However, for 27-year-old self-taught computer programmer Andrew Schofield, from Manapouri, it became the realisation of a nine-year dream - from developing an idea, through several years of cash-draining research and development, commercialisation, turning losses to eventual profitability and, finally, the sale of his software company to online giant Trade Me last week.
Last year, Mr Schofield's software handled $15 million in tourism, accommodation and activities bookings and the private company booked revenue of about $1 million.
"After all the years, the best thing was the first day when we saw the first booking come in.
And then another one," Mr Schofield said.
BookIt is an online software provider to New Zealand tourism operators, delivering booking and payment processing services for a network of more than 40 reselling websites and 1700 tourism suppliers built up during the past five years.
BookIt's software product is not seen by the public, but it is used by the public on the websites of tourism-related businesses as their "behind-the-scenes" booking system, which is managed and overseen from BookIt's Dunedin offices.
Inaugural users included Queenstown-based Ultimate Hikes and nzski.com skifield owner-operators and a myriad of southern attractions formerly owned by listed Tourism Holdings, through to more recent contracts, such as Yellow Pages' travel division.
"It's too expensive for every operator to build their own system.
BookIt operates behind the scenes and that way they benefit from any new research and development we introduce," Mr Schofield said.
After initial success developing the Travel Plan website for activities around Te Anau and Fiordland, Mr Schofield went to Dunedin businessman Ian Taylor to pitch the expanded Travel Plan idea to him, saying the future lay in online booking systems.
Mr Taylor wryly recalled the then 18-year-old Mr Schofield's persistence in requesting an initial interview, and on eventually seeing him and being told Taylormade's (award-winning) websites were "good", however, "you really need to employ me".
Mr Taylor bought into the proposal, installing Mr Schofield in his Moray Pl offices and later employing Ryan Baker (32), who joined Mr Schofield as a company director.
While using Mr Schofield's skills on some of his own Animation Research Ltd projects during the first four years, last week Mr Taylor estimated "several hundred thousand dollars" had been invested over the years in BookIt's research and development.
"It was bit scary with no money coming in for four years or more."
BookIt went live in September 2004 but did not become profitable until early 2007, the beginning of a huge surge in growth.
In 2009, BookIt was a finalist in the PricewaterhouseCooper's emerging technology company competition and later came 293rd in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for the Asia Pacific region.
Annual growth at one point was almost 200%, but on average over 2007, 2008 and 2009 it was 150%.
"When things took off, we went through a hockey stick [shaped] growth stage,' Mr Baker said.
Mr Taylor said the company had never convened a board meeting but to keep him informed of its growing profitability, Mr Schofield set up a screen which electronically charted its daily profitability.
"I'd walk past on my way for a coffee and just look at the red line reaching up . . . then start again the next day," Mr Taylor said.
Mr Schofield and Mr Baker praised Mr Taylor for landing their first orders, using his southern contacts, as well as for his lack of "micro-management" and the trust he placed in them to deliver a profitable business after years of no return on research and development.
"Ian trusted us and bankrolled us for years; you don't see a lot of that," Mr Baker said.
The sale price to Trade Me was confidential, but Mr Schofield said BookIt had been in talks with Trade Me for about a year.
"They liked BookIt and saw more options, because we're a small team and able to adapt quickly. [For us] Trade Me had the reputation of having done well in the online business."
While Mr Taylor has exited his stake in BookIt with its sale, Mr Schofield will go to Wellington shortly to continue to work for BookIt and Mr Baker and wife Kirstin will remain in Dunedin for the time being overseeing BookIt's operations.
With Trade Me owned by the giant Fairfax media group, BookIt's software has already gone "live" in Australia, where there were "huge opportunities", Mr Schofield said.
