Delivering.
The story of a patient Kickstarter backer and the project that was worth the wait.
19c:
A Year Later, or Why Sometimes Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
About a year and half ago I was in the market for a Bluetooth speaker and ran across this Kickstarter for the KNOB+…
The speaker design was simply nothing short of stunning and Raul, the creator, seemed dedicated to creating a product that really bucked the trend of poor sounding Bluetooth speakers. Plus, it only cost $120, which was about the price of a Jambox. The project still wasn’t set to deliver for 6-7 months, but I figured given the attention to detail that was being paid—it would be worth the wait.
Now, let me back up a bit. The KNOB+ was one of the first few tech Kickstarter projects I’d backed. It was funded a while before we started to see technology projects miss deadline after deadline (after deadline), so I really had no reason to believe that it wouldn’t deliver on time. There’s since been quite a bit of debate about delivery, and policy/product changes within Kickstarter itself, but that’s another discussion for another time.
February of last year came…but the KNOB+ did not. May rolled around…nothing. I think you get the point. I checked in on the project from time to time and came to find that Raul was running into all sorts of problems, not only with production of the units, but with the actual quality of sound that the speaker was producing. I found myself getting pretty frustrated about the late delivery after about 6 months, but after I was on the site one afternoon I had a revelation…
See, with all the press the Kickstarter has gotten the past couple years, I’d began to think that all these products (and campaigns) were created equal. Lots of these products and ideas were raising millions of dollars, getting crazy press and had teams of several people to help not only scale for demand, but handle the logistics of delivering on time. But this wasn’t a $10,000,000 Pebble campaign, or $950,000 Hidden Radio—this was one guy. One guy who raised less than $50k (seriously not a lot of money to launch a product as ambitious as his, handle the expense of flying back and forth to China for QA, product testing, etc.) and when put in that context, I actually felt pretty guilty about how angry I had gotten about a measly $120*
Well, fast forward to a few nights ago. I’m on my way home and my wife texts me that I have a package. I had put the KNOB+ pretty far out of my mind, but when I got home there it was…my package from Raul. My (now named) Croon Audio Original! A year late, but here.
SIDENOTE: I got my Hidden Radio a few months ago, and while it definitely LOOKS beautiful, it really feels like absolutely zero attention was paid to how the thing should actually sound. That being said, let’s just say my expectations were low.
I take it out of the box…just stunning. From the wooden feet to the acrylic enclosure, it screams attention to detail. But again, I figure I have another beautiful, but ultimately useless object to sit on the shelf of my office.
And then I fire it up.
To say the thing sounds amazing would be an understatement. My wife & I own a B&O Beolit 12 that we use every day, and while it doesn’t sound quite as full as the Play, the Croon has an incredible fullness and richness to it. The mids are full and the highs are crisp. The fit and finish are fantastic and the materials are gorgeous—and this all from a speaker that cost me $120 (Not one that costs $799 like the B&O)
Well it looks like I’ve rambled. I just wanted to do a quick write up about an awesome Kickstarter product that one dude brought to being. A guy and a dream, as it were. But I guess the whole point of me writing was this: It’s easy to get anxious, and even angry, about Kickstarter projects not delivering on time—but before you freak out, just remember that sometimes good things are worth the wait and quality should always trump “getting something fast”.
Anyways, thanks Raul. Thanks for following your dream and building such an awesome product.
If you’d like to get one for yourself, you can check it out here.
*Not that $120 is measly, but in the grand scheme of how much we spend on tech & gadgets, it really wasn’t that big a deal
![weworkhere:
We’re excited to announce a new program series we’re calling Adult Education Illustrated.
Here’s the idea: find experts with knowledge to share and put them in a room with people who need access to that knowledge. Illustrate the conversation. In real-time. Publish illustrated educational pamphlets following each workshop. It’s all based on the idea that the best knowledge is knowledge shared. In March and April we’re so happy to be partnering with Friedman Iverson law firm and Intermedia Arts to present the first Adult Education Illustrated volume on the theme of Creative Law.
As we’ve continued to navigate the ins and outs of making work and collaborating with others, we quickly reached the limits of our knowledge about things like intellectual property, contracts, and legal terminology. David and Blake at Friedman Iverson have been extremely helpful answering our questions and providing advice in a language we can understand. When they suggested that we work together on a public program, we were pretty jazzed.
Below is what we’ve cooked up together. All workshops are free, but space is limited! RSVP using this form. If you have any questions, please be in touch!
ADULT EDUCATION ILLUSTRATED // CREATIVE LAW
Join art & design studio Works Progress & Friedman Iverson law firm for this free series of workshops exploring legal issues that artists and other creative entrepreneurs often face. Each workshop will begin with a broad theme, but will be tailored to the unique experiences and questions of participants. Curious about legal issues, but don’t know how to talk to lawyers or where to begin? This is your chance to get to know the legal landscape in the fun and supportive environment of Intermedia ArtsHub! Adult beverages and otherwise will be available!
I Fought the Law // Creative Law Crash Course March 20th, 2012 from 4-6PM
In this installment of Adult Education Illustrated, we’ll hear an overview of legal issues and terminology with specific attention on those areas of the law that artists and other creative entrepreneurs commonly encounter. You’ll learn some basic information about writing contracts, protecting intellectual property, liability issues and insurance, and tax status. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
Get it in Writing // Legal Contracts 101 April 3rd, 2012 from 4-6PM
Many of us work with other artists and organizations all the time, relying on handshake agreements and verbal confirmations. But what are the benefits of putting your agreements in writing? How do you even do that? We’ll review examples of common situations where legal contracts can be helpful, and will learn the basics of writing contracts that can protect both parties. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
Protect Yourself // Intellectual Property Basics April 17th, 2012 from 4-6PM
If you’re an artist or designer, you probably work in the realm of intellectual property, even if you’re not sure what that means! Copyrights, trademarks, patents - this workshop will help you sort it out! Whether you’re interested in protecting your own work, or getting proper permission to use the artwork of others, some basic info on IP can be helpful. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
All workshops will be held at Intermedia Arts on 2822 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis 55408. All workshops are free, but space is limited! RSVP using this form.
Artwork above by Shari Weisberg for the Federal Art Project, WPA, between 1936 and 1941. [Link 1, Link 2]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m06aibTBi51qbogafo1_r1_500.jpg)
We’re excited to announce a new program series we’re calling Adult Education Illustrated.
Here’s the idea: find experts with knowledge to share and put them in a room with people who need access to that knowledge. Illustrate the conversation. In real-time. Publish illustrated educational pamphlets following each workshop. It’s all based on the idea that the best knowledge is knowledge shared. In March and April we’re so happy to be partnering with Friedman Iverson law firm and Intermedia Arts to present the first Adult Education Illustrated volume on the theme of Creative Law.
As we’ve continued to navigate the ins and outs of making work and collaborating with others, we quickly reached the limits of our knowledge about things like intellectual property, contracts, and legal terminology. David and Blake at Friedman Iverson have been extremely helpful answering our questions and providing advice in a language we can understand. When they suggested that we work together on a public program, we were pretty jazzed.
Below is what we’ve cooked up together. All workshops are free, but space is limited! RSVP using this form. If you have any questions, please be in touch!
ADULT EDUCATION ILLUSTRATED // CREATIVE LAW
Join art & design studio Works Progress & Friedman Iverson law firm for this free series of workshops exploring legal issues that artists and other creative entrepreneurs often face. Each workshop will begin with a broad theme, but will be tailored to the unique experiences and questions of participants. Curious about legal issues, but don’t know how to talk to lawyers or where to begin? This is your chance to get to know the legal landscape in the fun and supportive environment of Intermedia ArtsHub! Adult beverages and otherwise will be available!
I Fought the Law // Creative Law Crash Course
March 20th, 2012 from 4-6PMIn this installment of Adult Education Illustrated, we’ll hear an overview of legal issues and terminology with specific attention on those areas of the law that artists and other creative entrepreneurs commonly encounter. You’ll learn some basic information about writing contracts, protecting intellectual property, liability issues and insurance, and tax status. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
Get it in Writing // Legal Contracts 101
April 3rd, 2012 from 4-6PMMany of us work with other artists and organizations all the time, relying on handshake agreements and verbal confirmations. But what are the benefits of putting your agreements in writing? How do you even do that? We’ll review examples of common situations where legal contracts can be helpful, and will learn the basics of writing contracts that can protect both parties. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
Protect Yourself // Intellectual Property Basics
April 17th, 2012 from 4-6PMIf you’re an artist or designer, you probably work in the realm of intellectual property, even if you’re not sure what that means! Copyrights, trademarks, patents - this workshop will help you sort it out! Whether you’re interested in protecting your own work, or getting proper permission to use the artwork of others, some basic info on IP can be helpful. This will be a small group workshop with plenty of opportunity to share your thoughts and questions.
All workshops will be held at Intermedia Arts on 2822 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis 55408. All workshops are free, but space is limited! RSVP using this form.
Artwork above by Shari Weisberg for the Federal Art Project, WPA, between 1936 and 1941. [Link 1, Link 2]
Taylor Carik of Secrets of the City’s Top 10 Albums of 2011
Bon Iver- Bon Iver
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
Sims - Bad Time Zoo
The Strokes – Angles
Shabazz Palaces
Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command
Chimaira - Age of Hell
Mastodon - The Hunter
Megadeth - TH1RT3EN
Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage
Matt Ess – of Excursions on Wobbly Rail’s Top Albums of 2011 http://excursionsonwobblyrail.blogspot.com/
10. Doomtree – No Kings
9. Jeff the Brotherhood – We Are the Champions
8. The Ettes – Wicked Will
7. Obits – Moody, Standard, & Poor
6. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
5. Wild Flag – Wild Flag
4. Mikal Cronin – Mikal Cronin
3. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
2. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life
1. Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread
Rich Gill of Switchblade Comb’s Favorite Albums of 2011
(in no particular order)
Dave Hause - Resolutions
Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room - Hurricane Season
Steel Panther - Balls Out
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (reissue)Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - S/T
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Tom Waits - Bad As MeHouse Boat - Crown Of Thorns
Halley Georgeson of Puny Entertainment’s Favorite Albums of 2011
1. Dark Dark Dark - Wild Go
2. Wilco - The Whole Love
3. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
4. The Antlers - Burst
5. Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
6. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
7. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
8. Beyonce - 4
9. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
10. IAMDYNAMITE - Super Mega Fantastic
Betsy Butwin’s Favorite Albums of 2011
(in no particular order)
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Oh Land - Oh Land
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - its a corporate world
Toro Y Moi - underneath the pine
Phantogram - night Life EP
TV on the Radio - 9 types of light
Fleet Foxes - helplessness blues
Belle Brigade - The Belle Brigade
Alexander Ebert - Alexander
M83 - hurry up we’re dreaming
![Peter Lansky’s Top Albums of 2011
“I haven’t been able to really listen to many albums more than once or twice.”
5. Steffi - Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton] 4. The Horrors - Skying [XL] 3. Azari & III - Azari & III [Turbo] 2. Zomby - Dedication [4AD] 1. The Weeknd -House of Balloons [self-released]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwkps56q4R1r5w6hto1_500.jpg)
Peter Lansky’s Top Albums of 2011
“I haven’t been able to really listen to many albums more than once or twice.”
5. Steffi - Yours & Mine [Ostgut Ton]
4. The Horrors - Skying [XL]
3. Azari & III - Azari & III [Turbo]
2. Zomby - Dedication [4AD]
1. The Weeknd -House of Balloons [self-released]
www.friedmaniverson.com
