I just want to say that while I’m upset at the situation, I’m really impressed with @dan. He is why I don’t cancel.
He never runs away from this community when things get hairy. This community rides waves of emotion. Quite rationally - as he sits at the helm of one of industry’s great delays and we have legitimate things to vent about. Still, he doesn’t lock himself in his office. He’s still participating. I hope to meet him one day. First drink is on me. Bet he can use it.
I’m sure he dreams of the day when he can put this phase behind him and just run a great - normal - laser company without constantly needing to put the flames on his derrière out with a fire extinguisher.
When you do settle into normalcy, Dan, always remember you had a giant community of people routing for you. As forgiving and/or as cantankerous as any family.
Should make a great book. Listed under Horror/Thriller perhaps?
Thanks a million. Long nights (tonight, the spreadsheet from h&!! trying to predict ship dates from production rates given order dates, international, air filters, and more). But all worth it when people get what they ordered and love it!
Well if you like @Dan so much, why don’t you read his book?.. Wait, you probably received a copy during the first delay as an apology. If you didn’t read it, you should! It’s pretty inspiring, and a great way to pass the time until your 'Forge arrives.
Seriously though - Dan, thank you for being there for us throughout the delays and troubles. Thank you for being respectful, even when we as a community were frustrated. The way you handle these issues is why so many of us have stuck around. During this past 2 years, I also participated in 3 other inspired crowdfunding projects:
Tiko - The founder was known to rant at his project backers for their inquiries into delays, but he would do it in mass emails. Released a product that wasn’t ready, and while I finally did receive mine, it never worked, and the company folded.
Pine 64 - As a competitor to the Raspberry Pi, it had great promise, but the owners were pretty hidden and didn’t share much until its release, where it was not supportive of most software.
Lily - After many delays, the Lily Camera company finally went bankrupt. I was fortunate enough to have ordered very early, so I was one of the few who got my money back, but I didn’t want that, I wanted my Lily Camera.
Glowforge on the other hand, I trust through all of the delays, and I trust them because of Dan and his transparency. The book also helped because it gave me insight into how Dan operates, and knowing this wasn’t his first start-up helped me understand that this is what he does.
Dan, I hope to not only meet you someday, but to work on a future start-up with you.
A large measure of the success the glowforge project enjoyed is a reflection of his experience as a startup veteran.
Venture capitalists don’t throw bags of money around without due diligence. The model of securing V.C. resources to fuel the company from the beginning and a pledge of a full refund across this entire journey substantiated my faith in the effort.
Reading the book reenforced my belief. “The Benefits of an early Bankruptcy”, and other insights in there of his business acumen I found reassuring.
Also the unwaivering demeanor regardless of the inner turmoil that had to be present, plus the display of character in never disparaging any of the competition, or never failing to show respect and courtesy to any of us who vented or threw tomatoes.
Bunch or reasons why I got involved in this project. #1 is I had always wanted to do art with a laser, but that was never a possibility for me until the company offered that introductory price.
I just happened to be feeling ‘bucks up’ when I stumbled onto this project, and what I had that I felt to be disposable income was precisely $2,000! I needed a new direction in life after forced retirement, and I placed my bet on Glowforge.
Despite all of the disappointment from the delays, he (and this community) are the reasons I stayed. The guy is hard not to like.
My bet paid off, and I’m not surprised. Someday I also would like to meet him, shake his hand and buy the whole team a beer. They have earned that and my respect.
Yeah, that’s where I got that chapter title.
I agree, it was an interesting read, and I enjoy his humor - “He gave me a grin you would recognize if you ever saw a nature documentary on alligators.”
Others could learn to be like Dan, he definitely is a fine example.
Some people should think WhatWouldDanDo before they type, the ones that try to be the voices
Some of the people on these forums could use this little trick before they think to start trolling anyone.
WWDD…he wouldn’t troll anyone. He’d answer people who needed help and not just post to be able to post a useless response. @Dan would HELP anyone he actually could, or he would say nothing.
Be more like Dan when called to, ask yourself, WWDD in this situation.
I got to meet Dan just briefly. I had called him a “wanka” a few days earlier and I knew he was a good dude when we laughed about it in person. (Wonka,wanka, same thing right?!) I heartily agree with the rest of your assessment. Dan hasn’t hid and I’m happily surprised when I see him still active in the forums and responding to people. I’ve seen him stand there and take a beating, but then push back at some BS as well. Even when I’m not happy about something GF, his attitude has kept me around as well.
