An all-in-one comfort device perfect for naps, binges, and snuggle sessions. It's the world's coziest comfort object. Science says so!
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
It has been a few weeks, and I've missed ya. Taking a few hours to work on these updates and communicate with you guys is one of my favorite parts of this gig, but lately I've been devoting my time toward completing fulfillment and getting the Tucks to your homes. I was going to wait until tomorrow and do a lil' Tuck Tuesday...but I know some of you guys are getting anxious.
This will be a jumbo-sized update to try and cover the next few weeks so I can focus exclusively on fulfillment...so strap in and let's get started!
I have been up to my ears in fulfillment the past few weeks, and it has been really cool getting Tucks into the hands of hundreds of backers and hearing feedback on the product/company I've been working on behind the scenes for the past year+.
It makes my day every time I see someone post on social media with their reviews, so please keep em coming!
I'll be working on a full video recap once you all have your Tucks, but for now I've put together some GIFs to briefly document the Tuck's journey to your arms, and the work involved in creating and growing a small, family-run startup from home on a limited budget.
I know many of you angels are on Kickstarter to be a part of bringing companies like mine to life, so I wanted to show you the foundation that has been laid thanks to your belief.
Note: This process applies to domestic backers. In order to keep postage costs low, I have outsourced most steps for our international backers...more on that later.
It all starts with...
To keep my house from turning into a cardboard fortress (it is already close), I kept the inventory in a storage facility. This means that several times a week I'll drive there and pick up 10-14 boxes of Tucks, load them into the biggest SUV I can borrow, and bring them home to get started on the next step...
For the first few production runs, I've decided to take the time to thoroughly inspect every single Tuck before they are cleared as ready to ship. Every. Single. Tuck.
This is the most time consuming part of the process but it is also the most important step. It is the reason that I won't risk giving the Tucks over to a fulfillment center at this point. Unfolding, checking, and refolding these cleanly is no small task, and I end up allocating 2-5 minutes per Tuck making sure they are Backer-ready. Then, they move on to the next step...
I wanted the Tucks to be nice and pretty when they get to you and contribute toward the "unboxing experience"...so each is being wrapped with a sweet packaging sleeve that my brother/co-inventor Ryan designed when he was home. This gives a proper introduction to the product and company and shows where you can find some of the information like folding instructions, charitable info, poses, etc.
As seen above, Michelle and my mom have been my saviors with this step of the process. I know the Tuck anatomy/manufacturing best, so I typically fall into the role of "inspector" whenever they have time away from their own work to help with this. Once the Tucks are sleeved they are ready for the next step...
Each Tuck is wrapped in a protective bag to make sure they are still soft and safe when they arrive on your doorstep. This step is probably my favorite. It is immensely satisfying seeing the Tucks in their full package and ready to ship...and I smile at the thought of you guys ripping that bag open and seeing and feeling your Tuck for the first time.
But this is still far from the end. The next step is...
Anyone that elected to Give-a-Tuck is then sent theirs in one of our sweet drawstring bags, which we pack with any other swag that they added to their particular order like shirts, stickers, manuals, etc. Their Given Tuck is noted for donation after all fulfillment is complete. This leads to...
Yup...more bagging. The one and two packs of Tucks are put in a waterproof mail friendly bag before the next step in a process, the larger orders are put in a box. Then they are ready for...
I bought a thermal label printer for this process (highly recommended for fellow creators), so that I could easily print these out from home through BackerKit (love those guys). We then label each package, note who is being sent theirs, and compile them in boxes or large bags.
Note: In order to see your package groups and buy your postage, I need to lock your orders and mark the Tucks as "Ready to Ship". This led to some confusion where a lot of backers were prematurely sent tracking numbers that made it seem as if their Tuck was stuck somewhere. For this I apologize.
It is my first time fulfilling a project, and this was a beginners mistake which I honestly couldn't diagnose the cause of for a few days. The good news: these tracking numbers WILL be functional once your Tucks are sent out, and if you got one - you are in the batter's box for the next shipments.
The next step in this process is a gratifying one, and the one you'll probably be most excited about...
I, and oftentimes my mom also, then take boxes and bags full of Tucks to our local post office. Here, the workers groan as we struggle to open the doors and drag dozens of Tucks in while they scan, weigh, and slap "Approved" stickers on each of them.
After getting home and marking that order "Shipped", the process repeats.
We have sent out hundreds of Tucks within the past few weeks, and have more inventory arriving in the country at the end of this month, and most likely clearing customs and coming to us in March.
Due to the unexpected success of the campaign and the resulting demand, we have gone through all of our first batch of inventory, which was ordered at the beginning of the Kickstarter campaign.
Don't panic yet! This past weekend was a holiday - so my amazing mother, girlfriend, and best friend put some time aside and helped create the first full fledged assembly line in PocketChange Designs history. This greatly increased production speed from the normal 1-2 person process, and together we prepared hundreds of Tucks to be sent out when the post office opens back up tomorrow.
So: If you have gotten a tracking number recently that has the Tuck's marked in New Jersey, or are receiving a package with just KSE or Wolf Gray tucks...keep an eye out this week!
If you have a Teddy Brown Tuck in your order or simply weren't among the first group receiving theirs - we will have the inventory to fulfill your order later in the month/early March.
Side note: We are not fulfilling these by region as some of you have speculated, but by the contents of your order. This streamlines the process greatly because we can package all of one type of order before moving onto the next, rather than mixing and matching and creating all sorts of confusion.
As I mentioned earlier in the update, we are focusing greatly on the quality of the product after some minor issues. As a result, I contacted my manufacturing and fulfilling partners and instructed them to hand inspect every single Tuck thoroughly, just as I have. This has led to a small delay in fulfillment, but an upsurge in the product quality.
As legendary game developer Shigeru Morimoto once said, “A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.”
I would rather send you a top notch product than a faster product any day. While this may mean some delay in the delivery of your Tuck...it will guarantee a much better Tuck when you do get it.
Since I am not overseas to oversee this process (pun definitely intended) I am making sure that they take their time and are as thorough with product testing as I am.
I haven't forgotten about these, of course, but as backer Ryan Harger eloquently stated in the comments (Thanks again, Ryan): these orders will obviously take longer to ship than those with the pre-designed Tucks.
As you all know, the XL was decided upon after the campaign, and we have been going back and forth with our manufacturer making sure to get a perfect sample before production.
This is a different product, and developing it needs just as much TLC as the original to make sure all size ratios, colors, and stitches are perfect. According to our manufacturing partner, we will have a final production prototype available for photo's and mass replication within the next couple weeks. I will keep you guys updated as I hear more about it.
Well, honestly, I see that some backers are getting impatient and I get it. In a world of free 2-day delivery - waiting months for a product can be frustrating. We, as consumers, are getting to a point where immediate gratification is the norm. Kickstarter, by nature, runs contrary to that.
You guys have generously given thousands to turn this idea into reality and get thousands of Tucks made and sent around the world in a few month period. Rest assured, I am doing everything I can to get these out of my home and into yours as soon as possible given my current capabilities.
Building a company is a lengthy, unpredictable process, and I apologize for overestimating the speed of delivery on my first go at it. I will know better for future campaigns, and I thank you for your continued support and patience as I get these out to you.
It really does mean the world.
Love and best wishes to you all!
Cody
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.