In the fall of 2011, with a push from Nanda and a few friends, I decided to turn the Turntable Lights into a product. Within a few weeks we had a name, a logo, a Kickstarter project, prototypes from two fabrication shops, and pieces hanging in spots around LA.
The making part went well. We shipped our first production run in January 2012, picked up some press, and donated a piece to a charity auction for the Playing For Change Foundation.
The selling part didn't. We were good at building things and not very good at getting strangers to notice them, and the campaign never took off. By 2013 we'd gone back to making things for the fun of it.
What it taught me
- A prototype you love is about a third of the work. Finish, packaging, freight, and the second fabricator are the rest.
- Distribution is its own skill. Good work doesn't market itself.
- Build with someone whose strengths are different from yours.
- Oct 2011Nanda names the company. Logo work begins.
- Oct 10, 2011Kickstarter accepts the project.
- Oct 2011Second prototype arrives from the fabricator.
- Oct 26, 2011Featured on Trend Hunter's art and design blog.
- Nov 2011Demo pieces installed around LA.
- Nov 2011A sculpture goes to the Peace & Love Thru Music charity auction.
- Dec 2011Production run at the fabricator.
- Jan 2012First production run ships to customers.
- Dec 2012Sneak peek of the artist collaborations.
The whole thing, as we wrote it at the time: read the 2011–2012 journal.
