I thought for the last post of 2007 taking a moment to thank all those that have contributed along the way would be a good way to bring the year to a close. There have been a number of people that I am incredibly indebted to that have helped to move forward TheCodeFactory. If it was too easy it wouldn’t be any fun. Let me say that getting TheCodeFactory to where we are has been a whole lot of fun.

My wife Jo and the kids have been very understanding and supportive. Jo has been incredible throughout the whole process and often acts as the voice of reason during the ups and downs of getting going. The whole family has been very tolerant and patient with me and I really appreciate their support. Thank you Jo, Gareth, Erin and Lauren.

Malcolm Williamson from Acorn Partners has been a trusted advisor, valued contributor and not afraid to put boot to bottom when necessary. Getting this far would not have been possible without Malcolm. Many thanks as well to Peter Kemball and Andy Chen for stepping up and being my first founding partner. Thank you very much to Malcolm and Acorn Partners.

Rob Swayne from Gailforce Ventures has been a great resource in so many ways; his sound business advice, chartered accounting skills and voice of reason as the sober second thought have been much appreciated. Rob was instrumental in getting the business plan and financials in order. Thank you Rob.

Francis Moran from inmedia Public Relations stepped up and agreed to be my second founding partner. Francis is a great story teller, excellent writer and PR person extraordinaire. I am really looking forward to working with Francis in the upcoming year to promote TheCodeFactory. Thank you Francis.

James Smith and Michael Dunlevy from Labarge and Weinstein have also helped from the early days and right up to getting the lease reviewed. Great guys with a passion for start-ups; your assistance has proven incredibly valuable.  Thank you James and Michael.

Peter Childs has helped with the project and was key in finding the location and addressing a number of outstanding issues with the space. Thank you Peter.

I really have the utmost respect for Carleton University. Both Tony Bailetti and Luc Lalande are excellent ambassadors and offered their time to sit down and exchange ideas with me on a number of occasions. Thank you very much.

Liz Miller from Turnbull Designs has been awesome showing great patience, taking the time to meet with me on a number of occasion and coming up with a great design for the space. Liz also introduced me to Dean Head who will be our general contractor for the project. Dean is well respected in the industry and has also shown great patience. Thank you to the design team.

Ken Brown from TD Bank has been great at helping me to navigate the Financing application process. Thank you Ken.

Last but certainly not least are our future TheCodeFactory members. Thanks to Hyatt, Brad, Steve and a number of others who have expressed tangible interest in being the first members of TheCodeFactory class of 2008.

Looking forward to a collaborative 2008, best wishes and prosperity for everyone in the New Year.

Cheers,
Ian

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I had hoped to be able to post that all the details regarding the space being finalized. If only life were so straight forward. Anyway it appears that a second group (a government organization) is also interested in the space, why is beyond me. While I am very passionate about getting things up and running there is also a limit to the financial resources available. TheCodeFactory Inc. is a private organization and unlike government organizations funded by the bottomless taxpayer pockets we need to operate within certain financial constraints and risk management.

Said government organization (whose identity is currently a mystery) now has the option to lease the space provided they can close on a deal that exceeds my financial risk profile. If a deal is not worked out then TheCodeFactory may move forward with this space.

While this is a set back it is not the end of the world and now time to get a plan B in place. I will be out looking for some alternatives between Boxing Day and New Years. The good news is:

- Financing is in place and ready to go,
     Thank you Ken.

- The fit up team has agreed to hang tight and work in whatever space we find,
     Thank you Liz, Dean and Brad.

- This has been a tremendous learning experience,
     Thank you Malcolm, Rob, James and Michael.

- This is my second time through the process so things will move faster,
     Thank you John and David

- I am determined to “gitter done”.

Wishing everyone a; safe, prosperous and very happy Christmas and New Year.

Cheers,
Ian

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This has been a good week with plenty of progress. I am pleased to announce that we have our second founding partner and that is InMedia Public Relations. The deal was sealed with a handshake at a trendy coffee shop in the Byward market. Thank you to Francis and all the good folks at InMedia we are looking forward to working with them in the upcoming year.

Second bit of news is also very exciting. Funding for TheCodeFactory has been approved. We are down to the last duck and hope to have this one in line within a week or so. So it looks like it is full steam ahead and I hope to have the date for the “Barn Raising” real soon.

There are two items that the community can help with:

Taking Tenant Applications – Contact  ian(dot)thecodefactory(at)gmail.com

If you are a team of two or more people and looking for space please feel free to contact me. We are now taking applications for private space members. Details available upon request.

Coffee shop show of support
There is a survey at http://thecodefactory.givemeaning.com If your interested in participating in TheCodeFactory coffee shop lounge please visit the site and cast your vote. Voting is free and your participation would be much appreciated.

That’s all for now. Next update in about a week.

All the best

ian (dot) thecodefactory (at) gmail.com

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