41–50 of 91 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, all pledges were fulfilled and the product is now shipping through our website and retail channels.
Are you finding any significant amount of "post kickstarter" orders?
I've shipped one hardware product on Kickstarter [1] and I'm in the process of fulfilling the second [2]. Lessons I've learned are: 1. Design with your factory. Finding a good supplier is important but the real work starts once you've shaken hands. Your factory is your greatest resource as a presumably inexperienced hardware designer. It's like having an expert-level consultant work on your project for free, so take…
And I designed my own hardware ..... the trick is to design your hardware BEFORE you announce your kickstarter, not after ....
Clicking the green "Learn more" button on http://koalasafe.com/ scrolls the page to the next section in Chrome and Safari, but does nothing in Firefox and IE11. I filed a webcompat bug: https://webcompat.com/issues/1570
Thanks mate. Admittedly we don't typically test with those browser when we push changes. :|
It's definitely 'buyer beware', and if you back a KickStarter that shows loads of renderings and no working finished product then you may hit trouble - but many people come to KickStarter with a working product, having already done their homework and made arrangements with a manufacturer. Those people will almost certainly ship, and it's a shame that other failed KickStarter projects make them look less legitimate.
But I totally agree with polar8 on this...
1. Design with the factory has been true for me. I did one KS in China, one in the UK - and the factories work totally differently. The time it takes to get things arranged is insane, and you absolutely need to not only have a manufacturer, but to have a design that they're happy with and can source parts for before you KickStart if you plan to ship on time (even if you plan on tweaking the design a bit later).
2. Sourcing - When you order 1000s of something, suddenly lead times matter. Generally you can't just go to Farnell and get things next-day, if they're not in stock, 13 week lead times are not uncommon - and a company can have 4000 items in stock one day, and they'll be gone the next (so checking stock levels is not enough!).
3. Features - definitely be sensible. Listen to your backers but be very careful about adding their suggestions. Changes really set you back, and the most vocal backers views are almost certainly not those of the majority. Adding features in software after the ship date is easy and people like it, but delaying the ship date for features would rarely be appreciated.
4. Margins. I think people feel bad about adding a big margin, but you've got to. There are loads of hidden costs, and most backers would prefer to pay a bit extra and have you still making and supporting devices 2 years from now.
I've shipped one hardware product on Kickstarter [1] and I'm in the process of fulfilling the second [2]. Lessons I've learned are: 1. Design with your factory. Finding a good supplier is important but the real work starts once you've shaken hands. Your factory is your greatest resource as a presumably inexperienced hardware designer. It's like having an expert-level consultant work on your project for free, so take…
Yes, I've shipped a hardware project on kickstarter, and (just) on time - the original article is a tad unfair, as if they were the only ones to ever ship. And I designed my own hardware ..... the trick is to design your hardware BEFORE you announce your kickstarter, not after ....
How would someone begin the process of finding electronic manufacturers?
For us, it started on OpenWRT blogs, scouring Alibaba and seeing who got back to us. Later it was email lists and the network of our accelerator. If I was going to custom design, i'd be going to maker meetups in your city, or applying to something like Hxlr8. There are also supplier/customer places that do matchmaking with additional services for a fee (HWTrek for example). I didn't use any. Also, if you can find a K…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, I've shipped a hardware project on kickstarter, and (just) on time - the original article is a tad unfair, as if they were the only ones to ever ship. And I designed my own hardware ..... the trick is to design your hardware BEFORE you announce your kickstarter, not after ....
Mind giving a link to your project?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/moonbaseotago/onerng-an...
I've shipped one hardware product on Kickstarter [1] and I'm in the process of fulfilling the second [2]. Lessons I've learned are: 1. Design with your factory. Finding a good supplier is important but the real work starts once you've shaken hands. Your factory is your greatest resource as a presumably inexperienced hardware designer. It's like having an expert-level consultant work on your project for free, so take…
The Lexan inlays are laser cut to a precise, water resistant fit (from Rideye campaign page) A little off topic but the Epilog guy told us never cut Lexan or any polycarbonate plastic because it makes a chloride gas thats dangerous to humans and destructive to the laser. But lexan rocks as a building material... So FUD? or does it require special considerations?