One of the most interesting things we've learned about recently is the temptation to cut corners using cheaper parts or processes or relaxed quality control procedures. It's easy to get quoted prices much lower than what we currently pay, but the long-term cost of choosing those parts (greater failure rates, manufacturing problems, and warranty costs, not to mention unhappy customers) is hard to quantify at decision time.
This is where experienced supply chain and hardware engineers are especially valuable. They understand the implications of these decisions and know the right way to account for them. For example, major manufacturers set aside "warranty accruals" as liabilities in their financials to cover the average future cost of servicing a unit that ships today.
I suspect this is a problem facing many hardware startups, Kickstarted or not. It feels non-intuitive to build hardware carefully and at such high initial costs, especially in the "move fast" culture of software development. And it's especially dangerous if a company goes "in the red" without realizing it by shipping many units that may fail or incur high warranty costs that exceed the margin on the product, but at a later date.
Their boards are quite fun. The specs they achieve are due in part to some of the compromises I discussed above. For example, these are some independent long-term reviews (that are of course from a self-selecting sample of Evolve riders).
Agreed. Anything with product liability attached requires careful consideration. Spending extra time and attention on quality can yield dividends in better sleep at night.
If you operate with a mindset of, "what you ship, you can't take back or modify," you're on the right track. It's in partial conflict with the software ideology of, "build an MVP and iterate fast." You can still do that, but the MVP can't suck.
Source: Shipped a pretty great product, still stay awake at night.
When I worked on PC hardware at IBM we operated on the rule that the cost of fixing a problem is 1x development, 10x in testing and 100x once sold to customers. Alas, that was before IBM's PC division was bought by Lenovo...
Hey skdoo! I waited for version 2 of this and was about to pull the trigger on the dual+ 10 minutes ago when i saw that you don't currently ship to Europe. What's the estimated timeframe for shipping to Europe?
How does the board feels if you don't use the motor in case of empty battery. Are the motors braking per se or do they spin freely if no power is applied?
With a normal skateboard you often have to clean the wheel bearings. The maintenance is what I like least about skateboarding. Is a Boosted board any different in that regard?
Or you can just get a new set of bearings for $10 or so
Swapping out the bearings is still a lot of maintenance for a piece of equipment that otherwise requires very little.
If you're in the market for their product, you can probably afford it.
You make it sound like they're ridiculously priced and only those with lavish lifestyles are their target market.
For the convenience that you get out of the product, it's well worth the price. It costs no more than a mid-range bicycle. With the recent price drop, they're even more affordable.
Comments
Founder here. Happy to answer questions.
One of the most interesting things we've learned about recently is the temptation to cut corners using cheaper parts or processes or relaxed quality control procedures. It's easy to get quoted prices much lower than what we currently pay, but the long-term cost of choosing those parts (greater failure rates, manufacturing problems, and warranty costs, not to mention unhappy customers) is hard to quantify at decision time.
This is where experienced supply chain and hardware engineers are especially valuable. They understand the implications of these decisions and know the right way to account for them. For example, major manufacturers set aside "warranty accruals" as liabilities in their financials to cover the average future cost of servicing a unit that ships today.
I suspect this is a problem facing many hardware startups, Kickstarted or not. It feels non-intuitive to build hardware carefully and at such high initial costs, especially in the "move fast" culture of software development. And it's especially dangerous if a company goes "in the red" without realizing it by shipping many units that may fail or incur high warranty costs that exceed the margin on the product, but at a later date.
How would you say it compares against the less expensive, faster, and longer range Evolve boards? http://www.evolveskateboards.com/
Their boards are quite fun. The specs they achieve are due in part to some of the compromises I discussed above. For example, these are some independent long-term reviews (that are of course from a self-selecting sample of Evolve riders).
http://scrapedup.com/e-board-reliability-results/
Agreed. Anything with product liability attached requires careful consideration. Spending extra time and attention on quality can yield dividends in better sleep at night.
If you operate with a mindset of, "what you ship, you can't take back or modify," you're on the right track. It's in partial conflict with the software ideology of, "build an MVP and iterate fast." You can still do that, but the MVP can't suck.
Source: Shipped a pretty great product, still stay awake at night.
When I worked on PC hardware at IBM we operated on the rule that the cost of fixing a problem is 1x development, 10x in testing and 100x once sold to customers. Alas, that was before IBM's PC division was bought by Lenovo...
Hey skdoo! I waited for version 2 of this and was about to pull the trigger on the dual+ 10 minutes ago when i saw that you don't currently ship to Europe. What's the estimated timeframe for shipping to Europe?
How does the board feels if you don't use the motor in case of empty battery. Are the motors braking per se or do they spin freely if no power is applied?
European certifications are still in process for us to officially ship, but there are some boards in Europe either brought or re-shipped by customers.
The motors spin freely when unpowered. It will skate like a normal board, but with a bit more drag.
Do you currently think April 2015 is a realistic time when I can buy it "officially" to Sweden or should I find a friend in the US?
I would find a friend, since it's not a timeline we have much control over right now, and getting the board earlier means more time to ride.
Finding friend it is! Thx for all the help!
(Can't ride anyway before April due to SWEDISH WINTER)
With a normal skateboard you often have to clean the wheel bearings. The maintenance is what I like least about skateboarding. Is a Boosted board any different in that regard?
It's needed less frequently. Since the board is powered, you won't notice a bit of extra drag from dirty bearings.
Or you can just get a new set of bearings for $10 or so. If you're in the market for their product, you can probably afford it.
Swapping out the bearings is still a lot of maintenance for a piece of equipment that otherwise requires very little.
You make it sound like they're ridiculously priced and only those with lavish lifestyles are their target market.
For the convenience that you get out of the product, it's well worth the price. It costs no more than a mid-range bicycle. With the recent price drop, they're even more affordable.