8 Eyewear: From Idea, to Launch, to Growth (And Quitting the Job)

[Bigguns50]

Fantastic man ! Congratulations ! Can't wait to get a pair. I'll definitely spread the word.

 

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[Vick]

Thanks Bigguns

 

[TedM]

Great stuff.

I admit to not having read this whole thread, but I am sure you are familiar with Warby Parker - Designer Frames & Online Eyeglasses - $95 Rx Glasses | Warby Parker by now.

They got their big break by getting PR placed in GQ & Vogue. I don't remember what PR company they said they worked with, but I spoke to someone in NY about this (for my project) - and it's pricy to go that route but the impact can be insane.

With a really innovative product like this promises to be, in a sexy market like sunglasses...the sky's the limit.

 

[Vick]

DAMMIT! looks like the last prototype won't work after all. thought I was there, but the design needs more work. I tried another design over the weekend and failed again.

I keep F*cken failing.

I see now why people give up, this shit is really hard. I enjoy the process for the most part, but sometimes I just wanna rip my F*cken hair out.

Not gonna give up though, I've come to far.

Anyway, just venting some stress. Sometimes I just need to talk about it and get my frustrations out.


On another note. these guys started a Kickstarter last year, they were asking for $9,700 and ended up gettting $182,000

enclave eyewear: twenty&twenty line by Daniel Kane — Kickstarter

All they did was use a flexible memory plastic for the frames. they only offer one style though (wayfarer rayban style) and the tech is still the same as normal glasses.

Seeing this makes me feel like I might have a good chance of getting funding once I nail this prototype down. I hope the market feels the same way.

Anyway, nothing else matters for me right now, except a working prototype.

 

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[Bigguns50]

Vent away brother ! We all do.

Nice presentation and product for the Enclave eye wear. They're pretty.
Seems their market is kind of for the average Joe and Jane, health/wardrobe/budget conscious.

Yours on the other hand, from what I've read and seen, is for the manly man..law enforcement, military, weekend warrior, sportsman, etc. Can't wait to see a commercial for YOUR market.

Keep pushing. You already have fans.

 

[Amail]

DAMMIT! looks like the last prototype won't work after all. thought I was there, but the design needs more work. I tried another design over the weekend and failed again.

If you keep failing you should be continuously learning something. Can you identify what lesson you learned with each failure? Are you applying that lesson to each iteration?

 

[Vick]

If you keep failing you should be continuously learning something. Can you identify what lesson you learned with each failure? Are you applying that lesson to each iteration?

I am. every iteration gets me closer and closer. but instead of moving closer in meters, I feel like it's inches now. Maybe because I'm gettin real close. who knows. I keep having to re-design though, because what looks like it works in the computer is far different then what works in real life.

It's very hard to predict how the rubber will bend/react. it's just trial and error. I just try and minimize it as much as possible in the computer. It's all I can really do. I'm not a engineer. I'm an artist. So I have to learn alot about designing things that functionally work. It's hard.

I'll get there though.

 

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[Vick]

Yours on the other hand, from what I've read and seen, is for the manly man..law enforcement, military, weekend warrior, sportsman, etc. Can't wait to see a commercial for YOUR market.

Thanks

I'm going to be hiring someone to do our video. I'm researching companies right now.

I want to do a video that feels like a GoPro vid. Not sure how I'm gonna go about that yet. Something will come to me though.

 

[Dezzamondo]

Vick, I've just read this thread from start to finish and I have to say...

THIS IS TOTALLY FREAKIN' AWESOME!

Speed+++, Kudos, Poke and all the rest of it!

What is it you're struggling with? Is it the strength of the structure, the material or parts of your mechanism that's causing you grief? I know a LOT of engineers that I'd happily tap on the shoulder for you if it helps!

 

[Vick]

Thanks bud

I appreciate that Dez

But I need to discover this on my own.

The way I look at it is. It's not brain surgery, there sunglasses. I'll get there.

I'm struggling with two things right now.

The hinging mechanism I created and predicting how the rubber will bend.

I developed a new system where the arms can slide on and off easily. So people can customize there sunglasses, we'll be launching with various arms and color stlyes for each Lens Frame. i.e. Lens Frame 1 with 4 arm styles and 4 color variations, Lens Frame 2 with 4 arm styles and 4 color variations, Lens Frame 3 with 4 arm styles and 4 color variations, etc....

But the problem now lies in bending/hinging properly. i.e. closed state and open state. There are no mechanical products, strickly rubber.

I have to stay true to making these unbreakable.

 

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[Bigguns50]

This may be a dumb question Vick...but have you looked at all the other 'hinging' mechanisms on other glasses ?
How about door hinges, airplane, hell...I don't know...I'd look at every freakin hing on the planet. Ok...not everyone. Buy you get the idea.

 

[Vick]

ya i've looked at alot of that stuff. did alot of research on hinges.

I'm doing things a lil differently though, so i have to approach things differently.

I'm making a hinge that has no moving parts, no mechanical metal pieces. It's just rubber on rubber.

Kinda hard to explain.

But the rubber Arm interlocks with the Lens Frame at the hinge point of normal glasses, simply by sliding on and off. Tricky part is just gettin the rubber to bend the way I want it too, and that they fit properly and comfortably. This is done by determining a few things.

thickness of rubber. determining a bend point, so that the rubber bends exactly where i want it too. designing the interlocking system to ensure the arms never fall out, while at the same time ensuring the arms are easily removable by twisting them a certain way. then, fitting and size come into play, i have very little working room, so everything has to be designed by the mm. too thick and they look like goggles, to thin and there too flimsy and won't hold on the head properly. all this stuff then has to be tied into a cool Design.

all this stuff is close, it's just a matter of finding the sweet spot so that all these factors work well together.

 

[mrsilva]

Have you did any surveys with your future market? Asking people what they really want or what would be nice to have?

 

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[Vick]

Have you did any surveys with your future market? Asking people what they really want or what would be nice to have?

No. But that's a good idea

Also, Kickstarter should give us some pretty good answers in this area.

 

[Vick]

F*ck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gloryfy unbreakable | Safety Concept

These guys have basically done everything that I've had in mind, to the T.

There Modul System is the same as well.

now what do I do.

Keep goin? Push my own brand? say who the F*ck cares about them? Think of something else?

goin for a F*cking walk.

i need to think.

 

[Mrs. BRKb]

Try for exclusive distribution rights for USA, and the remaining Canadian provinces if available?

 

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[LibertyForMe]

Screw them dude. It is all about execution. The market for sunglasses is massive; absolutely huge. There is 0% chance that they have the indestructible sunglasses market covered. There will always be competition; the question is can you do better than them.

Can you have a better website, better customer service, better marketing, better customizations/options, better coverage of niche markets (fishermen, lumberjacks, whoever is not the most common consumer), better relationships with stores?

I say keep pushing, squash them, and then buy them out in a year once you have destroyed them.

You have a good thing going, keep your chin up!

 

[Vick]

you know what.

F*ck THEM!!!!

Zuckerberg destroyed MySpace. Dragon and SPY came came in strong when Oakley dominated.

There's no reason why I can't make them better/different.

I'm going forward with EIGHT.

And capitalize on the US market.

At least I know now there's a demand and market for the idea.

And a big one at that.

 

[Vick]

Screw them dude. It is all about execution. The market for sunglasses is massive; absolutely huge. There is 0% chance that they have the indestructible sunglasses market covered. There will always be competition; the question is can you do better than them.

Can you have a better website, better customer service, better marketing, better customizations/options, better coverage of niche markets (fishermen, lumberjacks, whoever is not the most common consumer), better relationships with stores?

I say keep pushing, squash them, and then buy them out in a year once you have destroyed them.

You have a good thing going, keep your chin up!

YUP

agreed.

 

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[Milkanic]

Well their name sucks, their branding sucks, and their website sucks, I can tell you that. Keep pushing forward.

Hell, buy a pair to see if you get any new ideas to improve it.

 

[Vick]

ya im gonna order a couple.

i wanna have a good look at their lenses too.

 

[Tom.V]

Well their name sucks, their branding sucks, and their website sucks, I can tell you that. Keep pushing forward.

Hell, buy a pair to see if you get any new ideas to improve it.

My thoughts exactly. Get their product, use it to improve on your prototype, and smash them. I wouldn't look at this as a bad thing at all, more like like a silver lining. Perhaps their design principles will help you take your product to the next step without all of the tedious testing.

Keep going strong!

 

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[Vick]

My thoughts exactly. Get their product, use it to improve on your prototype, and smash them. I wouldn't look at this as a bad thing at all, more like like a silver lining. Perhaps their design principles will help you take your product to the next step without all of the tedious testing.

Keep going strong!

agreed!

 

[forchunet]

Vick - I found a competitor for the service I'm planning on doing and they have VC funding, $100k in sales, etc. etc. But I can tell you one thing, I am coming up on their arses FAST and frankly I will execute 100x better.

Second Mover Advantage.

If anything get out of the validation stage. This company being alive and breathing validates it, now go beat em!

 

[Chris_Willow]

If it took you so long to find them I doubt your market has any idea about their existence.
Also, they're now getting a lot of traffic from fastlane forum. Luckily this is on the inside

 

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[miked_d]

As forchunet said, they validate your idea.

Do they have a US/Canada patent or provisional patent yet?

 

[Bigguns50]

Vick,

As serious sunglass buyer, I see problems. And I think people who invest in eyeywear like me, see the same issues. If you can, here's where you can crush them.

1) They have as warranty.. F that. I want a guarantee! If they break, at any time, I get a new pair either free or 50% off.
2) I wouldn't buy them based on their video. SHOW ME they're unbreakable. Don't effin play with them ! It seriously sucked.
3) Yours have testosterone in them...theirs have pretty.

I also say step on the peddle..pull the trigger..do it man. I could sell a thousand in no time (no, not looking for a job)

That's it.

 

[Vick]

Thanks Bigguns.

I've been working all night. Slept for a few hours. I'm def working in overdrive now.

I'm getting the proto to work this weekend.

Period

 

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[Vick]

On another note

We might have a manufacturer lined up in Toronto. Which will make our product a Canadian made product.

Also. All their rubber is derived from old recycled tires.

Meaning we could be a 'Green' company potentially.

KNrubber.com

 

[Bigguns50]

Vick...excellente ! 'Green' is good. Also..do you have a pair of theirs in hand ? Just curious. Part of me would want a pair to dissect them...other part of me would just focus on what I'm doing...don't know.

Also, if this manufacturer fails, let me know. I have a friend that does business in Canada. He may have a referral.