Good news! The first mass-produced titanium-based power meters have just rolled off the production line. These are - as we speak - paving the way for the bigger batches to follow next week and the weeks after that. These power meters are now being low-pressure molded, assembled and packaged
Just to ensure we have the best possible product, we decided to do some extra testing on the first production run before shipping. When everything is as expected, we will start shipping to the first backers and some influencers.
Even with having a thoroughly prepared and well though-out product, we underestimated the amount of time it takes to get all production partners working together in a timely and smooth manner. Itās been a learning curve for us and we thank you for being equally patient and excited! Some of your critical minds have really helped shape our product and we couldnāt have done it without you. Keep you posted!
I thought this was a given and understood with these things but given the number of people who seem to think that they were getting an (almost) off the shelf item, I guess not. Glad to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and looking forward to seeing them in my hands.
When a group makes a promise (timeline) and a buyer wants to believe it (instant gratification society), it is likely that everyone will start with a rosy (if not unrealistic) projection of what they hope will happen.
I have learned the hard way, that I need to take my best guess for time and difficultyā¦ and DOUBLE ITā¦ just to have any chance at a realistic estimate
Admittedly, I have a different perspective than the average Joe having spent almost 30 in high-tech product development. Schedules are just guidelines and target dates are suggestions. I donāt think Iāve ever seen a new product come to market when project managers predicted.
Been aware of these for a while. Having a BB30 frame the cheap stages 105 left-side cranks wonāt work without fiddling with the bottom bracket and buying a whole new chainset, so they work out a big chunk of cash still. The BB30 versions donāt ever seem to crop up at good prices and the FSA Powerbox which is a straight swap still needs another Ā£50 to unlock Bluetooth after youāve purchased it.
The Q factor thing was putting me off but after getting out on my MTB at the weekend I wondered what the real world difference was. Apparently the FSA chainset on my road bike is 146mm, and the SLX chainset on the MTB is 175mm. A difference of 14.5mm per side. Canāt say I noticed any difference and certainly long rides on my MTB have never caused me any physiological issues. With a bit of cleat position fiddling the difference would be minimal.
Having said that I have a 34" inseam so shorter riders may notice it more?
I work as an Industrial Designer and have to deal with toolmakers and suppliers in the far east so I understand how easy it is for project deadlines to slip- weāve had new moulds break after very few cycles, issues with packaging artwork getting corrupted, tropical storms delaying ships, labour shortages after Chinese New Year holidaysā¦ some of these things you can build in allowances for but delays happen. Iām sure the IQ2 guys are as upset as anyone else by the delays.
By the time they get through the first shipping to the crowdfunding backers and have them available for general ordering, there should be a few reviews out there to see if they are working out or not.
Bearing in mind itās coming up to 4pm in the Netherlands on the final day for them to meet their shipping promise, I just think itās bad faith on their part to leave it right down to the wire. Not the type of business I would entrust my cash to. Itās poor customer service.
No doubt some wonderful update will appear tomorrow and they will pretend that all the previous claims and promises were just estimates. I donāt want to appear like Iām trolling them on this thread but there are a lot of warning signs about the people involved even if they do go on to manufacture in quantity. Kickstarter funding isnāt an excuse for being evasive with people who have handed over hard earned cash.
You can hear the grindstones sharpening the pitchforks, smell the torches being lit as the mob assemblesā¦but seriously I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt as I know the difficulties in new product development but to be so oblivious to customer communication is no way to run a business and will most certainly taint them going forward.
Sometimes building a better mousetrap isnāt enoughā¦
Perhaps if they would have set more realistic Time scales and been better at communications then people would be so annoyed.
I still cannot see how they can make such a great product for a fraction of the price that Garmin/Stages etc charge
Anyone who crowdfunds, like myself, is totally aware of the risks of not receiving a perk. Shipping dates are never set in stone, Iām sure promises are given and they will do their best to stick to them, but that isnāt the real world, sh*t happens. From what Iāve seen recently they have been communicating, the only expectation by Indiegogo is a monthly update to backers. I believe they are doing more than the minimum?
I see so many people talking about crowd funding as if they have placed order. We are not customers, we are backers. We are backing an idea and should it come to blossom you may even get your perk, you might even get it around the expected delivery date. Iāve seen deadlines missed by years, my last perk arrived 6 months late, and I couldnāt be happier with it. Iād rather issues are sorted before trying to ship out to a deadline date. I canāt imagine for one moment they are laid back, feet up twiddling their thumbs, I would imagine they have been doing 7 day weeks for a long timeā¦ and if its 4-6 weeks late, wouldnāt you rather that than something rushedā¦
I think its the lack of communications that gets most people, especially since they have a Brand manager who does the social media from what I am aware of
Itās a delicate balance for both the company and the consumer. Company want to push to get to market and generate revenue as quickly as possible which is also good for consumers. If they adopted a ārealisticā timeline to include all the buffer for the issues they encounter then they miss a window or is so far out, no one is going to invest because they want it now (or at least soon) and the longer the cycle, the greater the risk as well as being more expensive.
For this and to reply to @FatherDamo2, I believe that people will put up with a fair amount of adversity if they are kept informed and have time to deal with it. Waiting until the last minute to have a bad surprise sprung on you is almost never well received. I do agree that a lot of people did have unrealistic expectations of a crowdfunded project, but would be happier if IQ2 would have been more up front as to what was going on.
@Charlotte_Louise Brand manager, CEO, Caretaker, Shippingā¦ guessing he might have lots of roles;) Just looking at the Indiegogo update page, IMO that seems like fairly good communication from a startup. Thatās just my opinion when comparing to some of the campaigns Iāve backed.
@ZeroGravity I do agree that this should all be communicated and what you have said, being kept informed and up to date, people are more accepting with delays.
Outside looking in, having 3,000 backers thereās will be a lot disappointed backers if they expect to receive them in March and April. To pack/ship that amount of orders would take a good two months alone, even if they were all made. I would expect a first batch run of around 200, send them out, get feedback, order next production run of 400 with any required fixes/firmware updatesā¦ and keep ramping it up. They want a successful release of units, not a sudden issue and need to recall thousands and have a disastrous roll out .
I would expect 3,000 backers satisfied over next 3-6 months. Reference investment, they already have a good slice, approx Ā£1.6 million. If its successful then Iām sure regardless of the last few months have gone, then theyāll be on a winner and get more investment.
Then again this is only my two pence worth and Iām probably wrong.
