Chaosplay

Yardale.com is a website where you can exchange, buy or sell stuff.

What’s the big deal, you ask. There are a tons of such websites but I have a new twist on it. Let’s start from the beginning.

Yardale.com was born out of my desire to test this old saying: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” I wanted to see if bartering system is viable in this day and age.

What is bartering, you ask. It is simply exchange of goods instead of exchange of goods and currency. Sometimes items might have slightly different value, but I think everyone will win in bartering. I mean, instead of selling your used textbook A to bookstore for $25 and then buying $100 used book B from bookstore. If you paid for book A $150, then you have a net loss of $225. Now imagine if you simply exchange book A with book B from another student. Although your book A is worth more than book B but now your net loss is only $150 this time.

Of course, if you want you can also buy or sell on Yardale.com.

Another major difference between Yardale.com & current websites is that it only focuses on transactions between friends, neighbors, classmates, & co-workers.

If you can find what you are looking for, just down the street, then why order from across the continent, wait for it and hope that it is as described. Same thing with selling, no need to drive to post office, pay for shipping, packaging & hope that buyer is honest and doesn’t give you bad rating.

So with that idea, Yardale was born. Yardale is a joint venture of Christian-Robert Joseph & I. Karl Lockhart & Mitch Moore are assisting with design & coding.

Feel free to check out Yardale & we welcome all feedback.

Although I am still getting a pay check but yesterday was crazy. On one hand I feel free and relaxed but at same time I am worried about getting my business started. So while I am playing Valkyria Chronicles, I am trying to think of a name for my startup.

And I want to go to a doctor before my insurance from work runs out, I am also looking for a new place, I am also looking for places to travel to while I can, I am still working on Challenge App, it’s only 5 pm.

Last night, I had a good conversation with my old friend. He is considering going to business school for MBA. He already has masters in Electrical Engineering.

On other hand, I wanted to do MBA last year but then I figured best business education would be to run your own business. Hence, I decided quit corporate world to start my own business.

While we can argue forever about which method is better, I did some simple cost analysis to see which method is more expensive for business education.

Part-time MBA from a recognized school:

• Cost ranges between $50,000 – $80,000 for whole program. Let’s take average of $65,000.
• Part-time MBA can take 4 years, as my friend plans to do.
• Per year cost is approximately $16,000.
• Average salary for Electrical Engineer or Programmer with benefits is $90,000.
• In 4 years, you will earn $360,000
• Minus MBA cost, $295,000

Business Education via Business:

• Cost in terms of lost wages: $90,000 per year
• Cost in terms of using savings for business: $12,000 per year (Just a guess, it’s probably higher).
• Possible income in first 4 years: $40,000 per year (40K is my goal or benchmark to keep going. Hopefully, it is higher).
• 90000+12000 => 102,000 x 4 => 408,000 – 160,000 => $248,000
• Cost of business education via business: $248,000

Wow that’s one expensive MBA.

Of course, above scenario if I fail and return to the corporate world. Also I am hoping in above scenario that my business experience would be recognized as good as having an MBA. If I try to get an MBA after I return to the work force, it will cost me even more.

Then on the bright side, if I succeed in my business then rewards will be big enough to make it worth. God Willing!

1. Quit smoking
2. Learned a little Spanish
3. Learned a little Arabic
4. Read at least 9 books in six months (all Affiliate links):
   1. Outliers: The Story of Success
   2. The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives (Vintage)
   3. Head First Ajax
   4. Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide: Business thinking and strategies behind successful Web 2.0 implementations.
   5. PHP and MySQL Web Development (4th Edition) (Developer’s Library)
   6. Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days
   7. Transcending CSS: The Fine Art of Web Design (Voices That Matter)
   8. The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2
   9. The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything
5. Started running and being more active
6. Updated my old websites
7. Started new project, iGree.nu
8. Started new project with Patrick
9. Started working on a project with Blake

I am ending monthly goals as I haven’t been able to keep up with my goals in May and June. Instead I have just one goal for the rest of year that is to start my business.

I love coffee shops & I really love indie shops. Unfortunately, there are not enough indie coffee shops in Dallas/Fort Worth. However, there are still some great coffee shops here:

Coffee Haus

In Arlington near UTA. A great place to work on your project & probably the quietest coffee shop in this list.

http://www.thecoffeehausdowntown.com/

Crooked Tree

In uptown Dallas near McKinney avenue. Been there only once, but they had best tasting coffee of all 4 shops here. Def. need to return there. Great atmosphere & crowd.

http://crookedtreecoffeehouse.com/

@crookedtree

Boun Giorno

In Grapevine. I stop here on my way back to home from work. Good place to do some happy hour coding.

http://www.buongiornocoffee.net/

@BGCoffee

Opening Bell

South Downtown Dallas. I have been there only once but they had great service & atmosphere. Been wanting to go back there.

http://www.openingbellcoffee.com/

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Not in Dallas but unique Coffee shop. Photo by Duncan Rawlinson