Web Design & The Chief Alchemist?

I've been asked many times, in meeting rooms, sales presentations, wedding dinners, old boys gatherings, why do I carry this rather unusual title?

"CHIEF ALCHEMIST"?

Why indeed?

There's the long answer and the short answer thing.

So for this post, I will get to the short answer, which might be more relevant within this context.

Whichever ways you see it, the Internet is fertile ground for innovation. When I first got interested in web design circa 1996, I knew that the value of the web was not in any new fangled, multi-million inventions coming out of research labs within the guts of the Silicon Valley. The value of the web will be on how we put existing stuffs together to produce something valuable.

You throw text, images, videos and a bunch of codes together, stir them with imagination and make it do things for people in never before imagined scenarios or those areas that are blatantly under-served and bingo! you've opened NEW DOORS into this brave new, connected world of ours.

Look at GOOGLE.

Look at FACEBOOK.

Or YOUTUBE, for that matter.

Great ideas, YES! But really, it's always been there, those materials. You mine them out, connect them, slice & dice 'em, and whooosh, GOLD!

That's alchemy. Making gold out of ordinary things.

For us at XIMNET, we look at your content, your context with eyes of possibilities. That's our thing, OUR CREED, if you don't choke on that kind of words.

And we've done this for more than a decade. I am proud to say this without any sense of irony, we've got to be one of the top web design company. In Malaysia at least, if not in the region.

And we've seen promising competitors flamed out in the lean years after the 7 fat years, watched some losing their ways, gazing starry eyed, hallucinating under the desert skies, and witnessed some new ones sprouting like tiny mushrooms after last night's rain. (OK, I'll be honest, there's one I like a lot, web warriors, kindred spirits)

But we, we've been tested thoroughly in the crucible of fire. And for that reason alone, we dare to say we know what's its worth, this web thing.

I will whisper to you... it's about results...

Yes, it's all about delivering results my friends. And we've gotten the rituals and chants down pat. And a dash of love to work it too, but that's for another day.

So there, that's my passion, transforming everyday things into gold over the Internet. And if you don't mind, I want to get back to my lab. :-)

Have fun, my friends!

Chief Alchemist.

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XIMNET & Digital Alchemy in 2011

2011 is going to be a special year for XIMNET. Yeah, I will explain, but before that, some backgrounders.

2011 is the 11th year XIMNET has been in the web development business. I will, from now onwards, no longer refer to XIMNET as a web development company but simply as a Digital Agency. I think a digital agency not only sounds a lot better, but also because the work we do at XIMNET are no longer limited by the web.

So XIMNET is a Digital Agency, and we are going forward riding the waves of exciting change brought about by constant technological and societal changes in the new millinieum.

Hi there, my name is Wiley Chin. I am the Chief Alchemist of XIMNET MALAYSIA, a digital agency that's focused on delivering quantifiable, exciting results to our clients in Malaysia and across the region.

Looking back, what a journey it has been for my team and I over the past 10 years. XIMNET was founded in San Jose, USA on 2000. I remember sitting in our little office putting ideas together and reviewing them with Patrick K, and Esmond G, who is always running too far ahead and changing his mind about what is needed for this client and that.

And yes, I remember one winter morning in 2000, I made a remark about how bad the "Columbian Coffee" was in the pantry, and Luisa B, who is incidentally from Venezuela, thought I was mad. Apparently Columbian Coffee is gourmet coffee. I didn't know that, and to me, Aik Cheong Coffee from Malacca is 10 times better.

But all those heady dotcom dayscame crashing down after September 11, 2001.

When it became clear that we were headed for closure, I made up my mind to take the company to a different direction. With some funding from a friend, I bought out the company from my VC friend, Esmond G. And so around September 2002, XIMNET MALAYSIA with its focus on web development got started.

And we've been operating in Malaysia for 8 years going to 9, not counting the founding years when I was an employee. In my mind, however, XIMNET is 10 years old.

2011 is our new decade to take XIMNET, the digital agency and run the distance in creative digital exploration, developing a powerful suite of apps that will form an exciting e-commerce platform , results-based digital engagement consultancy, and most of all, "digital alchemy".

2011 is our year to paint bold strokes against this vast canvass of possibilities called the digital space!

DIGITAL ALCHEMY @ WORK will feature all of my team-members with their respective roles and insights in our business.

1. Florence Wan will be focusing on digital Sales & Marketing consultancy.
2. Lydia Lai & Hui Sheng will be talking about XTOPIA and our software exploits
3.Deborah Sze and Team will be creating innovative designs and user interface ideas.

NOTE: I used to maintain a blog called THE ALCHEMIST'S LAB . It's been a little dormant after more than 6 years of being a place where I collect my thoughts. You can go there to take a look at where I come from, but going forward, this is the new home for my ideas and thoughts.

Till then,

ENJOY!

Wiley Chin a.k.a. Chief Alchemist

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