Hello Again!

Hello again!

It's been a little over a month since the Kickstarter ended and I last posted. I wanted to post a quick update on what I have been up to.

Instead of a long post-mortem, here is a quick summary of where I missed with the Kickstarter.

1. My biggest issue was that I had a very short pre-launch period. I should have gone for 3-4 months long pre-launch. Yes, it's inexperience. Yes, this is how sometimes we learn.
2. People liked the new Jumpstarters feature. These should have been part of the initial marketing effort.
3. The final price point at $179 was too high.

I am sure there are other things I could improve on, but I believe the above were the primary factors for my Kickstarter.

One thing I have mentioned before is that PaperMETAR is truly a fun project for me. So, even though the Kickstarter didn't work the first time around, I do still want to keep going. I have learned a lot already and it has presented fun challenges that I want to keep solving.

Regarding the price point. This has actually become even more challenging over the last few months as the tariffs and the general inflation have increased most of the costs. All is not lost, though.

I have direction on how I can reduce the cost that I have started working on. First, the current iteration of PaperMETAR actually had two printed circuit boards (PCBs). This was the easiest way for me approach it initially. This can be improved significantly.

I have already started merging the two PCBs into a single one. This will reduce the complexity, eliminate the need for connectors and connecting cables, and reduce the setup and build times for the PCB assembly. All resulting in lower cost.

Second, I had some non-standard components that ended up increasing the cost. I am replacing these with more readily available components.

Third, I was personally shying away from the electrical engineering and paid someone for it. I have decided to take a deep dive into this aspect and am actually really enjoying it. This has become even easier with the recent improvements in large language models that can be of great assistance. I will still be relying on experts for some things, including final verification, but I am planning on doing a good chunk of the design work myself. I will still be outsourcing the PCB assembly, though.

This version also includes an improved charging circuit, and more deep sleep optimizations that will further extend the battery life. The new layout also allows me to improve the CG (you know, Center of Gravity =)) of the enclosure, so it's harder to tip the device over.

The other major question is whether I will do another Kickstarter. At this point, no, I will not. I know there are at least 35+ people that will purchase it.

I would like to send a few more of the updated units to testers once those are ready. More to come on that.