XOOT December 2024 Newsletter

Hello All,

A Big Thanks Our Customers! Thanks for taking the chance on a new product from a tiny company like XOOT. We really appreciate your trust in us and all your kind words posted about our product. We’ll do our best to keep earning your trust in the years to come.

Our first shipment arrived Mid-December last year. That marked a shift from in priorities from getting XOOT_Pro produced, to focusing on customers. This was a new area for me. I’m learning to listen more before acting.

I learned that each artist has their own unique way of using their arm. This makes for a lot of unique requests. I look for common areas of overlap try to find solutions for the most needed Add-Ons. Look for more of this in 2025.

– Chris (XOOT’s Founder)

2024 Review

It Was a Rough Start

Our store opened in mid-January. After a few weeks we got reports that some arms were noisy and hard to move. We started doing a lot of testing and by the end of January, we shut down the store. This was a hair-on-fire moment: identify the issues and develop lasting fixes. After a three-week fire drill, we solved the fixes and got the store open again.

During this time, XOOT’s customers were amazing. They understood our difficulties and were patient. When fixes were found, most opted to have parts sent to them and do the repairs on their own. ❤️

Here’s a picture of fellow XOOT repairer Phillip. We worked a lot of days inspecting and repairing each XOOT_Pro in stock. The work was repetitive and tedious, but our long conversations and his great attitude made the day enjoyable. From Chris, Thanks Phillip!

Shows we attended in 2024

With a limited budget and time, XOOT was only at two shows this year.

March at GDC (Game Developers Conference)
October at LightBox Expo.

Each show is a great way to show the arm and get instant feedback on what people think. Looking forward to doing more shows in 2025.

Here’s our booth at Lightbox Expo. I loved my conversations with artists and the positive feedback XOOT received. I was continually amazed by the artists that tried XOOT out, quickly made mind blowing drawings then disappeared into the crowd.

New XOOT_Pro Kits

We’re always adding new kits to ensure there are options for the newest screens to be released:

The MT12 Kit, for larger VESA mount screens (Huion Kamvas Pro 27)
An MT11 addon, to support the Cintiq Pro 22
Upgrade Kits for supported screens.

The Cintiq Pro 22 Kit came about when a customer was trying to adapt to a Wacom Cintiq 22. I thought they were working with this supported XOOT Kit. It turns out it was the Cintiq Pro 22. With a little back and forth we got it figured out and were able to make the required connecters to get things working. Thus, creating a new kit.

Created XOOT_Pro Add-Ons

As customers tell us about their problems, we love to dive in and figure out solutions. This started out as a DIY (Do It Yourself Solution Page). For projects where you can make your own changes to your XOOT_Pro.

However, not everyone has the means or tools to take on this task. So, we created the (Pre-Made DIY Projects) where you can buy pre-made kit parts.

Double Stacked Height Adjusters, 100mm and 70mm
Clip On Webcam Holder
Clamp Extension Plate
Through Desk Clamp Option (popular)

Looking Forward to 2025

Here’s a gardening tip I leaned years ago about planting a long-lived perennials. Our goal is to grow XOOT the company on the similar time scale.

First year, “Survive”. Just make it to the next year.
Second year, “Alive”. Get established, start some growth.
Third year, “Thrive”. Once well-established, growth gets a lot quicker.

Here’s some plans for a second year:

European Distribution, it’s been a long time coming but things are getting close.
New XOOT_Pro Kits, Pen Display Manufacturers have let us know they are planning on some new screens. Nothing we can talk about yet but be on the lookout next year.
New Add-On “Bi-Flexual Arms”. The Anti-Topple Arms that go between the clamp and the arm base, only bend in one direction. Many people have told us they need the arms to bend in the other direction. We took on the issue and found a way to solve it with minimal modifications. However, it requires two new and complicated parts (beyond DIY). We’re negotiating with Contract Manufactures to make a cost-effective Add-On Kit.
A second degree of tilt for the screen. This a popular request. There are many ways to add this feature but all of them involve compromises to the XOOT_Pro design. We’ve been whittling down the options and we’re finally getting to the point of building prototypes and testing some designs. There’s no guarantee these will work well, but the journey begins building and testing.
Possible Upcoming Trade War. XOOT_Pro is a niche product with an international audience. It just doesn’t make sense to set up multiple manufacturing locations around the globe. For now, we’ll plan for the worst and hope for the best.

All and all, we’re looking forward to the new year and hopping you’ll come along with us for the ride.

Happy Holidays Everyone.

Team XOOT