When my wife and I acquired Silvrback in 2015… Ok, when I did, and my wife wondered why but went along anyhow…, I felt like I had gotten my hands on “my precious”. Not in an economic sense, but in the sense of a valuable idea.

It is not yet all the things I had hoped at the time, but it is many of those things, things that make Silvrback a distinctive look and feel, a familiar yet fresh flavor, something personal I get to create for people who use Silvrback.

You see, for all the success we see today in the growth of social media, where ideas come in brief burps and brain farts, I think there are many who yearn to write thoughtful, meaty stuff.

So, here is my take on how you will know if you’re in the right place.

1) You want to write.

While some will say “a picture is worth a 1000 words”, you say, “show me the words.” In a world where it seems that few can write worth a hoot, you value the written word – and the ideas words can transmit and shape.

Silvrback is best for writing. Yes, of course, images are supported, and videos, but it’s about the words.

2) You want to write now.

You can download platforms, set up this and that, customize ‘til you’re blue in the face, and maybe even place a rabbit’s foot over your mirror if you want. You can add a cool domain name and the most awesome theme selected from among thousands. That’s fine, go for it. That’s not us.

Here you walk in, pull up a chair, and you can be up and writing in a couple of minutes – beginning to end. You wanna write, then write.

Oh, and if you want a personal domain, we can help you set that up. No rabbit’s foot though.

3) You want simple.

You know, your life is probably complicated enough as it is. Really. Filled with technologies, feeds, and voices, all to supposedly make your life more fulfilling and you more effective. Really? Uhhh, not so much.

We sell simple. We invite you to chill here.

4) You want clean.

You want to walk in and find your space in order, cleaned up. It’s not junkie or noisy. Look, we wrestle with aesthetics and functionality within our minimalist perspective. The difference between bling and diamonds isn’t always clear.

We’d rather feel a bit rough and authentic than too polished and plastic.

5) You want tools to work with.

You want to step up to the work bench and find the tools you need to do what you want to do. And you want it to be clear how to use them.

At what point do tools become a distraction, a frustration, a hindrance to writing? I don’t know exactly, but we certainly ponder this. Each additional tool creates greater complexity, less simplicity.

6) You want good bones for the long haul.

You want a quality operation. You want to know that the thing will be working when you do your thing. And when you want to push the limits a bit, you want the platform to step up with you. Call it reliable and durable.

Silvrback is built upon some of the most recognized brands in the world. Heroku, Amazon, and Adobe. Sound familiar? We pay the piper so you don’t have to.

7) You want to be left alone to do your thing.

This is your space. You paid for it and want to be left to do your thing. The last thing you want when you get home is to have some chatter box going off on you. On the other hand, when things are not going right, you want to know someone is there to clean it up.

We’re a small operation, but an engaged one. We strive to do our work in the background so you can do your work with greater ease. When you email us with a problem or suggestion, we’re on it.

Ok, I have to say it. Sometimes, just maybe, when I can’t help myself, I might email you directly to tell you about a new and nifty thing we just did that I think you’ll want to know about. But it would be rare.

8) And, you don’t want to be left broke doing all of this.