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The first 11 Rotary Un-Smartphone "Option A" kits are in the mail.
These went to the earliest people in the order list to respond
requesting "option A" after my previous update on 2/26. If you don't
know what I'm talking about, that update is linked here: <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vStu3hiSf4eTU2jQZlVvSnf705lEXHDhnUbiKYKYmJXbANFgoZfriXxqhFQGwmSfip3tGTp8Um8wYtK/pub">https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vStu3hiSf4eTU2jQZlVvSnf705lEXHDhnUbiKYKYmJXbANFgoZfriXxqhFQGwmSfip3tGTp8Um8wYtK/pub</a><br>
<br>
I'm still working through responding to all the emails I got since
2/26. There were more than a 1000 in just the first couple days, so
if you replied and haven't heard from me yet, I'm working through
them slowly. IF your response to that update was that you wanted a
refund (Option D) and I haven't responded yet, please email me at <a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="mailto:info@skyedge.com">info@skyedge.com</a> with the word
"REFUND" in the subject so I can address it more quickly. So far
I've been able to process every refund immediately, but I expect
I'll need to start pacing them at a certain point.<br>
<br>
Considering my current email backlog, if you would like to to
respond to this email but don't necessarily expect or require a
response, the letters "NNTR" in the subject would be appreciated to
let me know there's No Need To Reply.<br>
<br>
To keep it simple we're goin' "Q&A" style for the rest of this
email:<br>
<br>
<b>Why 11 kits?</b> After getting burned with my production flow so
many times, I only made 15 for this first batch and 4 failed quality
control (yes, there's a test fixture). <br>
<p><b>When will more "Option A" kits ship? </b>I'm ordering more
blank boards soon but want to make some small tweaks that should
dramatically improve the fraction of boards that make it through
the quality check. I'm working this out now and expect the next
production run to cover about 50 kits and to go out in early June.
<br>
</p>
<b>The open source spirit (empowering the "Option A" customers):</b>
I need help, and this is an open source project after all, so I'm
hoping that now that these phones will be appearing in the wild
we'll get some early maker energy helping move things forward. Many
of the emails I've received since 2/26 have made the importance of
this sink in. Other brains working on this will be really good. I've
linked a working draft of my development notes on the website, we're
keeping the forum pruned from spambots, and I'm working on finishing
the assembly guide and detailing a development roadmap. <br>
<br>
<b>I haven't ordered. Can I still?</b> Realizing that many people
are OK with the currently experimental nature of the kit (even
energized by it), I re-activated the order link on the website with
a note about the regulatory problem. In this sense, all new orders
are essentially "option A" by default, but of course these won't go
out until the current option A backlog is filled. <br>
<br>
<b>What's the status of the regulatory approval effort? </b>I've
mainly been doing research and working on growing the business for
the past couple months so that I have a team for this journey. It
seems like lab testing takes months, not years, but some significant
upfront money is required as well as a lot of consultation with the
testing labs, so I don't yet want to project when I think this might
be done. This leads into...<br>
<br>
<b>BIG NEWS: </b>I'm excited to announce that I now have a business
partner (I remain the majority partner) to function as a CFO and
help with other things. We'll be moving up from the "basement/garage
phase" in the coming months, too, with our new
headquarters/manufacturing/fulfillment facility in Riverhead, NY.
With this move I'll be able to take on employees (my dream right now
is to have a manufacturing technician, an administrative assistant,
and at least one additional engineer). We'll also be able to
entertain more serious investment. Doing this all alone isn't, and
hasn't been, sustainable, and I realized that going "all in" is the
only way to make this happen. On a personal note, I also have a lot
of ideas that aren't the RUSP and would like to be able to get to
those at some point, hah.<br>
<br>
~Justine<br>
<br>
<br>
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