How We Pivoted from eDiscovery to Siege Weaponry and Raised $60k in 30 Days | Hacker News Reader

How We Pivoted from eDiscovery to Siege Weaponry and Raised $60k in 30 Days

siegetoys.com

56 pointsevan-arm18 comments

Nice story, but how is this a pivot exactly? What's the difference between a pivot and moving on with something else? My gut feeling is that when you start something totally, completely different without using the knowledge or product you built/gathered/accumulated before, it's more of a start over.

'Moving on' sounds like failure, but 'pivoting' is hot startup jargon, so to make sure to sound successful, you need to 'pivot' and not 'move on' :)

(Disclaimer: I caught myself saying 'pivot' in a pitch last week, and literally cringing in my chair when I realized it - luckily it was on the phone so I don't think anyone caught it ;) )

I regularly read things like this. Why is saying 'pivot' detrimental?

It's not really 'detrimental', hence my smiley and wink; it's more that I feel it's a fashionable word which will lose it's cool next year when the next buzzword shows up. It's a bit the startup equivalent of 'synergy', the much-maligned MBA word.

(I recognize that it's a perfectly valid word (both 'pivot' and 'synergy', actually), and conveys lots of information in a simple word, which in general is good; it's just that it has become the epitome of MBA-speak which is sometimes scoffed at for its perceived vapidness or attempt at sounding important).

It is, as Bernard Wooley would say if he were still around, one of those irregular verbs.

I pivot, you change your mind, he flip-flops.

I was using it in a tounge-in-cheek way, but it didn't really come through in the title. I couldn't tell you what the difference is between "pivoting" and "starting over" either.

Except that if "starting over" discourages you, try "pivoting" instead!

Their kickstarter page with video: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1803756771/trebuchette-t...

I got to give you guy’s kudos for the snap together design. To make something out of wood that does not require glue or be held together by string yet is strong enough to shoot a projectile (repeatedly) is quite a design challenge.

I remember the push out ply wooden toys you used to be able to get that would fall apart when you slotted them together.

But I was wondering if trebuchette was for geeks or 12 year old kids? I can see a big brother ambushing a little sister with this. So may want to supply goggles to avoid law suits.

Also you may want to do a fireproof version because I can see someone shooting projectiles that are on fire (I can't remember what they are called) with it just like they used to do in ye olde days.

I can also see a range of snap together wooden toys with this system. From castles to catapults to battering rams to cars etc.

Congrats on kickstarting your dreams.

(Edited for spelling and clarity)

Yeah, the snap together design is cool, though I wonder if it'll last. If the joints move even slightly it would seem that the pieces will wear over time and it'll get loose.

I've got one of these on my desk and I can assure you that it's amazingly solidly built. Evan and Mike have tweaked the dimensions just so that the plywood they use, sanded and waxed in the way they sand and wax it, fits very precisely -- or rather, it doesn't quite fit, unless it is squeezed a little bit, which is actually what you want, because that means it snaps together securely. And this is why the laser cutting is necessary: it's the one technique that lets you achieve the tolerances you need for this sort of thing without manual adjustments to each piece.

I just taped this quote on the bottom of my primary monitor. I think that, other than "The worst outcome is mediocrity", it's the most insightful (and directly relevant to me) thing I've read on HN in ages.

  Are they asking all kinds on inane questions, grumbling
  about the colors, and telling you everything you did
  wrong while you can’t pry them away from your demo? 
  >> Success. <<
  
  Are they smiling, nodding enthusiastically, telling you 
  what a great idea it is, and then wandering off and not
  answering your email? 
  >> It’s not working. <<

This arguably could be reduced to:

Are they using the product?

>> Success. <<

I realized this morning that the post doesn't explain the original title of the piece. We got posted to SMBC, and someone re-tweeted Zach's awesome comment into Spanish: "Estos chabones hacen CATAPULTAS. Con qué? CON LASERS. Por qué? POR LA CIENCIA http://kck.st/gj3byf

"Con qué? CON LASERS" has become our motto now.

all I could think of watching that, was "where can I get me a laser CNC machine"

oh, and how do I justify the cost to my wife?

Build one yourself for $2500.

http://buildlog.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=391

All the cool kids are doing it.

Uh... I think 'pivoting' is being used ironically, since the poster probably realizes that they're simply dropping the old project and moving on.

The 'haha, pivot is overused' meme /is/ pretty common by this point, right?

Sorry but, this post epitomizes the current entrepreneurship for sake of it trend.

The bubble seems to be inflating exponentially!

If you wonder why you're getting downvoted, here's a couple pointers:

>Sorry but, this post epitomizes the current entrepreneurship for sake of it trend.

This statement, while being mildly insulting, doesn't actually give any information. It's a conclusion without an argument. If you feel the post is fluffy and insubstantial, explain why. Rather than a drive by Youtube-style comment, write to convince. You have an opinion that you'd like others to consider, but it will take more than merely stating it to be taken seriously.

>The bubble seems to be inflating exponentially!

This, again, is a statement without substance. There's been a lot of bubble talk lately, and arguments flying back and forth on whether there is a bubble and what form it takes if so. If you feel that this post is symptomatic of the "bubble-era" startup attitude, you need to explain why. Be aware that many people are growing weary of the constant bubble talk, so if you want to be taken seriously you need to make a serious argument. Exclamation points rarely have a place in that kind of exposition.

Actually, this post epitomizes a different trend entirely; the trend of startup culture moving into physical objects.

Kickstarter has been a great blessing for that trend, bridging the otherwise difficult gap between a good design or prototype and pilot-scale mass production.

This is what we've done with MakerBeam, this was behind the success of the Glif and TikTok, and it looks like Siege Toys is next in line to make a go of it.

There's no bubble when one is manufacturing goods and selling them at a profit. Entirely different, older economics apply.

Looks like you gents have a great product, Siege Toys: Best of luck!

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