TickerHound.com has Launched...Finally!

So we finally did it, we got TickerHound outta the dog house and back on the street!

For those who don't know, this is the project I've been working on for the better part of this year and I can't even begin to describe how happy, relieved and stressed I am (yes, all at the same time).

Happy - that the site is finally out there and getting used by investors for the first time.

Relieved - that it actually got launched on time (we set a pre-Christmas deadline and we beat it by a week!).

Stressed - we had our initial burst of traffic yesterday (not even a lot compared to other sites) and the site started to lock-up. We've got some code optimization to do! But not to worry, we have such talented people over here that I know this will get taken care of sooner than later.

Now my goal is to spread the word about what we're doing and get as much feedback as possible from our members. I really want to include them every step of the way in our planning and product development process.

That's the beautiful thing about doing business on the web - there's never been a time in history where businesses could rely on REAL TIME customer feedback to augment their product development process and strategy. Before the web we had focus groups -- people would come in, use a product in a controlled environment and answer a questionaire. This took time, money and you never got a very clear picture of how a product was used in a more "natural" setting. Don't get me wrong, focus groups are a useful tool and they have their place in a product development process (even a digital one). But, when I can use an automated tool to tell me exactly which links, features, and text are the most appealing to my visitors then I feel that I'm operating with information that will help me make the best possible decisions.

And forget bringing people into a room to answer questions - we have polls, blogs and forums where we can get information from customers right away. Not only d we get great information but our members now have a vested interest in the success of this product because they helped build it! Think about how powerful that is.

That's really what this is all about - building a service that will solve a problem for real people. If we keep listening to our members, giving them what they want and solving problems for them then I'm sure we'll do just fine in this market.

So definitely give TickerHound a look - I'd love any and all feedback.

And check out the official launch post on TickerHound Blog's by clicking here.