]]>
Each ZipString comes with amazement, wonderment, and
- 3 String loops of different sizes and colors
- USB charging cable
- Instruction guide
- QR code to trick library
- Wonderment
]]>
We just had to share this heartwarming video with you! It features Cameron, a 9-year-old Zipster, and his 91-year-old great grandfather, Harley, both showing off their ZipString skills. It's proof that age really is just a number when it comes to the fun of ZipString!
Watching the video is a great reminder that ZipString is the perfect activity to bring people of all ages together. It's a great way to bond with your kids, grandkids, or even grandparents. Plus, ZipString is so easy to learn that everyone can have a blast in no time.
ZipString's versatility makes it a perfect way to get outside and move while having fun. With endless possibilities of tricks, you can spend hours honing your skills and perfecting your craft. But it's not just about the tricks - ZipString is also a great way to unwind and destress after a long day.
So why not grab your friends, family, or even a stranger and start a ZipString session today? You never know who you'll meet or the memories you'll create. Watch the video now and see how ZipString can create memories that last a lifetime.
Thanks for reading!
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>On Friday the 9th at 8:00 pm, don your swimsuit, flippers, and snorkel gear to join team ZipString in the Shark Tank. We have been busy as we took the advice of many of you to brave the Sharks in our International growth.
We hope that from the safety of your sofa and popcorn you can be proud knowing that without you we wouldn't be swimming with the sharks! We have even heard that some of you are planning on hosting Shark Watch Parties! If you do, even if it is a party of one, send along a picture.
Note: There are a few of you Zipsters out there that still haven't filled out your KickStarter survey so that we can send your ZipString. If you are one of those, please send us a note to info@ZipString.com and we will help you through that process.
]]>We are coming up on our one year anniversary! Without you ZipString would not have happened. For the first time, we now have ZipStrings in stock!
Cool Tricks:
Please keep sending us cool pictures and videos of how you play with ZipString? Did you know ZipString could fly a small paper airplane? We didn’t until one of our Zipsters sent us the craziest video. They call it the “Maverick”! Brilliant! Keep them coming, we will post them to the cool tricks page. As a reminder, if it is a new trick, you get the honor to name it. You will be forever linked to the trick that thousands of new Zipsters will master.
Stronger Cases:
During the Kickstarter campaign, we designed Version 4 which gave us the opportunity to increase performance while at the same time shrinking the design. We also invented several machines that didn’t exist in the industry. We wanted to create a more robust case that could survive a 6ft drop test. So while keeping our dimensions the same, we developed a plastic injection molded case. Now not only does our case surpass the test, our colors are richer and deeper. More closely to the colors chosen by you guys!
10X Manufacturing:
In the last year, scaling up supply has been a primary goal. We are pleased to be able to now scale to keep up with demand. We will still likely have brief stock outs, but it won’t be like it was before where preorders outpaced manufacturing by many months.
Check out the team unloading our recent shipment here!
New versions:
Lumos is coming and cool new string types are on their way.
Safety and Testing:
ZipString has gone through a whole slew of national and international tests for safety. We are very pleased that because Safety was part of the engineering principles from the outset, not one of the many tests required us to make a change to the design.
New Packaging:
While we love our conservative black box packaging that we used in our Kickstarter, we designed a whole new packaging look, destined for retailers. Bold and Crazy. Also to support the international market, we now have multiple languages. Oui oui mes amis :)
Public Speaking:
We have enjoyed the privilege of participating in numerous speaking events and forums. We love the science and the innovation process and will continue to support these venues.
Thanks again to each of you who played a role to make this happen. We hope that you are thrilled with the results and can take pride of being part of the ZipString family and phenomenon.
Also, if you are one of the few Kickstarter backers that have not received your ZipString(s), this is because the Survey was filled out late or has not been completed at all. Just send us an email to info@zipstring.com with your backer number, and we will help you out!
Best regards,
Team ZipString
]]>Check out the shipment here!
Thank you once again for your support and patience!
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>We want to thank you for being part of the journey up to this point. Six months ago we all started together in the belief that we could bring a new invention to the world. A marvel that carefully balances 4 forces of physics but could fit within your pocket.
Here are a few statistics and facts that you might find interesting. You were very much a part of these numbers and very much part of making ZipString happen.
The percent for how many of you for which this was your first time experience with a Kickstarter campaign. Although we used no outside marketers in the campaign, several campaign managers reached out to us and when they learned of the percentage of backers that were first-time Kickstarter backers, they were stunned. These were percentages that they had never seen. This is a humbling statistic for us, as not only did you make the jump with ZipString, for almost half of you, you also took a leap of faith with Kickstarter as well. Amazing!
Count of countries that ZipString went out to.
During the campaign, we retired the V3 version of ZipString and redesigned and released a whole new ZipString V4. The V4 that everyone received is smaller, more powerful, longer-lasting, easier to use, and safer than V3. We are sorry for those that were the last backers in the campaign. It took us a while to get to you while we retooled EVERYTHING. In the end, we wouldn’t have changed our decision. V4 is awesome and it’s performance makes the copycats look just silly and clunky.
Amount of ZipStrings each week we are now turning out. It took us a while to get here. From the get-go, we didn’t want to tackle the scaling problem by just hiring lots of cheap international labor. With the intent to scale to producing thousands each day, we knew that a handful of new tools and techniques would also need inventing. By compelling ourselves to go through the labor of building ZipStrings in volume, it forced us to invent new machines and hone the process. With what we have invented through the process, we have unlocked bottlenecks that will allow us to cost-effectively scale globally.
5 new machines to make ZipString. During the retooling of V4, we built 5 new machines to accelerate the manufacturing process. Some of these machines are entirely new inventions themselves.
This is the count so far of copycat ZipStrings we have on our wall of shame library. Today they serve mostly as amusement for those who come and tour the premises where we manufacture the ZipStrings. They are a funny reminder of what happens to the art of engineering when your only motivation is to make a quick buck.
There are 2 backers, that we know of, that backed ZipString so that they could get access to the Kickstarter updates and your comments throughout the process.
Many people from the ZipString community volunteered their time to assist in the cause. Over the months, 16 individuals jumped in at different times to help. They believed in the ZipString vision and wanted to contribute their time to the cause. They - helped package strings, built boxes, wrapped keychains, checked shipping labels, stamped logos, and polished ZipStrings. Some even helped in the manufacturing process. Their support was incredible. They are the embodiment of sacrifice and service.
We love ZipString fans. It has been our pleasure and opportunity to be invited to go to schools and present to the audiences about the ZipString invention process along with the ZipString story. Hanging out with future generations of inventors is the best.
We want to thank each and every one of you for being part of the ZipString team and for joining in on the worldwide phenomenon. As you continue to see ZipString grow, we hope that you take pride in pointing out to family and friends that you had a direct impact on making this happen. It all started here and you were a part of it.
We will still continue to provide updates here every once in a while, but we invite each of you to come and follow the rest of the journey in our social media feeds.
Instagram - @zipstringofficial
Stay tuned there is a lot coming. You made it possible.
During this summer, our next wave of production scaling will go up 10X.
We have some other big announcements and partnerships coming!
Also, if any of you have any questions, the best way to contact us is through email.
info@zipstring.com
Stay curious Zipsters!!
Sincerely,
Team ZipString
]]>Team ZipString here! AKA Stephen, Austin, Mark and our amazing family and friends who stay up late with us.
Whether you have been with us since Stephen’s first prototype over a year ago, our viral prototype on August 12th 2021, Kickstarter, Steve Mould, Dude Perfect’s 2021 Live show, Dr. Nozman or whatever, we are grateful for your support in joining us to bring smiles of wonderment throughout the world.
Making ZipString for the masses has not been an easy road to follow. We have learned all about manufacturing both domestic and overseas, writing patents, marketing, packaging, shipping and more.
Let’s keep y'all in the loop and get some questions answered!
From social media comments, to hundreds of direct messages and emails it sounds like you are all just as excited as we are to get a ZipString in your hands.
Currently we are fulfilling our backers on Kickstarter. Please click on the link here to learn more. These were our early supporters that helped bring ZipString to life. Thank you for all the kind notes and excited comments we have been receiving from our latest ZipString users. We love hearing about how you use them and the fun you are having. We read your comments aloud among the team and we are fueled by them.
We are fulfilling the preorders in the Order in which we received them. So if you are a Kickstarter backer, you should receive your ZipString(s) here soon! We understand that our original goal to have all ZipString’s shipped for Kickstarter was in February and for all those who pre-ordered via zipstring.com after in March. Although we started shipping in February, most of the Kickstarter backers will receive them in March and pre-orders from zipstring.com will likely now be in April.
What is this picture of? - A colorful Jenga Tower perhaps?
Nope - They are the stack of over 80 ZipStrings that we didn’t choose to ship this week. Why in the world would we do such a thing?! Particularly when we have excited backers waiting for their ZipString? Why, because they were not perfect.
You see, the ZipString effect is something that is special. There is a sweet spot in the balance of four forces that causes the string to float in the air. It is that sweet spot that ALL of the knock offs can’t produce and something that if we can’t get just right, we won’t send them.
Something worse than not shipping out enough ZipStrings this week would be sending out ZipStrings that don’t perform perfectly. We are very familiar with this type of let down since we receive or purchase every single knock off. And to date, every single knock off falls very short of delivering that ZipString experience.
As a team, this tower is very painful because we know it represents someone that didn’t get their ZipString yet this week, and that hurts. The tower also represents opportunities for us to further refine our manufacturing process which we are doing. Of course every backer will get their ZipString(s). They are coming. But they will come right, and not be a compromise.
(BTW - because ZipStrings are so tiny and dense that tower weighed almost 30 pounds)
We are thankful for your patience as we continue to accelerate our manufacturing.
Sincerly.
Team ZipString
Check out our Previous Updates HERE!
]]>So the Kickstarter Big Zipper Packages are shipped. A big thank you to all our Big Zippers for being part of the journey. Many of you have been actively cheering us along from the beginning.
So, we got carried away with personalizing the ZipStrings for the Big Zippers. Each ZipString was serialized and your name was engraved along with our signatures. The display case has 3 methods of display.
We will be sending each of you a link with video instructions for how to unpack and set up the different displays.
So we have been a little like Willy Wonka, being timid to showcase the latest version of ZipString because of the Slugworths who were stealing our ideas and trying to claim them as their own. Well, when we realized that they were cleverly hidden as some of our backers in this very forum, then it became challenging to send out updates to you all with lots of detail.
Over the past week, fans have sent us a few of the copycat versions. It has become clear that the Slugworths struggle to understand the physics of what makes ZipString so Amazing. Additionally, they lack the engineering skills to fabricate a product that will be long lasting. But then again, their intention wasn’t to deliver a magical experience, more just to make a quick buck. What should have been a dazzling experience ends up being nothing more than merely a LOOP around your neck and a puff of smoke. Well, enough about the bad eggs.
You are all familiar with the ZipString version we showcased in our videos and that have been on tour with Dude Perfect and used by famous youtubers. We call that V3. What is coming out to you all is V4.
V4 is a descendant of well over 50 prototypes carefully honed with a few guiding principles.
Our aim is for the experience. Our aim is for the wonderment that during your first use, and all thereafter, you look at the device in your hand and ask, “How does this little thing do all that?”
Power - V4 is now half the volume of V3 yet has more power. “With great power comes great responsibility” (an easter egg foreshadow for those of you that are raving fans). With more powerful motors, we were worried about safety. So we redesigned our circuit board with logic that constantly evaluates the wheel torque. If the torque goes out of spec for any reason, the board cuts the power to the motors as well as to the switch. The ZipString will wait for the user to release the button before it engages again. We designed this feature for all the little children that will inevitably use the ZipString. Sometimes in their excitement, it is not obvious that they should release the button. If there is ever a problem, ZipString will automatically do it for them.
The V4 motors are even more efficient, therefore the ZipString can run for over an hour continuously. Which represents more like two hours of actual use.
Make it easier to use - We further enhanced our floss mechanism. Still the same quick change of strings we patented, but when in use the ZipString is even more responsive to the users hand motions.
In our custom circuit board, we built in a smooth start feature that ramps the motor speed automatically to the balance speed. The speed where the magic happens.
Size - We are passionate engineers and designers, influenced by beautiful Danish designs of essential simplicity as well as sleek Italian curves. You can see that the case is even more simplified. We routinely say - if ZipString can fit in their pockets, they will take them everywhere. You can see just how small we were able to make it. When you hold it in your hand you will feel its density. Because it is efficiently packed tight.
Make it quieter - Noise can ruin the moment. We went on a very long journey testing many different motor combinations to find just the right ones. Powerful, yet small. Cool running, yet quiet.
Strings - the science, ahh the science. As a device, ZipString maintains a balance of four different forces. There is a sweet spot. This is where our bad egg copycats show that they don’t know the science behind making the sweet spot work. Our patents on the device as well as the patents on the strings work in concert to make the magic happen. Hint to the bad egg, Slugworths: Not just any piece of cheap string will work.
We are so grateful for everyone that stood by us and cheered us on throughout the process. We are currently manufacturing here in the US and within the month of March our offshore factories will also come online. There is a lot in the works and we will have a few exciting announcements over the next few months. Meanwhile, there is a lot of work, as we are not only the Willy Wonkas but we are also the Oompa Loompas.
Ok - now that we are done with our tour, let's talk about the delivery of a lifetime supply of chocolate for all the Charlie Zipsters out there.
Thank You Zipsters! We got this!!
Sincerely,
Team ZipString
]]>It's been a few weeks since our last update, but rest assured, the workshop is in full swing! In order to avoid making these updates feel like spam, we try to only send them when we truly have something special to share. So without further ado, let's check out what's new with ZipString!
In case you missed it, the answer is a resounding yes! We call it the ZipString "Infinity Bow," and we think it's the next great advancement in applied string-slinging tech. Check out Stephen playing below!
Stay in the loop on this and other exciting content!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zipstringofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zipstring
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZipStringOfficial/
Of course, we know what you're most interested in is hearing about ZipString's progress! We are committed to our Kickstarter community and are progressing according to the timeline originally set forth in the campaign. We have been hard at work with our manufacturing partners to get ZipString through production. If for whatever reason our manufacturer is delayed, we want you to know that we will personally fulfill your ZipString orders using our on-site equipment. We know how to sweat in our our sweat shop!
We promised our Big Zipper backers a January delivery, and we are gearing up to do exactly that! If you purchased a Big Zipper package, your signed and serialized ZipString, display frame, and ZipString sticker will be will be shipped next month!
If you have not taken your backer reward survey please do! We need the shipping information from that survey in order to get your order to you. We are actively shipping Zipline packages to those who have filled it out.
We have been amazed at the community response to ZipString, and we have been especially excited by how many have been inspired to build upon our ideas. However, it can be pretty disheartening, both to us and our Kickstarter community, when people seek to outright plagiarize and profit from our work. We believe in ZipString and its many innovations. Unfortunately, we have been unable to share many of these advances with the public due to this regrettable dishonesty. In order to combat this and keep doing what we do best, we have done our due diligence in protecting the intellectual property of ZipString. As of now, ZipString has a family of pending patents. Read more here: https://zipstring.com/pages/important-notice
We are here to help in any way possible. Shoot us a message here, or send us an email at info@zipstring.com
As always, a big thanks! ZipString will be the toy of 2022 because of you guys! Lets keep making ZipString great together. Stay safe!
Team ZipString
We understand that it can be hard waiting for your ZipString, so we want to open our doors to you. We invite everyone near or far, who are able to find their way to Atlanta, GA to come play with our prototypes. We will have a blast! We are serious! Direct message us.
Making some final tweaks before production, we have engineered a handful of changes to make ZipString even better. They are super cool. We would love to show them all to you via our normal fun videos however, we are flabbergasted with all the scammers and fraudsters who did nothing more than photoshopped off our logos and then hoped to make a few bucks by scamming innocent buyers. For shame!
We really don’t mind competition, but it is disheartening to see people lose both money and hope. So, each day we take time to remove scams and counterfeits from online markets. To the many of you who have been extra vigilant to bring the scammers to our attention, we thank you. Believe it or not, the numbers of squashed fraudsters now number over three thousand! Can someone get us a can of Raid?
Read more about Scams and counterfeits here!
https://zipstring.com/pages/important-notice
Fun Fact:
Because of ZipString's unique build and design it is patent pending!
We have really enjoyed the discussions, collaborations, and discoveries on the physics ZipString. Check out these two awesome videos and learn more about the ZipString phenomenon.
Steve Mould
Remember in update #7 when we mentioned Steve Mould? Last week we were on a conference call with him and Dr. Noel Perkins in the pursuit to better describe ZipString physics. During the call, Steve pulled out his drill-attached ZipString and we all burst out with laughter. What a great idea! We love his work and have been huge fans of his for years.
You know what? The pronunciation of ZipString in French, just sounds so cool! Whether you speak French or not, Dr. Nozman's YouTube video on ZipString is super exciting. We sent him an early prototype sometime ago! You could say his video is incroyable!
Austin, ZipString co-founder, studies engineering at Brigham Young University. BYU engineering created a sweet 18s video featuring ZipString. Take a look! Kudos to their filming and editing department who pulled together this compilation.
Keep them coming!
Take care Zipsters! Until next time!
Team ZipString!
]]>YA'LL ARE AMAZING. Thanks so much for your support on this journey.
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then what is fraudulent impersonation? ;)
WOW, we marvel at our daily whac-a-mole routine addressing all of the counterfeits and scams. Many scammers have copied our images and videos, edited out our logos and watermarks, and are trying to make some cash facilitating a scam or a non-functioning counterfeit. Although this is not uncommon for great products it is very discouraging to us that Zipster fans could be injured here. We really appreciate those who have taken the time to notify the channels/marketplaces of such scams and that they need to be taken down. So to be clear:
As of right now, If anyone is selling a ZipString on any marketplace (Amazon/eBay/AlliExpress etc.) which is not at ZipString.com or from Kickstarter, it is a scam. They are either selling a non-functioning counterfeit or a complete scam not intending to ship anything.
Innovation does not come cheap. It comes with a lot of hard work and time. We have gone through many iterations to get ZipString where it is today. Because of this we are not afraid of competition, however we do feel bad that scammers are taking advantage and causing harm to individuals who are excited about ZipString.
How can I help?
To those who have helped out already, thank you. To those of you willing to help, when you come across a ZipString scam or counterfeit let us know via email scamreport@zipstring.com We will get out our whac-a-mole mallet and do our best to get it corrected. If you come across videos and/or social media that is also fraudulent or deceiving, do not hesitate to comment or tag our official accounts.
Here are the ZipString Official accounts below:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zipstringofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zipstring
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC136ULd-O8FbQsSrz8FkVsw
Yesterday we sent out the backer reward surveys. In each of these surveys you will be able to submit your address as well as choose your ZipString(s) color. If you haven't filled it out already, please do! Until we are ready to ship you have the ability to change your address in case you move. We also want to remind everyone that each backer that receives a ZipString will receive one phosphorescent (glow-in-the-dark) string! We are on track with our timeline in Kickstarter!
Like a bathing suit to a swimmer, your water bottle needs one of these stickers. ;) We hope you will like them when they come with your package.
The energy that comes from our fans continues to make us smile and fuels our late nights. We have really enjoyed the memes that have been sent to us and we thought we had to share some here. If you see any others, don't hesitate to send them!
We have a bunch of awesome videos and pictures on our Instagram! Don't miss out https://www.instagram.com/zipstringofficial/
Thanks again for your support!!
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>Thanks so much for the support! We are grateful to have such an awesome community to work with. We continue at our all day and night pace to get ZipString to production. Let's roll up our sleeves and get everyone up to speed!
Some of you have asked for our status on production. We are happy to say that we are still keeping up with our original timeline posted in the campaign. Our goal is to finalize all of our partnership and manufacturing contracts by the end of the month. We are working with some exciting people that will help us make ZipString the toy/gadget of 2022.
One of the things we learned today, was that because of Covid it costs 10X more to send things to our friends in Australia. Wow! Of course, we still shipped out the keychains and stickers anyway. The Zipline Package was shipped for those who backed it, and filled out the survey.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>As always, thanks so much for your support! We have been overwhelmed with comments and messages that have been extremely motivating.
The Zipline Package will be in the mail next week!
We added Rock'it Red as it about tied with Luscious Lime.
No worries! We have started to take pre-orders on our website.
We will continue to send out updates as we move along our timeline published in our campaign! We thank you for your continued support.
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>We are blown away by all of the support. Thanks so much!
We are super excited that we hit our goal of $85,000! You know what that means....Glow String here we come!! We will provide additional information to the FAQs here shortly.
We are big fans of Steve Mould! We sent him a ZipString to use in his further study of the Mould Effect. Take a look!
Here is a link to his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveMould
For those that don't know what the Mould Effect is, here is a link to his first video on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQJBBklpQQ
We also love our friends at Dude Perfect. If you did not know already, they're using ZipString on tour! Take a look at the video below:
Link to Dude Perfect's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DudePerfect
We have put together a form with several color options. The top 4 colors will be the color choices for the first manufactured ZipStrings. Please choose your favorite color and enter your Kickstarter name. We will use your Kickstarter name to align your color choice with amount of ZipStrings in your reward. So for example, if you backed the Zipster High-Five Package, we will count your color vote 5 times. The survey will be open for approximately 24 hours. We will update everyone with the final choices tomorrow.
This is just to vote for the color options we will go to manufacture with. Later, you will get to choose which of the four final colors will go in your order.
Here is the link. Happy voting!
https://forms.gle/EcWojtSu9ceKSDq56
(The form is now closed!)
]]>We are funded! A big congratulations to everyone! You have our sincerest thanks! We have learned a lot about hard work, patience, and always having a positive outlook.
Late last week we launched a new pledge called the Zip Max Package. This has been highly requested by those interested in selling ZipStrings at conferences, fairs and more. There are 2 spots left!
If we reach our goal of $85,000 everyone backing a ZipString will also get their very own Glow-In-The-Dark string.
We cannot wait to get ZipString in your hands!
Best,
Team ZipString
]]>We want every teacher throughout the world to have at least 1 ZipString in their desk drawer. Why?
We won't rest till every teacher has one. Do your part and bring a smile to a Teacher by Backing ZipString!
]]>
Of course, each frame will be signed on the back and serialized to go with the ZipString in the case.
The case has two black metal pegs that protrude through the clear acrylic pane that sits in front of the artwork. The pegs are discrete so that when the ZipString is removed, they blend in with the art. The pegs are placed offset to each other, such that when the ZipString is in place, it's held at an angle. This angle also torsions the ZipString so that it is held securely. Who says, fashion and function can't coexist?
Ready to be hung with your other works of art.
As we announced earlier - the Big Zipper Reward will now also receive one of the first 100 keyrings that came off production.
Thank you Big Zippers
]]>Keychains - We are getting great feedback on the design of the keychains. Everyone loves the look as though the cable runs through the ZipString! Yes, they are cool.
Today we have a series of cascading announcements:
1) We are pleased to announce that we are ahead of the manufacturing schedule for the Keychains. In fact, we will receive enough for the Kickstarter campaign by the of the week. That’s not, “Oh, we hope to have manufactures send them to us by the end of the week.” That’s, "We will have them in our US inventory by the end of the week!" Yahoo, we can check that one off the list.
So....
2) Since the Keychains will be complete even before we finish the Kickstarter, we are happy to announce that the Zipline Package will now ship in October instead of November!
And So....
3) Since these Keychains are just so cool that everyone will want one, we are going to facilitate a second order so that each reward level will now get one.
And So….For you Big Zippers out there.
4) When we anticipated that we would be ahead in our schedule for the keychains, we pulled the first 100 off the line and kept them for you. So, not only will you have the first 100 manufactured ZipStrings, but you will also have the first 100 manufactured keychains. We thought it would be a cool touch to go in with the set.
]]>
We believe that in order to bring ZipString to everyone, there are some manufacturing cost thresholds that if we can cross, will allow us to produce ZipStrings at volumes to meet much larger demands. We are a very hands-on team and reaching this goal will give us the ability to invest in equipment to produce ZipStrings locally. Other campaigns seem to start with smaller goals to lure in lots of initial backers. Only to let down their supporters because the team couldn’t see past the higher production volumes that overwhelmed them.
So why $75K? Well, if we had set the target at say $30K that wouldn’t push us to a point where we are forced to cross the threshold of large-scale manufacturing. In reality, we already have the capacity to meet the demand for the 1200 units by February to support a $30K goal. However, a $30K goal would cause us to compromise and not stretch us to invest in the equipment that will allow us real scale advantages long term.
Does that mean we would never use lower-cost manufacturing overseas? No, there is a time and a place for offshore high-volume/low-cost production. At the moment, we want to hone the production process till it is tuned for low-risk transference. Additionally, instability of the of international production and shipping markets isn’t favorable. But we weren’t really wanting to go that route out of the gates anyhow.
Bringing a product to market requires innovation and problem solving through every step inclusive of the manufacturing process. Having 7000 miles between us and the manufacturing steps would drive us nuts and slow us down considerably. Long term, we will produce ZipString internationally, but now is not that time.
So back to the original question, why $75K? This number forces us to stretch and gives us the ability to acquire equipment so that we can be more hands-on the way we like to be. Our ability to be involved all the way through manufacturing gives us the capability to best manage our timeline.
]]>With your help, we are now at 20% of our funding. Together, ZipString will become a reality in the hands of thousands. We thank you for all of your comments, support, and likes on all platforms of social media. This has been extremely motivating to us.
So...
When we reach $85,000 in funding we will give all backers a free phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark string for those who backed a ZipString included package.
We want each one of you to be aware of our timeline - where we are now and where we are going! This helps us all stay on the same page. We will be updating it as we move along.
Coming shortly is our more detailed plan. Keep commenting and asking questions! We love hearing all of your ideas with ZipString. The glow-in-the-dark string was your idea and we cannot wait to see it through.
Until next time,
Team ZipString
]]>