Progress updates related with our crowdfunding launch.
Progress is slow but consistent. No pricing or timeline yet but, we’re getting down to the final strokes. Assembly Instruction Manual The manufacturer is reluctant to give the final quote until they know “Everything”. That includes the last manufactured component “The User Assembly Manual”. Work on this has been slower then expected. This work is…
Darn it! I’ve been holding off writing the monthly newsletter hoping to have a date and price to report. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a little longer. Changes: We ran into some issues testing the new prototypes. Changing the screen from 90 tilt to 80 degrees looked good on paper, but when tested the new…
The picture is a new set of XOOT Kit parts (just received this morning). We’ll be testing them this week. Progress! You may have noticed there have not been a lot of XOOT progress reports this year. There’s reason for that… there’s just wasn’t much to say…. It’s just been hard work. To give…
It’s been quite a year… and boy are we looking forward to 2021! We started the year on down note. Our initial crowdfunding effort failed. Responses to our post-crowdfunding survey indicated our pricing was too high. Our manufacturing partner bailed out because covid lockdowns caused a spike in demand for the home office furniture, their…
The march toward manufacturing continues…Manufactured in Taiwan I know this is a disappointment to some that hoped XOOT would be made in the USA. However, manufacturing in the US is cost prohibitive for our projected volumes. There is a chance that as volumes increase, some production (XOOT Kits) could be moved closer to consumers in…
We’ve Hit Some Pre-Launch TurbulenceQuick Summery No Crowdfunding This Year. We’re skipping crowdfunding and going straight to manufacturing. Don’t worry. We’ll have a pre-sale (sent to everyone in our mailing list) that lest you get a XOOT system at a discount. So yes, it does pay to sign up… Manufacturing Difficulties Covid-19 upended our manufacturing…
“Do a better job marketing.” One thing I’ve leaned about marketing… is that I’m bad at it. It’s like asking a plumber to be a chief, there’s not a lot of crossover skills involved. I just don’t have the expertise to make appetizing content. I need help, and I’m looking for help. If you have…
When Will the XOOT System Be Ready? I’ve been putting off answering “When” because no one likes the answer….(especially me) Timing brakes down into chains of events: 1. Mechanical Design and Pricing Design->Engineering->Manufacturing Estimate->Build Prototype->Test. There’s some back and forth between steps but we’ve got a pretty good handle on this process. (2-3 months)…
The most obvious finding of the post crowdfunding survey was that: The XOOT system is priced too high. First a note about reducing the price. The XOOT system is a niche product for a niche industry. It’s production levels will never be that large. Thus, it will never be able to compete on price with…
It has been a while since my last post. The failure of the last crowdfunding attempt was a big reality check. It’s been a time of planning. What has to change with the XOOT system. How do we connect with more artists. How do we get money to keep XOOT going. We’re still planning and…