Citizen Agency

So, we’ve entered the Harvest New Founders Program to win one free year of Harvest. We’re pretty excited, because Harvest is a nice looking business tool (we’ve already subscribed based on our testing out of it)…and it isn’t like we are so broke that we can’t afford to pay the monthly fee…we just love the idea of the contest and like winning! And, we really really <3 the idea that Harvest is supporting new businesses like this. From their website:

To help companies get on their feet, The Harvest New Founders Program is giving away one year’s subscription of Harvest time tracking service to a new company each month.

So, what is Harvest?

Basically, it’s time tracking for businesses. Agencies need this stuff. We need to know how much time we are spending on the business, each client, certain tasks, etc. so we can become more efficient and, you know, bill stuff. We’ll also be able to figure out our own personal inefficiencies.

Chris futzes.

I’m going to make a category for him that says, “Futzing” – which includes stuff like checking his Flickr comments, IMing about general stuff, playing around with new apps…these are totally valuable tasks. They are what builds the basis for his connections to community and keeps that brilliant brain of his going. However, if he is futzing more than doing client work, he’ll have to discipline himself a bit more so we don’t fall behind schedules.
Me, I drift.

I get going down a path and then I get absorbed in topics for too long. I love looking too deeply at stuff. Once again, this is very good because I get to really get into a subject and start to understand context and really care. Not so good if I get distracted from the task at hand. I’m making a category for myself called, “Drift”.

We’ll have to see what Ben’s ‘thing’ is.

Anyways, we all know that time tracking is essential, that’s why we need to use something like Harvest to keep us all in line. Here is our submission:

It goes back to high school…or at least it does for Chris. For me, it goes back to, geez, I can’t remember when. But at some point we both had this crazy idea that we could make a living by teaching others to run more ethical businesses. To care about people. To give a damn about changing the world.

I know, it’s nuts.

But then somehow, across countries and all sorts of barriers, we found one another. Chris and I, I mean. We met, fell in love and had this epiphany that we were going to change the world together. And that was all that mattered. And really, that is where it all started for us…

Both of us were working at startups. Me, at Riya. Chris, at Flock. We blogged. We had funny ideas about stuff. We would never compromise our ideals. And, really, that is what led both of us to leave our respective employers and strike out on our own.

That is when Citizen Agency was born. The name came to us in an easy whirlwind. Instantly, we knew that is who we are. And then Ben came to us in that same easy whirlwind. The third Citizen Agent, who we had met and plotted with in French cafes last December, who had left the BBC because he was darn-well ready to. He was born to be a Citizen, too.

We formed what will be known as “Whatever happened to Citizen Agency?” just over a month ago. We really loved the idea of Harvest (design, layout, features, etc.) from the beginning. Thought we’d take a swing at your little contest (quite nice btw). Love that you are supporting new founders. That rocks.

So, we are Tara Hunt, Chris Messina and Ben Metcalfe and we are Citizen Agents. We do cool stuff for pay and that is great, ’cause it looks as though people are wanting to pay us.

And we hope you pick us, too.

So…wish us luck! If Harvest works out well, we’ll be talking about it here.