So Long Safe Eyes
The best I can figure out it's been about 14 years since we released the first version of Safe Eyes (I have screen shots, but I'm to embarrassed to post them). Today it reaches "end-of-life" - a kind, technical way of saying it's dead. People have been asking me how I feel about that. When you build and refine something for over 10 years you start to feel like it's your baby. As you can imagine there have been a lot of emotions along the 14-year journey - highs and lows. In the end though, all that remains is gratitude.
The Team
We had a resilient and motivated team at InternetSafety.com. We were building some of the hardest software you can build. We could walk in any given Monday and have to re-write a feature because someone changed something somewhere on the Internet. It could be frustrating, but also rewarding. The team knew they were doing work that mattered in the everyday lives of parents around the world. It was frustrating, but meaningful work. The team expanded considerably once we joined McAfee. There are too many names to list, and I would mistakenly leave someone out. Thank you to everyone who was part of the InternetSafety.com team and those that helped us bring the product into McAfee.
Our Partners
A segment of our business was through partnerships with organizations like X3 Church, Wisechoice, The Government of Australia, and McAfee. McAfee of course ended up acquiring the company in 2010 and kept the product on-line for nearly half of it's life. Each partner engagement had unique requirements and delivering on them strengthened our team and the product. Together we built businesses and I'm grateful for partners that put their trust in us to deliver a product for them.
Our Competitors
InternetSafety.com and Safe Eyes gained a reputation as an innovator in the parental controls space, which was in large part driven by relentless competition. Our passion to help parents protect their kids was the fuel in our tank, and competition was constantly stomping on the accelerator. Thanks for spurring us on.
Founding and growing an organization or company will stretch and grow you in ways you can't even imagine. I'm most of all I'm grateful for that experience. So long Safe Eyes and thanks for the journey. Now back to work, the next chapter won't write itself...