We did it!

We did it! - Kickstarter Update #16

Well, we finally made it!  Apart from a few folks that haven’t yet sent in their survey, everyone has had their ZipStrings shipped from Kickstarter. 

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.

 ZipString by the numbers.  

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.


 49% 

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!

 51 Countries

Count of countries that ZipString went out to.


V4 - A whole new ZipString

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.

 500 each week

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

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.


 9 Copycats

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.

2 Spies

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.

16 Volunteers

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.


4 School Presentations

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


Facebook - ZipString 


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

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