People who know me, know I love music and playing the guitar. Even if my skills are way more likely to break eardrums than hearts, my friends know one thing for sure - I love guitars.
A few years ago, I adopted a kitten (see: menace) that decided to become a self-taught guitarist. He'd pluck the strings of my guitar with his teeth and claws whenever guitars were out or on a stand. As a result, for the past three years, my guitars have mostly hibernated in their cases, tucked away safely in a closet. Not exactly easily accessible.
Over time I played less and less, as the guitars stayed out of sight and mind. I searched online for "guitar string protector" products to buy, but the only options on the market were cheap pillowcase or sock-looking products. Needless to say, there was no graceful option, certainly not one that maintained or added to the beauty of a guitar.
I also wondered about all the other guitarists, who for one reason or another, threw their guitar into storage, never to be played for joy again...
So this past June, I took a simple action on a simple idea: "make a quick guitar strings protector prototype and see if it works"...
*****
Over the past five months, over many nights and weekends, I've learned how to create:
-iterative prototypes of a physical product
-a brand
-a trademark
-a website
-a network of trusted, consistent, and local suppliers
-an actual product line in production (from ideation to production)
-pricing and packaging
-a logistics chain that will scale
-an affiliate program
-an Amazon store
-launch a 100% bootstrapped company
-the feeling that I *just might be* onto something...
...a new, mainstream product category
*****
Introducing The Guitar Necktie™, the world's first guitar strings protector. Protect your guitar strings, beautifully 🎸🛡
Launching Nov 1, I'm now focusing nights/weekends on building awareness and scaling our sales/support.
-Bob
Why didn't this product already exist?
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