We launched the prototype in January 2010, and it took off by word of mouth, even before a public launch, surprising us as it was just an API for charging credit cards.

When we first launched our product, I was embarrassed about its readiness, but we had to ship it. We learned from our initial customers, who provided valuable feedback that helped us improve.

In late 2009, we decided to publicly announce our product, which led to significant interest and media coverage.

We launched our product to friends and family to test our processes and pricing, which helped us refine our approach and led to referrals.

We launched our product at a startup demo conference, despite initial skepticism from others about our idea, and faced challenges in recruiting a PR firm due to the prevailing negative sentiment. We decided to handle marketing ourselves instead of hiring a marketing person, and we had a memorable audition experience with two computers, one as a backup.

We brought in customers early to test our product, which helped change the minds of skeptical team members when they saw real-time reactions from users.

We realized we would never feel ready to launch, so we set a date and worked hard for four months to prepare for it.

We launched our product online, supported it via email, and maintained a frugal, cash-neutral operation while reaching an international market from the start.

During demo day at Y Combinator, we showcased our product and met with investors, which was a pivotal moment for us.