s work may be a little harder compared to Michael Arrington (of TechCrunch) or those folks from Go2Web20.net, ReadWriteWeb, or KillerStartUps, but rest assure that the Pinoy Web-Entrepreneur is not as mythical or elusive as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster.
I learned about pinoywebstartup.com through Pinoid.com- a user generated content site targeted for the Filipino community. (a user posted a link to this site) Pinoid.com is one of several projects being incubated by my company, 365labs. 365labs is a Filipino led web app incubator based in Silicon Valley.
So there you have it!
You have my support in attaining your initiatives.
archie
March 3, 2008 1:58 am
Pinoywebstartup Team,
I read some of your postings, they are very usefull to me. It’s good to know that you guys exists. I would like to promote my webstartup myself
okpare.com
a social bookmarking for pinoy
-archie
Justin
March 25, 2008 3:09 am
Is there a room for developers here who specializes in thin-client applications? Our application is web-enabled but not not browser-based (desktop application).
AJ Batac
March 25, 2008 10:48 am
@Justin: Absolutely. Take for example a home-grown app iTenna and Bandwagon by the Xackup team.
Justin
March 25, 2008 4:30 pm
Thanks AJ, appreciate that. I have been developing a Windows-based application that I hope to market as an enterprise application solution or even as an ERP. It’s a three-tier application capable of connection to various database platforms, and can be seen in the front-end as one (good for integration).
The concept is one application that builds applications (sort of Do-It-Yourself style). You can design the screen that way you like it and create custom business logic using scripts - so no programming required (as in compile and link). Just save the changes to the server and all thin-client applications translate and display the changes. Deployment of client is very light as it only requires 1 EXE and 1 DLL.
AJ Batac
March 25, 2008 9:06 pm
Justin, Sounds interesting. If you have more information (website/blog), let us know. Good luck.
Justin
March 25, 2008 9:18 pm
Thanks AJ. I have actually setup a blog… I just don’t know where and how to start blogging about it. Will let you know when ready…
Paul
July 17, 2008 5:10 pm
Thanks for coming up with this great site!
Please visit us also at http://www.slingandstonemusic.com.
It’s a portal for Christian Music.
We’re still in the early stages of development so please bear with us.
Super thanks!
Jaypee
July 23, 2008 3:40 pm
Got my site working and updated 2 and a half years already.
I know I have to do more stuff on it.
But let me just invite you on my site
http://www.maymomomoo.tk
It features True Filipino Ghost Stories
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