Hello, thingCHARGER supporters! Here’s this month’s update:
Late last year, we asked for your help in launching thingCHARGER, and you graciously contributed. We take that very seriously and are working to build something you can be proud of. That said, we get frequent emails from people unfamiliar with crowdfunding, or who prefer we get a cheap factory to fill their perks ASAP. But we’re strongly dedicated in our promise to you, which is to make thingCHARGER a safe and awesome product.
Engineering
During the campaign, there were lots of questions about whether the tips would be adjustable for variable case sizes. We decided in the midst of the campaign to include this feature, so we are now refining that mechanism. It’s going to be great, yet it’s challenging to design tips with a tip mechanism that is also:
1. easy for the user to replace the tips;
2. simple to adjust tip heights to handle different case thicknesses;
3. has some ‘flex’ to keep your devices safe, as you may potentially twist them upon mounting or removal.
This piece is critical as part of the core concept, and as a design element that will carry through to the international versions.
International
We had campaign contributors from a total of 46 countries. Although the massive US market will be first to get thingCHARGER, interest from around the world is very strong. We are considering a second campaign for international versions as soon as the US product is
finalized.
Business Development
We are fortunate for the vast interest in thingCHARGER, making us one of the ‘safest’ crowdfunded projects around.
There are two ways to launch this type of product:
• DIY—including design, manufacturing, marketing, distribution etc; or
• License the product.
We’re close to finalizing which route we’ll take. The first gives us more control—but is financially riskier. The second is safer, but we have less control. We are assessing what’s best course of action. I wish we could say more, however we are unable to do so during negotiations. Stay tuned for more news as it comes.
Trust Us, We’re On It
We’ve contributed to other campaigns, and get how puzzling it can be to understand intricacies in how products come to fruition. Please trust that we’re hard at work and hope to make you proud.
We appreciate your patience. Your emails do get read and answered as quickly as possible (remember, we are a small team!) As we grow, so will our response time. THANK YOU for your ongoing support!
Amy, Seymour and the thingCHARGER team.
