Product #1 design concerns

I’ve been rethinking the design of Product #1 before I give it to my designer to put into CAD. It is certainly the most complex of all my ideas. My concerns with the current design is that I don’t feel like it’s flexible enough to allow the customer to install it without some above average DIY skills. I want to simplify it, and the answer isn’t obvious. Therefore, I feel like the only way to do it is to rethink the entire concept starting from the customer’s needs again.

After a lot of googling and drawing rough sketches, I have a new idea that might work, but I don’t feel 100% certain about it yet. Sent an email to my mechanically-minded friend to ask his thoughts – using my food metaphors again to try to describe the technical bits I don’t know. In this case, “like two donuts stuck together,” I tried to explain to him.

Received an early morning message from my father advising me to bring on investors and not use up all my savings on the business. Poor dad – I really hate worrying him!

Business Accelerator #2 opportunity

Last night, my parents asked me how I was going on a video chat. I told them I was just working on the product designs still. Suddenly, they went deadly quiet. I realised then that I hadn’t told them that I started a new business. Oops! I’ll write a proper article about this here.

I received an invitation to join a business accelerator program today. This is after I pitched my start-up to them a few weeks ago. It’s a real honour to be considered, and I certainly wish that I did have some help. After all, it’s been a pretty lonely journey so far. Though, I had a quick read of the T&Cs this afternoon, and I’m not convinced that I need as much support at they’re offering, especially for what they want in return in terms of time and comms – though no equity this time. I’ve asked for a meeting to chat.