This is an open letter to you all. I think on Thanksgiving it's a prime time to say a big thanks - and there's something in it for you all...

The idea behind Odbody.com was conceived nearly two years ago and since I've never known a period in life like it. We've designed and planned the site in our spare time, stayed up way past our bedtime far too many times to finish off presentations, business plans and blog posts. We've been funded by friends and family who have liked in the idea, possibly hoped we might make them rich one day, but more than likely because they believed in us. We've let friends down in numerous ways, generally because by working in our spare time on the site we've failed to turn up to parties, remember birthdays or ignored phone calls. We've also spent our rainy day funds and our future retirement plans on costs to run the site...

So, in no particular order, I want to thank each and everyone of you for all that you've done to keep this baby alive so far:The back bone to every start up company and dream website. Who would have guessed when we convinced you to part with your grandchildren's inheritance/future pension plans that we would then hit the biggest world wide recession since World War II? I can't thank you enough for helping to fund our dreams and hopes. I hope and pray in return that this site does make you all internet millionaires. I can't promise anything, but I can assure you that we have for 2 years lived, eaten, slept and drunk the site and will continue to work as hard as we can to bring you back a return on that investment. Thank you for all that you've done.You guys are always in our thoughts – in the words of a very old (pretty cheesy) song 'everything I do, I do it for you'. We've tried to build a site that will give you somewhere to keep your memories. That's pretty precious stuff. We appreciate that, and I thank you for entrusting us with that. We know that the site isn't all shiny and spangly, we know at times there's things that still need improving, but day in day out we try to do that. We have one developer who is working to keep improving what we do. So thank you for trying it out, thank you for putting up with a clunky bits along the way.Oh sometimes it's tough, sometimes when you're so in love with the idea you get a bit to close to the wood to see the trees (or the screen to see the keys). That's where our detractors come in... comments such as 'Isn't it just a back-slapping site?' and, 'But why would I want to store my life' and the ultimate, 'Isn't that facebook?' serve as a metaphorical slap in the face with a wet kipper. They wake us up from our insular world and make us question everything again – often with a better site at the end of it. So even though sometimes it hurts, thank you.Before Odbody we were just normal, everyday people. Since Odbody , we've become obsessed, friends have had to cope with a lot from us. To state a few:Never seeing us, or at best putting up with us turning up late to functions as we give up every spare moment to work on the site. If we do make it, putting up with us looking dazed and confused as the daylight hurts our eyes having been subjected to 20 hours of glare from the laptop screen.Consistently being asked to take part in surveys, user testing or feedbackCelebrating birthdays and anniversaries without the yearly card or present – as we forget another thing that has been ousted from our memory to make room in our minds for the next feature we're developing.Thank you for still calling us your friends, we can't promise you that it's going to change overnight, but we really appreciate your love and support.Where do I start with this? If they haven't been asked to part with their cash or put up with all the things our friends have multiplied by ten, then they've had to cope with the nervous breakdowns, the worries, the dark fears in the middle of the night as we try and take on too much. Not only that, but add the fact that my dad is quite literally 'pimping' our site out to everyone he meets and leaving our cards everywhere he goes, and you suddenly realise just how much your loved ones will do for you. To everyone of you, you all know who you are and you are truly appreciated - you are our inspiration. Thank you.Odbody operates with a massive team of five... four of whom have day jobs, one of which has been employed but will soon have to get a day job (the joy of raising investment in a recession has finally hit). None of us work together, in fact we're based in three locations across the UK. Every one of the team have given up their lives to get this on the road - putting their real life on hold. We know we've made mistakes along the way but what I admire is that each time something isn't right, one of the team will find it in themselves to pull it around, see the light at the end of the tunnel and dragging us back from despair and ultimately, making it a better site. You guys truly rock. Two years on and I can't thank you enough for taking this ride with me.So that's it - a big thank you for all of you. Two years on and we're still rocking on, growing slowly but surely. Living the dream in a recession-hit nightmare. I hope you all have a fab Thanksgiving.Chief Stressball