A Lifetime of Startup Expertise:
World Firsts With A Global Impact:
At the beginning of the web, business websites were just online brochures. I changed that. I started the world’s first PHP web app development and PHP hosting company, and created the first database driven websites, for startups, small businesses, and national and international companies. My second startup launched in 2006, and spawned the link analytics software category.
Founder / Developer / Sales
I started the PHP development firm and PHP host, building the first database commercial sites for small to international clients.
Inventor / Product Designer / Developer
I created the first PHP online shopping cart, paving the way for millions of small companies to sell online, without needing VC financing.
Inventor / Founder / Product Designer
I created an industry and introduced several now ubiquitous growth hacks, when the first link redirect business did over $1MM in sales.
World's First SaaS Startup:
Before Web Sorcery, I created the first SaaS, a real-estate web app that failed because our pitchman (ex-Finance Minister, Garth Turner), couldn’t convince investors that the Internet wasn’t a “fad”. I pivoted, and have been studying and helping startups ever since.
Other Inventions:
In addition to the more impactful inventions listed above, Web Sorcery’s clients had use of the world’s first Content Management System for websites.
I also invented a fast web installer for GoTryTHIS and Tracker.ly, which has been used by thousands of clients.
Product Designer / Developer
I invented and developed the first content management system for editing websites online, like WordPress, but 10 years earlier.
Inventor / Product Designer
I conceived of and funded the R&D for a two minute web installer to remove the barrier for non-technical people adding server software.
SaaS Founder:
Tracker.ly was the next generation of GoTryTHIS, and also required inventing new technology. It has provided a nice passive income for over 10 years, but I burned too much on R&D. Lots of lessons learned.
Founder / Inventor / Product Designer
Tracker.ly introduced several new technologies to enable real-time tracking of clicks on links from multiple websites in one dashboard.
Founder / Inventor / Product Designer
SalesBully automated a number of new growth hacks and personalization techniques that were introduced in the GoTryTHIS launch.
Startup Coaching:
I have been sharing my expertise with founders throughout my career.
Three years ago, I started a partnership with my favourite development team, which I have used for 16 years and trust to do things right, and affordably. I get discounts on my developers for taking occasional sales and coaching calls with potential clients. If you’re looking for developers, get in touch.
Startup Coach / Sales (Current)
Part-time sales contact and startup coach for an excellent 300+ person development team, recommended by European incubators.
Writer / Coach (Current)
Learn how to build a startup in a way that is fun and risk free, and how to rescue a failed startup without throwing more money at it.
A Few Of My Clients Since 1992:
I’ve been problem solving for a diverse range of business types and sizes since I started developing offline databases full-time for corporate clients, 33 years ago, when I was 16.
Product Designer
Modernized the consumer facing business directory for a company I wrote the original backend software for, 27 years prior.
Product Designer
A beautiful photography sales system for photographer studio owners to optimize and simplify their sales processes.
Product Design / Development
“John Reel has been an invaluable resource for All Votes Count Canada. He is disciplined and highly organized, he brings marketing insight…”
Product Designer / CTO Position Offered
His “knowledge of UX and design gave us a powerful design to implement. He has a deep understanding of how to build a successful…”
Product Manager / Product Designer
“John actively sought out feedback to understand our product, market conditions, and customers, and succeeded in designing…”
Product Manager / Product Designer
I eliminated two days of work a week with one of the first online grocery delivery sites, which was operational for seventeen years.
Inventor / Founder / Product Designer
A “yellow pages” of landscaping contractors was a big money earner with paid listings, was one of four projects for the same company.
Concept / Product Designer / Developer
A marketing tool for a driving ed company “drove” lots of organic traffic with an online driving test practice quiz.
Product Designer / Developer
The Student Biotechnology Exhibition site’s success led to expanding to communicate to additional cities across Canada.
Product Designer / Developer
I increased production capability with a FoxPRO database to manage directory listings and export Postscript files for publication.