u/grade5materials

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all of your feedback on my two new fidget prototypes. I'm targeting a production run of 100 units of each this summer. I'd love to know which you prefer and what you're thinking, so I could make any necessary tweaks before the first production run. Here is what I'm thinking:

Bead Blasted Titanium
I want to anodize the cheese and the mice on the Cheese Wheel and the thumb dish/toggle on the haptic hubcap.
First 10 will be serial numbered out of 10, the remaining 90 of each will be serial numbered out of 100.
I'm working on packaging and will have a metal certificate of authenticity with each. I'll share another post on the unboxing experience when ready.

Anything else? What's missing? If you're interested in signing up for the drop and haven't yet done so, please feel free to head to the Drop List

Thanks again,

Matt

High end fidget toys (made from titanium, stainless steel, and exotic materials) are niche, but I think it's a niche that's growing. I like them and enthusiasts like them, but there isn't much innovation going on. So, I decided to partner with an engineering firm to make innovative, Titanium fidget toys.

It's hard. Very hard. For one, most of the fidget toy manufacturers are based in China. This is because CNC manufacturing, the process by which precision, high end products get made, is not a skill many American manufacturers have. They exist, but they make high grade medical equipment and aerospace products and charge an insane amount to do it.

I got prototypes from China and they're amazing. Super unique, the patent pending design works great. But I can't do a production run in China due to tariff uncertainty. India it is, as they also have CNC manufacturing capability. Managing the design for manufacturing (DFM) process (getting quotes from different prospective manufacturers), partnering with 3PLs, organic marketing, attempting to build a social media presence, packaging, regulatory, etc is not a walk in the park for a solo founder with a full time day job.

My wife thinks I'm crazy. My friends think I'm crazy. My parents and in-laws think I'm crazy. But, I think I've made something really special and differentiated. If I can break through, I think I can build a unique brand in a growing and somewhat sleepy space.

What's the verdict? Am I crazy, or on to something?

Which do you prefer? The Haptic Hubcap, or the Cheese Wheel? Would love to get your thoughts as I'm targeting production runs in the next couple months.

I convinced myself that everyone thinking my business is weird/crazy is a good thing because it means less competition. But, maybe doing something crazy is just crazy. What do you think?