77 - How uncontrollable delays can threaten your reputation, and what to do about it | feat. Ed Barton

Cheat Sheet The more work you do on your campaign before you launch the more success you will have. But no matter how much you plan, Global Politics (and other factors 100% out of your control) get a vote. Today’s guest, Ed Barton of Virtuali-Tee, saw his production costs go up 33% overnight after the UK voted for Brexit and the Pound collapsed. Setting up plans for likely contingencies is a great start. But when things break down (and they will) or a blind spot is revealed, that is when the real work begins! Communication is the key to weathering the inevitable storm of backer emails asking when their product is supposed to arrive. With the media surrounding Crowdfunding beginning to sour on projects not delivering, you have to do everything you can to not be lumped into that narrative.   About This Episode Imagine being able to look at your body, and see your heart beat, lungs breathe, liver processing, stomach churning, and intestines digesting, That is what you can now do with Virtuali-Tee, a new product from Curiscope that Founder and CEO, Ed Barton, hopes will help kids learn to love biology. The Virtuali-Tee uses your smartphone and a funky tee-shirt that looks like it is out of the 1980’s hit game, Space Invaders. The shirt is essentially an advanced QR-Code that, when you combine it with your smartphone or VR device, lets you look at a virtual representation of your anatomy ON your body. You can literally dive into your blood vessels and learn how the heart delivers oxygen to muscles and tissues. Crowdfunding is MADE for cool projects and creators like Ed and his team. For their successful launch, Ed was extremely well prepared by most standards: He had an email list He had a working prototype He lined up a manufacturer in the United States that could meet the high printing quality standards required to make the magic happen. He and his co-founder went to conferences, demoed their product and signed people up to their email list IN PERSON! Even then, Ed delivered the Virtuali-Tee to all backers about 6 weeks late, (“early” by Crowdfunding standards) and he wasn’t happy about it. Why’s that? As Ed puts it… “Business is a string of problems that you solve to get the successes along the way.” Some of these problems are foreseeable and contingencies can be planned. After Brexit, the Pound dropped 25% overnight. This caused his production costs go up 33% as a result (the maths, as the Brits say, works I swear) and meant that he had start from square one to source a new manufacturer able to meet the high standards required to make the magic happen. Communication is what saved his company’s reputation. Ed made it his policy to respond personally to all emails and Backer comments within 24 hours. The results of being on top of his communication, and ultimately delivering a great product, has meant hundreds of repeat orders from teachers all over the world and the beginning of what Ed hopes will revolutionise how kids are taught and engage in school.   Resources Mentioned Virtuali-Tee Kickstarter Campaign Curiscope.com The VR Great White Shark Video Curiscope Facebook Page Curiscope on Twitter Startup Podcast