<Eyes closed thinking about how to start an article about what we've done in the past three months.

Deep Breath.

What is the first line. Its important right? You have to nail the first line.

Just start writing. You'll figure it out as you go....>

This is almost exactly how it started - with a little more homework. I have to say we are by no means done with this. We don't really even know if this will be a success or not. Well, we've been paid. In a purely capitalistic sense we have succeeded in providing a service and been compensated for the effort.

I remember reading blog after blog after article after sales link on how to start a business. This isn't that. This isn't a how to. Its not an endorsement, although there are plenty of people to thank. This isn't a list of 10 things to do and then a massive caveat about how to make a firm work. Its a recollection of how we did what we did. Not really a why we did it, but the nuts and bolts of how we did it.

A lawyer, insurance broker, and accountant walk into a bar.

Find one of each. Make sure you trust them. And then listen. First the lawyer. We're in Texas, so getting familiar with the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA) is a must. Leaving an established architecture firm with client work is always dicey, so make sure you're above board on everything. Insurance - you can never have enough, so buy as much as you can afford. An accountant - keep it simple stupid. That's what Tom said to me when I started rattling off every question I had about how to form a firm. Make an LLC. Don't get fancy with the shell companies, or controlling interest group. You're not a billionaire Alec, so Keep It Simple. There we go, Project Luong Architects, LLC. Done.

The logo has to have red and has to have a square.

Said every other architecture firm ever. We really struggled with this. How do you create an identity that reinforces professionalism, while distinguishing yourself from the rest of the professionals? Marcus Martinez with UltraBarrio Associates. We sent him everything we had come up with and why we loved or hated it and asked for his help. He and his wife were able to take us through a really well though out discovery period and within a few weeks we had hit on what we wanted our identity to be. We love the block letters, the accents that nod to our respective backgrounds, and the bold statement it makes on a mustard yellow background. Totally professional. Totally different. Perfect.

Hardware? Software? Virtual? Laptop? Desktop? I need a nap.

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Environment. Amazon, Google, and a few other providers all do personal cloud, but the kicker is the graphics card. It all comes down to the graphics card. Microsoft has it and it works. The others didn't. It was that simple. We got setup on Azure on day 2, and fully committed to the Microsoft Environment. Microsoft O365 Business Premium with Teams and Communication Credits. That's what you need to have Teams, Sharepoint, and telephone services. Its a real brain teaser to setup, but once you muscle through it works like a charm.

Microsoft Surface Book Laptops. You can get on the cloud from anywhere in theory, but you need a machine to get you there. Instead of using our desktops at home, we purchase new laptops for all employees. We configure each laptop with the required security features (Mutli-Factor Authentication and the like) and now we're setup to work from anywhere. The bonus feature here is that the Surface Book has a detachable monitor. Huge plus here for site visits. When going to jobsites you can detach the monitor, put it in a protective sleeve, and now you've got a way more functional iPad that can take pictures, notes, field memos, etc. and post them to the cloud seamlessly when it reconnects.

Software. Call Cody Jerzak with ATG. Software is stupidly expensive. ATG got us setup with the correct Autodesk licenses and was able to arrange financing for us to spread out the cost over the course of a year. The best part about ATG is their customer support. We're architects, not IT guys, so having a reliable partner help us troubleshoot issues that are way beyond our wheelhouse so we can get back to making drawings is a must have. ATG provided us Bluebeam licenses as well. Adobe you can buy directly from Adobe.

Sketchup. Sigh. I don't understand how in 2021 a company can refuse to provide support of any kind for their product. Its awful. You're more likely to see meaningful immigration, heathcare reform, and free ice cream for life before someone from Trimble will pick up the phone and justify why their product doesn't work on a cloud based environment. If you're an architecture student today you need to learn Autodesk FORMIT. Sketchup is a dying software (Yes, Rhino. I mentioned it. Now I'm done).

Part II to continue.

I think this should be interactive in some way. These are highlights of a much more complex story and don't fill in every detail for sure. If you have questions please drop a comment and we will get back to addressing them in Part II of this article.

‍