Comments on: The First Two http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-first-two Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:54:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: poslathian http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-101 poslathian Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:18:17 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-101 This is right on the mark. I really couldnt have enumerated the issues surrounding preordering any better. We have just the amount of capital where its not clear whether or not we can get away without doing pre-orders. But we are SO pleased to have shipped finally, albeit with some stressful hours running up to dropping boxes in the mail. We'll regroup after the winter holiday and announce plans for the second Maple run, Maple native, and Oak. This is right on the mark. I really couldnt have enumerated the issues surrounding preordering any better. We have just the amount of capital where its not clear whether or not we can get away without doing pre-orders. But we are SO pleased to have shipped finally, albeit with some stressful hours running up to dropping boxes in the mail. We’ll regroup after the winter holiday and announce plans for the second Maple run, Maple native, and Oak.

]]> By: ewertz http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-100 ewertz Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:56:06 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-100 There might be something to be learned from the experiences around the Bus Pirate. Ian's done his third pre-order and has probably gotten a few thousand Bus Pirates into the hands of pirate-wannabees this year. If you've got the capital buffer to not do pre-orders I can see how that might be preferable. But unless you're sure you have a pretty good handle on how much genuine interest you have, pre-orders have a lot of merit. The one downside that I've seen (with the Bus Pirate) is that you have inventory (that is, lack of inventory) exposure if by the time that the pre-order closes you can't get key parts. After your first pre-order closes you have the option of making extras depending on the uptake rate, or even starting another pre-order immediately. I guess it all comes down to the stress of sitting on others' money and not delivering, versus being delayed with your own money sunk. Clearly that's a choice you have to make and be comfortable with. Not that doing business is always about maximizing your comfort level... Congrats on the first clear-cut. There might be something to be learned from the experiences around the Bus Pirate. Ian’s done his third pre-order and has probably gotten a few thousand Bus Pirates into the hands of pirate-wannabees this year.

If you’ve got the capital buffer to not do pre-orders I can see how that might be preferable. But unless you’re sure you have a pretty good handle on how much genuine interest you have, pre-orders have a lot of merit. The one downside that I’ve seen (with the Bus Pirate) is that you have inventory (that is, lack of inventory) exposure if by the time that the pre-order closes you can’t get key parts.

After your first pre-order closes you have the option of making extras depending on the uptake rate, or even starting another pre-order immediately.

I guess it all comes down to the stress of sitting on others’ money and not delivering, versus being delayed with your own money sunk. Clearly that’s a choice you have to make and be comfortable with. Not that doing business is always about maximizing your comfort level…

Congrats on the first clear-cut.

]]> By: Jason http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-99 Jason Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:34:11 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-99 Any update on shipping the pre-orders? Any update on shipping the pre-orders?

]]> By: signal7 http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-98 signal7 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:34:09 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-98 I've been waiting to order one of these since they were first announced. I really wish I could pre-order so that I don't have to remember to come back in a month to see if you have hardware available. I would rather spend the money now and not sweat waiting a month or two (or risking that something else will distract me between now and then, leading me to forget about it entirely). With so many potential sensors, projects, and programming ideas, it's a little like having ADD... I’ve been waiting to order one of these since they were first announced. I really wish I could pre-order so that I don’t have to remember to come back in a month to see if you have hardware available. I would rather spend the money now and not sweat waiting a month or two (or risking that something else will distract me between now and then, leading me to forget about it entirely).

With so many potential sensors, projects, and programming ideas, it’s a little like having ADD…

]]> By: ghostandthemachine http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-97 ghostandthemachine Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:13:12 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-97 yeah i agree for the most part. I have started a couple hardware companies and the delays are the nature of the beast. Especially since Leaf Labs seems beta in general, you probably couldn't have gotten a better read on the demand with out testing out pre orders. jon yeah i agree for the most part. I have started a couple hardware companies and the delays are the nature of the beast. Especially since Leaf Labs seems beta in general, you probably couldn’t have gotten a better read on the demand with out testing out pre orders.

jon

]]> By: okie http://leaflabs.com/2009/12/the-first-two/comment-page-1/#comment-95 okie Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:40:46 +0000 http://blogs.leaflabs.com/?p=194#comment-95 We'll likely never do pre-orders again because of the unpredictable elements that can affect the delivery time. In the future, we'll take orders for hardware that we can ship immediately even though with the experience we could be more accurate with future time estimates. The delays we've had with these pre-orders has broken our hearts, and we aren't into messing with hearts like that anymore. We will likely have more Maple's available in the next couple weeks. We're also in contact with distributors who are interested in Maple. We expect that people will be interested in both Maple and Maple Native, and we plan to make both of them readily available all the time as soon as possible. We’ll likely never do pre-orders again because of the unpredictable elements that can affect the delivery time. In the future, we’ll take orders for hardware that we can ship immediately even though with the experience we could be more accurate with future time estimates. The delays we’ve had with these pre-orders has broken our hearts, and we aren’t into messing with hearts like that anymore.

We will likely have more Maple’s available in the next couple weeks. We’re also in contact with distributors who are interested in Maple. We expect that people will be interested in both Maple and Maple Native, and we plan to make both of them readily available all the time as soon as possible.

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