❡
Company News
Latest
Company News
The Lights Were Always On
The last post on this blog was in 2016. Cloudmanic Labs never went quiet — the writing just moved to each product. Here's a decade in one page.
Read the post →
Sep 5, 2026
·
5 min
The Journal · notes from Cloudmanic Labs
Field notes on durable software.
Writing on building durable software, running products for the long haul, and the craft of shipping things that last — since 2011.
- Entries
- 94
- Since
- 2011
- Subscribe
- RSS feed
The archive
94 entries · newest first
2016
1 entry2015
2 entries- May 06Programming
Hybrid Mobile Software Development Is Dead to Me
After years of building iOS and Android apps with Phonegap, Appcelerator, and Ionic, four big shifts — Swift, a better Xcode, Android's economics, and the Apple Watch — pushed me to go fully native.
Programming/ May 6, 2015 / 3 min3 min - Apr 23Software Design
Thinking Offline by Default
Building apps offline-first isn't about supporting poor connections — it's about making software blazingly fast by storing data locally and syncing in the background with web workers.
Software Design/ Apr 23, 2015 / 2 min2 min
2014
22 entries- Nov 06Interesting
Can You Hear Me Now?
Podcasting is an underused marketing tool that strengthens audience connection, showcases expertise, and generates income — and it costs little more than a computer and free software to start.
Interesting/ Nov 6, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Oct 23Evermanic
The Sun Has Set for Evermanic
Cloudmanic is retiring Evermanic after Evernote's own mobile app caught up and surpassed what Evermanic offered — and why this first real mobile app will always hold a special place for the team.
Evermanic/ Oct 23, 2014 / 1 min1 min - Oct 15Interesting
Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus in the Year 2020
A 2014 prediction that Facebook becomes the digital coffee shop for friends, Twitter the cocktail party for strangers, and Google Plus the personalized newspaper of tomorrow by 2020.
Interesting/ Oct 15, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Sep 15Software Design
End Users Need to Stop Taking Credit for Good Design
Calling an interface intuitive gives users credit that belongs to designers. Good design is costly, iterative, and hard-won — simplicity is just blood, sweat, and tears in sheep's clothing.
Software Design/ Sep 15, 2014 / 2 min - Aug 28Business Ideas
Why Do People Dislike Basecamp? Blank Canvas Syndrome
The real reason people say they could never get into Basecamp is blank canvas syndrome — no onboarding, no starting point — and how sample data can change that for any SaaS product.
Business Ideas/ Aug 28, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Jun 24Interesting
Escaping Mediocrity
How to escape the trap of mediocrity by treating time as your ultimate nonrenewable resource — from ditching yardwork to filtering out disruptive phone calls on your own terms.
Interesting/ Jun 24, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Jun 10Interesting
The Main Street Entrepreneur
Why the main street small business entrepreneur — who controls their own schedule, attends their kids' games, and answers to no investors — may have a better deal than the tech startup founder.
Interesting/ Jun 10, 2014 / 3 min - May 28Interesting
Why Are We Busy All the Time?
Practical strategies for reclaiming your time — from eliminating paper bills and checks to filtering out disruptive phone calls and automating receipt management with Skyclerk.
Interesting/ May 28, 2014 / 3 min3 min - May 14Business Ideas
It Pays to Know Where You Sit
Whether you're doing the work or managing someone else doing it, success demands understanding scope, infrastructure, roles, and accountability — knowing your seat means being fully prepared.
Business Ideas/ May 14, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Apr 30Business Ideas
A Few Things to Consider When Hiring an Agency
Hard-won lessons from 30+ agency engagements covering quality vs. budget trade-offs, freelancer churn, Fortune 500 bias, and when hiring an agency actually makes sense for startups.
Business Ideas/ Apr 30, 2014 / 5 min5 min - Apr 23Business Ideas
Please Don't Be Offended, but I Think You're an Idiot
A candid take on why the "praise sandwich" approach to feedback backfires and why blunt, direct criticism is more respectful and effective than sugarcoating hard truths.
Business Ideas/ Apr 23, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Apr 16Interesting
Know Your Consumer Rights: Credit Card Minimums and Fees
Merchants charging over $10 minimums or excessive credit card fees are breaking the law. Here's what the Dodd-Frank Act and card network rules actually say — and what you can do about it.
Interesting/ Apr 16, 2014 / 3 min3 min - Apr 10Interesting
The Power of Saying Yes, the Wisdom of Saying No
Life improves when you say yes more often, but indiscriminate yes-saying leads to overwhelm. The real skill is understanding your own patterns and knowing when each answer serves you.
Interesting/ Apr 10, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Mar 27Business Ideas
Two Types of Entrepreneurs: Risk Takers vs. Small Bettors
Entrepreneurial partnerships fail when risk tolerances clash. Understanding the difference between big-bet risk takers and iterative small bettors can save you from painful conflict.
Business Ideas/ Mar 27, 2014 / 2 min - Mar 19Interesting
Take This Checklist and Shove It
Checklists reduce surgical deaths by 40% and complications by 30%. However boring they seem, every professional should embrace them to improve consistency and reduce costly errors.
Interesting/ Mar 19, 2014 / 2 min - Mar 12Business Ideas
Technology Might Not Be the Core Challenge for a Digital Startup
Technologists often focus too much on the build and too little on the market. The core challenge for many digital startups isn't technology — it's marketing and customer acquisition.
Business Ideas/ Mar 12, 2014 / 2 min - Feb 18Skyclerk
Snap!Clerk: Upload Receipts On the Go
Snap!Clerk is a new Skyclerk feature that lets you photograph receipts on your phone and automatically upload them to your ledger — cutting bookkeeping time dramatically.
Skyclerk/ Feb 18, 2014 / 2 min - Feb 12Business Ideas
When You Screw Up in Business Make It Right
Every professional makes mistakes. What separates good entrepreneurs from bad ones is how they respond — owning up, compensating customers, and restoring lost value.
Business Ideas/ Feb 12, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Feb 04Software Design
Microsoft Excel Is Causing Great Damage to Modern Software Design
Prototyping in Excel leads developers to build apps that look like spreadsheets. Great software design requires an emotional connection — not just a table of data.
Software Design/ Feb 4, 2014 / 2 min - Jan 30Interesting
Digital Currency (Bitcoin) Is Pretty Freaking Exciting
Bitcoin's real story isn't speculation — it's the potential for instant, borderless money transfers. A look at why digital currency could reshape the global financial system.
Interesting/ Jan 30, 2014 / 3 min3 min - Jan 21Interesting
Thinking Outside Thinking Outside the Box
The phrase 'thinking outside the box' is self-defeating — and based on a puzzle illusion. There is no box. Beware of platitudes that draw your attention to the wrong place.
Interesting/ Jan 21, 2014 / 2 min2 min - Jan 12Company News
Companies Can Have New Year's Resolutions Too
Cloudmanic Labs' single resolution for 2014: fix customer support. That means faster, personal responses and a brand new self-service support center launching today.
Company News/ Jan 12, 2014 / 2 min2 min
2013
23 entries- Dec 19Interesting
Sometimes Instant Isn't So Gratifying
Switching from an iPad to a basic Kindle changed everything about reading. Removing instant distraction led to deeper focus and more meaningful engagement with books and knowledge.
Interesting/ Dec 19, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Dec 05Software Design
If You Care About Your Data . . . $B1:$C2#?!
Overreliance on Excel spreadsheets for data storage creates fragile, idiosyncratic systems that break down over time. If you care about your data, use software designed to protect it.
Software Design/ Dec 5, 2013 / 3 min - Oct 03Business Ideas
The Art of the Long Email
While most people preach short emails, Cloudmanic's approach is the opposite: long, detailed emails filter out poor communicators and reduce back-and-forth for those who value thoroughness.
Business Ideas/ Oct 3, 2013 / 2 min - Sep 12Business Ideas
Need to Make a Decision? Ask the Magic 8 Ball
From childhood toy to phone app, the Magic 8 Ball remains a surprisingly useful decision-making tool. A meditation on randomness, commitment, and what it means to trust a 20-sided die.
Business Ideas/ Sep 12, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Aug 28Software Design
Minimum Viable Product: Build, Measure, Repeat
Cloudmanic Labs analyzes their own Photomanic launch data to reveal how even experienced teams misjudge MVP scope, and why measuring feature usage is essential to lean product development.
Software Design/ Aug 28, 2013 / 2 min - Aug 20Interesting
No Rest for the Small Business Owner
Small business owners struggle to truly unplug on vacation. This post explores schedule creep, the pressure to stay connected, and why taking a real break matters for mind and body.
Interesting/ Aug 20, 2013 / 3 min - Aug 15Company News
How We Shaved 200+ Milliseconds Off Our Response Times
Cloudmanic Labs solved server colocation problems and cut response times by over 200ms through application profiling and migrating each app to its own dedicated server configuration.
Company News/ Aug 15, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Aug 08Business Ideas
B2B Is Bi-Curious But Unwilling to Admit It
The line between B2B and B2C sales is blurring. Cloudmanic uses consumer marketing tactics for Skyclerk, a B2B product, and believes the best companies embrace both worlds.
Business Ideas/ Aug 8, 2013 / 2 min - Aug 01Photomanic
My Crazy Excuse for Not Focusing on My Core Products
Why did Cloudmanic Labs build Photomanic, a photo app, instead of staying focused on small business tools? The honest answer involves creative obsession and clearing mental space.
Photomanic/ Aug 1, 2013 / 1 min - Jul 24Photomanic
Building a Software Product in a Month
How the Cloudmanic team built and launched Photomanic in under 30 days for a competition — and what that sprint taught them about software development under pressure.
Photomanic/ Jul 24, 2013 / 2 min - Jul 08Photomanic
Photomanic: A Photo Gallery for Evernote
Introducing Photomanic, a photo gallery app for Evernote that lets you upload, organize, and protect your photos inside your Evernote account — never lose a photo again.
Photomanic/ Jul 8, 2013 / 2 min - Jun 21Photomanic
The Digital Photo Conundrum: A Manifesto
A manifesto for the ideal digital photo service — covering cost, ownership, privacy, organization, and longevity — and why Cloudmanic built Photomanic on top of Evernote.
Photomanic/ Jun 21, 2013 / 3 min3 min - Jun 12Programming
AngularJs: Why I Never Should Have Hired Myself
How building a custom JavaScript framework instead of adopting AngularJS taught a hard lesson about the importance of staying engaged with the developer community.
Programming/ Jun 12, 2013 / 3 min - Jun 06Interesting
Go Ahead, Just Stand There
Science-backed power posing: how standing in an expansive posture for two minutes boosts testosterone, lowers cortisol, and helps you project calm confidence in stressful situations.
Interesting/ Jun 6, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Jun 04Programming
Being Bleeding Edge Is a Good Thing
Why staying on the bleeding edge of technology — using novel but tested libraries and design patterns — is a strategic necessity, not a luxury, for software companies.
Programming/ Jun 4, 2013 / 1 min - May 29Company News
Why We Do Not Offer Phone Support
Cloudmanic explains why email-only support keeps prices low for the 98% of customers who never need help, without sacrificing quality for the 2% who do.
Company News/ May 29, 2013 / 1 min1 min - May 22Business Ideas
When Your Devotion to Quality Makes Time (and You) its Bitch
Balancing quality obsession against time constraints — when perfectionism is a liability, when it is a virtue, and how to make peace with the tension between the two.
Business Ideas/ May 22, 2013 / 2 min2 min - May 14Software Design
Modal Windows Are For Chumps
Why modal windows are overused and misused in web design — covering the UX problems they create, when they are actually appropriate, and how to make better decisions for users.
Software Design/ May 14, 2013 / 3 min3 min - May 09Business Ideas
An Angst-Free Workplace
Why angst-free work matters more than salary or perks, and how management and employees can collaborate to identify and eliminate workplace stress at its source.
Business Ideas/ May 9, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Apr 15Skyclerk
Skyclerk Just Got Better and Cheaper
Skyclerk simplified its pricing to a free plan and a $15/month unlimited Premium plan — a massive reduction from previous tiers with no action needed for most users.
Skyclerk/ Apr 15, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Apr 03Evermanic
Evermanic Has Arrived
Evermanic is an iPhone app that lets you quickly capture recurring notes — photos, audio, or text — and store them directly into Evernote using custom profiles.
Evermanic/ Apr 3, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Jan 30Business Ideas
Price Is A Feature
Price is a real feature that influences product choices — even when a more expensive option is objectively better. A look at how price tips the scales.
Business Ideas/ Jan 30, 2013 / 2 min2 min - Jan 16Programming
Laravel / Composer : Skate To Where The Puck Is Going To Be
Why Cloudmanic moved from CodeIgniter to Laravel and Composer — skating to where PHP development is heading, not where it has been.
Programming/ Jan 16, 2013 / 2 min2 min
2012
24 entries- Dec 04Skyclerk
Skyclerk Dives into Video Marketing
Cloudmanic launches its first product marketing video for Skyclerk and shares what they hope to learn about video conversion rates, length, and format.
Skyclerk/ Dec 4, 2012 / 2 min2 min - Oct 31Interesting
Taylor Swift Is Dead To Me
Taylor Swift blocked her album from streaming services — a case study in how even beloved brands lose fans by not putting users first and resisting the future.
Interesting/ Oct 31, 2012 / 3 min - Oct 28Skyclerk
Skyclerk: Import Ledger Entries From CSV
Step-by-step guide to importing past ledger transactions into Skyclerk using a CSV file exported from any accounting system, bank, or spreadsheet.
Skyclerk/ Oct 28, 2012 / 2 min - Oct 23Software Design
When Designing Software, Think About My Wife
Great software mirrors a great relationship — built on spark, emotional attachment, and trust. Here's how to design products users can't live without.
Software Design/ Oct 23, 2012 / 5 min5 min - Oct 18Programming
Open Source Doobs Drive Me Nuts
A candid take on open source zealots who use free software without giving back — and why quality should always win over ideological purity.
Programming/ Oct 18, 2012 / 4 min4 min - Oct 04Programming
Is The Code Good?
How do you know if a developer has written good code? Explore practical metrics like bug turnaround time and commit frequency to measure code quality.
Programming/ Oct 4, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Sep 27Company News
Coming Up For Air: We Have Been Busy
After a year of silence, Cloudmanic reveals why: we rebuilt our entire infrastructure — unified accounts, oAuth2, a shared launchpad, and a new website — to support multiple products under one brand.
Company News/ Sep 27, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Sep 20Software Design
Product, Distribution, Product, Distribution...
In the web startup world, the most important mantra isn't location — it's product and distribution in a constant feedback loop. Here's how veterans and first-timers think about it differently.
Software Design/ Sep 20, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Sep 11Business Ideas
Deadlines Are Harmful To The Creative Process
At Cloudmanic Labs we run a deadline-free zone. Most deadlines are soft and arbitrary — forcing creative work into a time box produces mediocre results and burns out your best people.
Business Ideas/ Sep 11, 2012 / 4 min - Sep 10Interesting
37signals Is Nailing It Today
Three quotes on code clarity, simplicity, and developer communication from DHH and others that perfectly capture the philosophy we hold at Cloudmanic — with links to the 37signals posts that inspired them.
Interesting/ Sep 10, 2012 / 1 min1 min - Sep 05Software Design
Software Design: The "Come Back Later" Problem
Modern software is commitment-free, so when users encounter a confusing advanced feature they mentally note "come back later" — and never do. Build interfaces so simple they don't need to.
Software Design/ Sep 5, 2012 / 3 min - Aug 20Business Ideas
Learning Is Hard: Hire Employees With A Learning Scale Of 10
Not all learning is equal — we each have a passion scale of 1–10 for any subject. When hiring, seek people whose scale is a 10 for their field so they stay sharp and keep growing.
Business Ideas/ Aug 20, 2012 / 4 min - Aug 12Business Ideas
NDAs Are Often Misused & Dumb!
Most startups asking you to sign an NDA before pitching their idea are shooting themselves in the foot. Ideas need evangelism, not secrecy — here's why NDAs early on are counterproductive.
Business Ideas/ Aug 12, 2012 / 2 min2 min - Jul 03Skyclerk
There Had To Be A Better Way: How Skyclerk Came To Be
How growing up watching a father do books by hand, and years of frustration with QuickBooks, led to building Skyclerk — a faster, simpler bookkeeping tool for small businesses.
Skyclerk/ Jul 3, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Jun 26Business Ideas
Loyalty, Its Important
Loyalty — in business and personal relationships — has more long-term value than the "it's just business" mindset. Here's why prioritizing loyalty pays bigger dividends over time.
Business Ideas/ Jun 26, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Jun 18Programming
Coding Should Be Like Writing A Book
Why code should read like a book — with descriptive function names, clear variables, and visual symmetry — so any developer can skim it and understand what's happening.
Programming/ Jun 18, 2012 / 2 min2 min - May 23Business Ideas
A Special Thanks To Wildbit
A shout-out to Wildbit — makers of Beanstalk and Postmark — for their mentorship community Think Strapped and their generous support of bootstrapped software startups.
Business Ideas/ May 23, 2012 / 1 min1 min - May 15Company News
Let's make it easier to talk. And listen.
Cloudmanic Labs consolidates its social media presence to a single Twitter account, Facebook page, and blog — making it simpler for customers to stay in touch and follow along.
Company News/ May 15, 2012 / 2 min2 min - May 02Business Ideas
20 Mile Hikes
A lesson from Jim Collins' Great by Choice about consistent 20-mile-a-day progress and why disciplined, steady growth beats the temptation to sprint or stall in building a startup.
Business Ideas/ May 2, 2012 / 2 min2 min - Apr 24Company News
Roadmaps: We Should Have Known Better
After scrapping months of invoicing work for Skyclerk, Cloudmanic Labs explains why publicly sharing product roadmaps and deadlines was a mistake — and why that transparency is ending.
Company News/ Apr 24, 2012 / 2 min2 min - Apr 12Business Ideas
Consistent UI Design For Apps & Marketing Sites
Why startups should maintain consistent look and feel from marketing site to app to mobile — and how Cloudmanic Labs is committing to a unified experience across all its properties.
Business Ideas/ Apr 12, 2012 / 2 min2 min - Apr 03Business Ideas
Hiring Programmers When They Are Excited
Drawing a parallel between snowboarding passion and software engineering drive, this post argues for hiring programmers while they're still in the growth phase of their career.
Business Ideas/ Apr 3, 2012 / 3 min3 min - Mar 25Skyclerk
Skyclerk Hearts Shoeboxed
Skyclerk and Shoeboxed deepen their partnership — Premium and Infinity Skyclerk users now get a free Shoeboxed account with automatic daily transaction imports.
Skyclerk/ Mar 25, 2012 / 1 min - Feb 09Heapless
Get Ready For Heapless
Cloudmanic Labs announces Heapless, an organizational tool designed to help small businesses tame the document pile — receipts, certificates, emails, and bills — digital or paper.
Heapless/ Feb 9, 2012 / 1 min
2011
21 entries- Dec 30Uncategorized
Thanks for a great 2011!
A year-end recap of Cloudmanic Labs' highlights in 2011 — Skyclerk's growth, mobile apps, the Shoeboxed partnership, Grapeshare's launch — and a preview of what's coming in 2012.
Uncategorized/ Dec 30, 2011 / 3 min - Dec 27Interesting
New Year's Resolutions Are Garbage; Setting Goals Is Not
Why New Year's resolutions fail and why specific, attainable goal-setting — organized around a single word for the year — is a far more effective approach to personal growth.
Interesting/ Dec 27, 2011 / 4 min4 min - Dec 13Software Design
Why the #NewTwitter Kept Me From Deleting My Account
Twitter's 2011 redesign pulled a near-quitter back in — not because of new features, but because the team actually studied how users behaved and rebuilt the interface around real evidence.
Software Design/ Dec 13, 2011 / 4 min - Dec 08Interesting
The Joker Test
Before reaching out to Cloudmanic for a job or a sale, do your homework first. The Joker Test is a simple screen: have you even tried the product you're pitching or applying to?
Interesting/ Dec 8, 2011 / 1 min1 min - Dec 05Software Design
Sucky Products Suck - or is it just that good products are great?
Why do some products inspire fierce loyalty while others just get used? A look at emotional engagement, feature bloat, and why the best products feel more like friends than tools.
Software Design/ Dec 5, 2011 / 3 min - Nov 28Company News
Introducing Grapeshare
Cloudmanic Labs launches Grapeshare, a social network for wine lovers to record, rate, share, and discover wines with friends — born from the team's own passion for the grape.
Company News/ Nov 28, 2011 / 2 min - Nov 22Interesting
Northwest road trip 2: Attack of the mountains
From Shannon Falls to the Rocky Mountains, part two of an epic Pacific Northwest road trip discovers that British Columbia's mountains are relentlessly, overwhelmingly spectacular.
Interesting/ Nov 22, 2011 / 3 min - Nov 15Interesting
Northwest road trip, part I: Ghosts and vampires
A summer road trip through Washington's Olympic National Park, Twilight-obsessed Forks, and Victoria's Ghostly Walk — where stunning scenery meets pop-culture pilgrimages.
Interesting/ Nov 15, 2011 / 3 min - Jul 21Interesting
Where's the Over-Communication Line
When working remotely, communication is essential — but there's a line between keeping people informed and flooding inboxes. Here's how to find the right balance.
Interesting/ Jul 21, 2011 / 2 min - Jul 17Interesting
Hating on H2O
A self-confessed water-hater navigates the world of bottled water trends and a troubling diet soda study, searching for a tasty, waist-friendly alternative to plain H2O.
Interesting/ Jul 17, 2011 / 3 min - Jun 26Business Ideas
I Don't Care About Your Resume
Why a GitHub account matters more than a polished resume when hiring programmers — a look at how public code reveals true passion and primary language focus.
Business Ideas/ Jun 26, 2011 / 2 min - Jun 12Interesting
Confessions of a webcam addict
A confession of a webcam obsession — from Glacier National Park to Alaska's FAA aviation cams — and a quiet fear that reality might not live up to the screen.
Interesting/ Jun 12, 2011 / 3 min - Jun 07Business Ideas
Communication with Your Virtual Team
A practical breakdown of when to use IM, micro-blogs, project management tools, Google Docs, and intranet sites to communicate effectively with remote and virtual team members.
Business Ideas/ Jun 7, 2011 / 3 min - May 16Programming
Cover Your Ass Software Development
Why the CYA process — scoping, wireframing, and designing before writing a line of code — is just as critical for your own product as it is for client work, and how it leads to polished first releases.
Programming/ May 16, 2011 / 4 min - May 09Interesting
Required reading
A love letter to banned books — from Bridge to Terabithia to Lolita — and why the titles most challenged by parents and institutions are often the ones that change us most profoundly.
Interesting/ May 9, 2011 / 4 min - May 05Business Ideas
Co-Working 101: What Is It, How To Find Co-Working Spaces, and Is It for You
A practical guide to co-working — what it is, how to find spaces near you using directories like DeskWanted and Loosecubes, and how to decide if shared office space fits your work style.
Business Ideas/ May 5, 2011 / 3 min - Apr 23Interesting
Waiting on the Fourth of July
A love letter to Pacific Northwest summers — and the long, gray wait through Oregon's cruel June before the unofficial start of summer arrives on the Fourth of July.
Interesting/ Apr 23, 2011 / 2 min - Apr 12Business Ideas
The Web Is Hard
A 4th-generation entrepreneur questions whether the rise of internet startups — with their low success rates — is slowly killing the entrepreneurial spirit that built Main Street businesses.
Business Ideas/ Apr 12, 2011 / 2 min - Apr 06Business Ideas
How to get hired: What not to do
A hiring committee member shares candid advice on the cover letter, resume, and interview mistakes that get applications sent straight to the shredder — and how to avoid them.
Business Ideas/ Apr 6, 2011 / 4 min - Apr 05Company News
Blog-Shaking News
Cloudmanic Labs is moving its product blog elsewhere and opening this space up to fun, wide-ranging posts from the team — from geeky to awe-inspiring and everything between.
Company News/ Apr 5, 2011 / 2 min - Apr 03Company News
Cloudmanic Labs Has A New Blog
Cloudmanic Labs has launched a new blog on ExpressionEngine, moving away from WordPress and sharing plans for a more fun, wide-ranging editorial direction.
Company News/ Apr 3, 2011 / 1 min1 min
