Quote:
Originally Posted by Romanujan
.../... The only thing that can jeopardize the keycaps campaign are unfulfilled promises. If I read something like this:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects.../posts/1604430
and nearly half a year later not a single case is delivered to the people who already payed for them... you have to understand, not everyone is willing to take the risk.
Of course, I hope the campaign will succeed and we will see new key caps somewhere in 2018... |
Dear Romanujan and to all backers feeling the same,
I can understand your point of you of course.
► Let me get straight to the point:
- Delays
was necessary to ensure quality.
That's all. End point.
- If you guys are not happy with delays, ask yourself this question:
Would I've been ok to get my case(s) earlier (6 month) but being faulty or bulky?
Now this below is Delays being explained industry wise.
- Industry is NOT consumers or end users friendly environment.
►
Why the timeline was so short first place while you may knew you would have delays? (You may ask!)
►
"The only thing that can jeopardize the keycaps campaign are unfulfilled promises"
- We're not manufacturing
pizzas or any sort of cakes.
These are industrial processes we went through. And molds are huge.
In fact these molds are the biggest our manufacturer has done for quite a while now.
Manufacturing molds is a one shot business!
If you miss it, too bad. You need to pay again!
So to be
sure that
we're not going to waste YOUR money Romanujan, this is in short what we've done.
(we've explained it already through campaign updates)
-> 3D Modeling the A1200 case (Top/Bottom shells + parts)
This process took already quite some time.
There is constant double checking & validating with the team on each aspects of each 3D models & dimensions.
-> Handcraft a prototype from 3D models when these are done and fully validated. Many checking before, pending & after handcrafting. Even using the CNC.
-> If handcraft proto is wrong (issues) -> Report issues -> Understand what happened
(because fixing without understanding isn't fixing!) -> Assess issues in 3D -> Fix 3D models -> Checking & validating new models -> Approval process (me & team) -> Green lighting for new handcrafted proto to be made and going over the whole process over again.
-> Handcraft proto validated (at least!)
-> Proceeding with Molds tooling + getting metal raw pieces.
-> Testing and checking material (1 was faulty - had to wait some days to get replacement)
---- From here i personally started to freak the hell out!
►That is the
one time only shot moment i knew & fully understood this:
►►► If
ever I would have validated something that is faulty
-> I would just have wasted all backers money!
Believe me when i say that is the kind of stress you're not prepared for.
I've ran many projects in my life, but projects that involved my own money as an entrepreneur. Not other people money (non associates). And these projects i always was eventually prepared to loose the investment.
This is NOT the same. You backers are NOT associates. You've supported the campaign to build molds and eventually you'll get cases as rewards.
This is how Kickstarter works. Kickstarter is NOT a shop!
So here we go:
1-> Molds starting being manufactured
-> STARTING THIS POINT WE PUBLISHED VIDEOS
2-> Molds manufacturing + quality control
3-> Injection tests + refining
4-> Test Cases 1&2 being made at this point & reviewed online.
- We've supplied you backers with
constant updates on
what was going on,
when this was going on, and
how things were going on.
- You've witnessed
LIVE with us repeated delays.
And each time we shared the reasons with you backers.
That's why we kept updating time lines by pushing them so that you follow everything happening with us all the way to production times.
A Kickstarter project is not something that isn't moving and which is tied to a clock/date.
These kind of project are alive.
- To my personal point of view and added to the time, hard work, stress and own money i've invested personally on this project, i don't have the feeling that the team haven't done what we've said we'll do!
And we're still doing it!
- To understand a bit more about what lies behind Keycaps project:
> I've already personally invested $5K+ and i still need to cover around $2K for it next week.
>Why do i need to invest my own money when i raise funds on KS?
Because you
can't handle that kind of industrial projects by staying behind your computer at home, sipping Mojitos.
You have to meet people, factories, negotiate materials, deliveries, logistics etc.. And a lot of that is on site.
There is no secret here.
People stating that today with internet
everything can be done from home are liers. Simply put.
So you have to move your *ss off, pull your wallet out of your pocket and take some damn risks to shake/shape things up.
Entrepreneurs knows and understand what i'm talking about. Others may not.
Sure to make pizzas or cakes, you can always download a recipe, order ingredients online and give a prompt and realistic time schedule to your kids about when their pizza will be ready..
Wait!
Order them pizza hut they delivers home!
Faster and no delays..
Well that's it.. again we're not manufacturing pizzas!
- I've been personally working on keycaps for more than a year now.
Commodore keyboards (and keycaps) are a total mess. That's no secret. And these issues needed to find their solutions. And i did find solutions.
And well... they'll be delivered Q2 2017 at most.
But if you support the Keycaps campaign Romanujan i can always make an exception and deliver you 2018
General info:
I did virtually added 2 extra month on the campaign schedule after manufacturer shared the schedule with me. Just in "case" there is a meteor shower or anything..
► Now if Romanujan is still unsatisfied, which again i can understand:
- Why did you never sent us any direct email or message using Kickstarter messaging system? Why?
- We answer ALL messages or emails. Always!
Even it may take a couple days sometimes.
Now, i
do understand €99 is an investment for a lot of people, and it certainly is for me.
So even i always stated that the team would never do that, because we can't in fact, i'll refund you on my own money if you're messaging us and stating that you'd like that.
Again this is just for Romanujan.
Also have a look at that:
► In 25years+ since Escom bankruptcy:
-> Name how many projects to really help Amiga were launched?
-> Now name how many of them currently succeeded?
The team behind me, we're among the few that did it and we're pretty damn proud of it!
And this is not the end
And that's all because of our backers awesome support
There is a LIVE STREAM later on (5PM - LONDON Time) Today.
ANY OF YOU ARE WELCOME - ASK ANYTHING!
Many thanks to all of you guys.
I personally feel so proud that our team has such tremendous people supporting us. You guys ROCK and i will never stop saying so!
#AmigaRulez!
- NOW, BACK THE KEYCAPS CAMPAIGN 
-
Sorry for this long message.
Not a complaint - Just wanted to express myself.
Sometimes i also have to speak my mind and i hope no one in the team will be upset me doing it.