We’ve actually been talking about setting up a company since we were year 2 university students. But it was all coffeeshop talk until until two months ago.

My co-founder Junlin was working for an established web design firm and they had originally hired him as a designer, but he found his job scope changing dramatically when they decided to produce a tv show. He became more of a media manager instead of a designer, and ultimately it wasn’t what he wanted to do. It was the right time to move on.

As for me, I’d been working as a freelance designer for inDinero (financial app from San Francisco). I was doing pretty well at that time, and enjoying my freedom. It felt like a natural progression to combine our resources, I asked him to join me.

And so he did.

inDinero for iPhone was released a few days ago and today I finally tried it myself.

After almost a year in development it’s finally ready. What we’re going to lie low a little while to fix some bugs before a big marketing push.

Main features of the app:
• Track all your business bank and credit accounts in a single place.
• Photograph and record business receipts.
• Get real-time alerts for your business accounts.
• Categorize your transactions for better reporting.
• Search/Filter your past business transactions.

Sorry friends in Singapore! It only works for US bank accounts, but you can still link up your Paypal account.

How it looks like on iTunes

It feels awesome to see it on the app store.

inDinero for iPhone

This is a fantastic quote from Seth Godin:

Techniques and skill and even a point of view are often handed down, formally or not. It’s easier to get started if you’re taught, of course.

But art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact–sooner or later, that can only come from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book.

I’m a self-taught designer, and a while ago I was thinking of taking a master’s degree to improve my skills. Ultimately I chose to learn by doing, and let work experience teach me.

Seth’s Blog: All artists are self-taught.

My work space for the next three weeks.

San Francisco. It’s been exactly one year since I last came here. I was on a summer internship at inDinero.

Nothing has changed.

I’m still bunking in at Jessica’s place. I can’t believe I once spent 3 months on this same couch.

Ah yes startup life.

I’m still buying lunch and groceries from Whole Foods. It’s still damn expensive.

Nothing about San Francisco has changed. But the experience is different, because I’ve changed.

I’ve graduated. I’ve become self-employed. I no longer find Starcraft 2 interesting D:

Thought I’d just delete everything and start with a clean slate.