The system for watering plants. How to go to Kickstarter. Step-by-step process

in Short, I decided to stir up your startup.

Startup is when you work a lot, and you even do not pay the money. Heh heh. Familiar? Then listen to my story.

A year ago I worked as a head of CRM systems at the company Megaplan. I do not know how anyone, but my pace of life in Moscow was simple. Day job, night job for fun. Work pleasure was the study of the first Windows Phone, then Xamarin and iOS system. Well, not the beer to drink, really.

So how to program anyhow that was not interesting, I decided to do something that would help in my second hobby.



Or even first, depends how to count. This hobby I have is botanist and everything related to plants. I moderated the forums on plants, writing about plants, conducted programs on TV about plants. Even graduated from University with a degree in genetic engineering of plants. And the first article on Habre I have dedicated to this.

Having gone to a few overseas trips, I was very upset by the fact that around a bunch of strangers interesting tops, and my hands fall off, carrying on the backs of thick qualifiers. The process is clearly not of the digital age. Fluent gugleniya showed that the maximum which can be calculated disparate sites in some regions, which, of course, still not work offline.

Challenge accepted!

So I started to write for mobile platforms.

The vrubanie in process and coding in the evenings it took about a year. During this time I have grown to this point, that when faced with a choice — either I quit and finish the project in the foreseeable future, or I write it in the evenings for many years I decided to quit. Accumulation was, therefore, nothing was kept.

Three months of daily work and I released a couple of applications of determinants for iOS. One indoor plants, the second tropical fruit.



I must say, that by monetizing they have not met. Yes, there are flaws with the interface. But the main reason is that to be filled with content resolvers is very expensive. And the market now is a very hard place. And stiffness I clearly underestimated. In General, after some futile attempts to achieve advantage in the advertising campaigns involving users and the loss of several hundred dollars, I left the app to work on the level of natural search traffic (Android version did not for the same reason). There goes about$ 100 a month, well, okay. Ever be repaid. By the way, did in-app before the end of July free, you can download and use.

The application is written in Xamarin. It is interesting to feel the speed of the framework.

Conclusions from the creation of mobile applications has been made following. The market is tough and competition is very strong. The game is on the principle of all or nothing. Too heavy for a single. So we decided not to develop this topic further.

But he turned his attention to the system for smart home. It is close to the mobile phone. This is something as yet not many, but that will be all. And if you take the most stereotypical and routine household chores, watering the plants here, not in last place. And unlike robot vacuum cleaners, home sprinklers almost no one. But once I was a nerd in the shower, the choice was predetermined. Decided to make a system for watering plants! This decision came to me in the fall of 2013.

the Idea

At home I have many colors. Mostly orchids, but there are others. And a constant problem that need to be watered in time. But I have business, vacation, or something else. I forget the case, unfortunately. So came up with a project for people like me — automatic irrigation system for the plants.

Unfair to say that again — and came up with. The appearance of the system was born a few months as you draw sketches and build the first prototypes. Here's what happened in the end:
Looks watering device as a stand under the pot. Watering is done with a pump, and excess water flows back into the container. All controlled via the Internet from your smartphone (iOS, Android), you need only your home WiFi network. The device remembers the periodicity of watering, even if interrupted connection with the Internet. Pushes notifications to your phone if there is little water left. Securely and doesn't leak, since, in principle, no wet compounds. Holds enough water to not have to refill for a month or two.

Price thought, that I was capable of watering all my pots 20 and not go broke. This paragraph immediately follows the use of extruded plastic housing and reducing the number of electronics. Long thought how to do it and came to modularity. We have a smart head units, and there is a “stupid” child who can only be watered when they are told head. There is generally only the pump and punching can be very cheap to do.



Why such a device? Honestly — tired of the attempts of the designers in this area. From those who have never grown flowers, but really wants to do something stupid. The type of hydroponic system with replaceable cartridges for growing vegetables. Well nonsense, really. It's a toy, not a helper for the lovers of plants. I want to make it as useful device.

The same thing about some of the Swiss knives that Shine and water and whatever you want to do. But it's bad. No, it's my device only pours. But does it as simple, convenient and cheap. And then expand if the demand will be.

Prototypes

I did not run for investors, promotion or to do something like that. Just started working on the materials for the project.

Drawings in OpenSCAD (I liked OpenJSCAD, it supports a fair object model), 3d printing prototypes, elementary electronics.
Since I never worked in three-dimensional packages, and had to make a 3d drawing, we decided to go through all that is on the market. Frankly, the programmer is pure horror, in addition to these OpenSCADA and its branches. Well, maybe not for every programmer, but just for me. But it is a hell. Blender, Sketchup – heartbreaking interfaces and stupor even while trying to draw a cube. But parametric modeling of the Scud – excellent and nice that is necessary. Especially if you have a penchant for drawing.



After the details were ready and customized in Treherne, it is time to seek the services of the press. An unpleasant discovery was that none of the foreign giants of this business does not deliver to Russia. Refer to problems with the mail.

But, to be honest, and their price does not suit me. My item weighs 200 grams, they came out under 10 thousand. Very expensive!
Started to look at us. It turned out that on the Russian market the average price of printing ABS or PLA for Amateur printers about 20 rubles per gram. On roboforum.ru found the companion, which prints 10. Two thousand for a prototype – is already acceptable. And the fact that you have to pick up at the metro station – so we have bootstrap or what :)?

As electronics have been using a set MSP430 + CC3000. A very good chip and a convenient charge, can smart configuration (this means, it is possible to pass the username and password of a closed wifi network by pressing a button). He understood only basic things, the programme and the shield is made to order. 5000 rubles, it is normal, I would kill for two weeks. As a result, pay addresses to a specific host via DNS and takes out status, to include whether she is or not. If the signal is on, the motor-pump pumps water. Off – stops the pump.



Then another will say a few words on the design. If you like closely, you'll see that the cover is concave. So the excess water drains into the tank, not getting past the device. Bottom connectors for power supply and electrically connect the subsidiary modules. The holes on the sides from the top — the grooves for kapalamula connection. It is a small cog in the form of a plastic brace with capillary cord, which allows you to keep the same water level in the neighboring devices.
Power in the base case from the mains via an adapter, but I really want to do solar with intermediate charging of the batteries. Calculations say that it's real if you don't keep a constant WiFi connection. But while the food network, as befits a very simple first version.

A prototype design of a mobile application ordered two thousand. The application was done over two evenings, still a prototype, no wisdom. I couldn't resist to make a dynamic calendar control instead of a picture, because two nights instead of one.



The prototype was ready. Runs, pours at the touch of a button. Fasten it to the schedule and finish the application is very simple. Understand how to translate it into a serial footing.

What next?

Here I must say that I have been working in the business. And I realized during this time that the sale is always primary. It's disgusting my engineering vision of the world, but unfortunately it is. Therefore, initially, everything was focused on testing ideas in the market. And what is now the best mechanism for this? That's right – crowdfunding. Well, the best platform for this Kickstarter. The most recognizable, with the largest audience and so on. So you need to use it.

Housing, electronics — what you see in the picture took two or three months of work. Just because we had to learn a lot of unfamiliar areas and a lot of thinking over design.

Parallel chose the name and how the design of the website. Called the project is quite simple for area – Aquarius. Registered the domain aquariusbot.com

A few days after registration suddenly I see habré article. I was stung! Someone already does the same thing. An urgent need to accelerate! But in General, it's amazing how at the same time can come the same idea to different people. By the way, well done guys, they have more then a couple of articles came out where the product is already very presentable.

What was needed was a clear plan of action. Here's the plan:

the

the
• Make a promotional website. On the website photos and product presentation. In English.

Looking for the exits on Kickstarter. Read about the mechanisms of crowdfunding. the

• Shoot video and do a campaign.
the
• Start. And then the results

In the end, I started from the site at the same time reading about crowdfunding. It turned out that there are several people who do this for a percentage of the fees. There is also a casting project and just anyone they will not take. So the site remained in first place in the priorities, it was necessary to ensure a good flow from the beginning.

Because websites are not my Forte, I took the path of least resistance.
Bought a nice template for WordPress themeforest.com. Hired a freelancer who set up my hosting on linode.com (best for me the conditions under and vds servers in the United States).

After that, deeply immersed in the nuances of css and web design. And I needed pictures.

Pictures I wanted quality, at least in the interior of a + on a white background. My apartment is not to remove, so I decided to look for a Studio in town. Found. Remove predmetu, that's it.

And here happened a bummer. Pictures on a white background somehow filmed. But the interiors with them was a misunderstanding. I wanted something in a modern style with Ikea furniture and office surroundings. And they only had tacky pseudo-Baroque with ugly stucco. And I found out about it after the fact, when he came to them Laden with plants and other props.



Do not style in General. Now I understand that I just had to go and disagree. But time is very short, so there.
In the end, all photos taken in the interior were essentially thrown out and never went. 5 hours of footage cost 7,000 rubles. Expensive, we had to find a cheaper.
Then I had to practice at home with what we have. Of course it turned out worse than could be, but reshoot in the Studio there was no time, and the flowers would not survive even one moving in the cold.

Summary: get in advance all the nuances and don't think you understand the way you want

The website I was about to finish, passing denima the photos already at home. Fortunately, was the presence of the camera, although there was no light. I bought a tripod, and the quality of light used the stools and the lights on primako.

Texts

The product is intended primarily for the foreign market. It's more Mature for such things, and simply more, so why not?
Not to say that is very cool in English. Understand well, speak and write worse. So we started to work with interpreters. An important caveat in the translation work: high quality translation work only into their native language. And with that, you will have a lot of problems, translators with knowledge of Russian and native English-enough to swear.

With difficulty, but found. In principle satisfied. The translation costs from 5 cents per word.

Where to find interpreters? All English proz.com (long, expensive...). But even when doing a mobile app, I discovered for myself the utterly delightful website – fiverr.com His point is that there is a clearly defined scope of services for a clearly stated price of$ 5. Great to work with. Try. The most convenient that you can test a huge number of people. You lose each to a maximum of$ 5, but quickly enough you will find someone who will suit you.

It doesn't look like the classic freelancing, where you long to agree to wait long for the result, and so on. Everything here is fast, and is often the key factor. An additional advantage is that fiverr'e is not only the translators, and a variety of performers in almost any job.

The greatest texts I have translated to order. However, for small texts, I do not recommend. If you somehow know how to speak, write clumsy language, and then order the editing (editing &proofreading). That's essentially five times cheaper translations! Performers and much more. At the same fiverr there are editors, which give the finished work in 30 minutes. Extremely convenient!
Again, you practice in English, it is useful.

Prices for editing are that allow you to run the same text through a couple of editors. Until you find permanent artists recommend to do it and compare the result.



So, Playground. To start the technique, you need to get out.

You need to be a resident of the US, GB, AU or NZ. As you know, I do not fit this criterion.

Second, we need to create the right campaign to get you noticed and you invested.

So there is a facilitator on the exit to the Playground. Someone provides their details and washes his hands, someone provides consulting support and in fact is not a mediator, but a partner. All Russian-speaking ones can be found in this

I am not going to say who I work for. Tell about the working conditions. I understand they overall overall.

the

the
• Needs to show the project to the intermediary. If the project is so-so, then you will try to dissuade you from withdrawal.
the
• most Likely, for future work you will pay a fee of about$ 1,000. This contribution speaks to the seriousness of your intentions and insures a broker. At the same time you sign the service agreement.
the
• Then you work as agreed, and the reseller gets 10% in fees (maybe more, maybe less, everything is solved individually). The percentage is paid only in case of success of the campaign.

Comrade with whom I work helped me with the video with the building campaign and helps present. So I perceive his partner and listen to the advice. Recommend to treat this case, so you get the most out of your relationship. Well, I remind you that I'm not campaigning in favor of someone else, that's just my personal experience.
Next, what amount of fees to put? Here the answer is simple – the least possible of realistic. Kickstarter ranks the projects by how quickly they reach the goal. If your task bar is so low, the chances to exceed it many times to significantly increase.
With regards to hard projects. In any case, don't forget to include the cost of packaging, storage in warehouses, delivery. Many projects have been seriously hit on these points. Well, keep in mind postage pricing. Shipment to address inside States, for example, is more expensive than shipping from China.

Video

Almost all the pictures of the product I have was made during the creation of the website. So I focused on video. This is probably the most difficult part in the whole campaign.



What should be in the video:
the

the
• You and your team.
the
• Product.

History. the

• Audio.

don't worry, the first time, you still will not shoot right.

A video spend thousands of dollars. But it is quite possible to do yourself and it is absolutely real. You will need a camera, tripod, lights. A very desirable mate.

Can give the following tips:

the

the
• If you need to talk to the camera, maintain eye contact and use a makeshift prompter – the text of the speech printed out on sheets of A4 very large font. To look was at the center I just put a hole in the center of the sheet and put it on the camera.
the
• Microphone in his lapel mandatory, without it will be continuous hissing is out of the question.

the Story in the video should be short. 2 minutes, maybe less. While you are Steve jobs, focus on this time.

Where to get pre-history? You can draw a comic to use PowerPoint, you can remove yourself if you have a good texture and the camera. I used videostore. They provide short, thematic videos, of which it is possible to compose the story. The video pieces are expensive so don't buy them and use the preview until then, until doing the final installation.
I video pieces from wastewater cost in the amount of approximately$ 200.

The song is in the same place where the video, quality. The normal offer on audiojungle. A lot of melodies, an average of$ 10 apiece. Voice actors English version can be ordered either on fiverr (cheap, the result is not very predictable) or voicebunny.com. There is a very professional speakers. Mine cost about 120$. Three times asked to change, didn't like the tone in the end all staged. Service strongly recommend.
Installation make in their any video editing program that supports multiple tracks. The degree of removal of the brain they lie close to the 3d editors.

In the video, I spent about three weeks. Seems to work fine. In any case, the rate posmotrevshih to the end kept at 50% and this is considered a good statistic.

Design your campaign page

There is much wisdom, a fairly standard structure.

the

the
• About the project (what it is)
the
• Awards
the
• As made
the
• Command
the
• Everything else

Can take any of the successful projects in your area and check web archive as their campaign looked in the beginning. Most importantly, take the time to look at the archive, as the campaign edit as.

every little paragraph of text, you must have a picture. Pictures, more pictures, everyone loves pictures!

Press

Preparations for the campaign in the media is to see who wrote about your competitors, bring it in a huge, gigantic table, and to convey to all of them information about your product.

The point is that Kickstarter is now such a competition that if you do not write top edition, no traffic and contributors your campaign receives.
I wish I were anything else to recommend... But I can't. How to communicate with the media is the wisdom of which I still have available.

Hey, who can push press, and people generally clear marketing boy/girl with the results? Will take you to the project, please.

Run

A hundred times prepared, still can not guess. We decided to run on Tuesday, June 3 at 6 a.m. in Los Angeles, considering that this is the most convenient time. And completely flew by, as I forgot about the Apple WWDS, which began on Monday. Press together progeria press release, and in campaign virtually no one comes, despite the excellent conversion to backers.

So now begins a new important stage – pulling the campaign out of the gutter. Pull — writes :)
That's all for today. I will try to have this story was a good continuation.

Support me and order a waterer, you can here:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/kudryavtcev/aquarius

Ask questions in the comments, I will try to answer all.

PS For some unknown reason to me, Habr did not respond to requests of the form “help startups”. So all this is published in “I'm a PR”. Dear Habr, I'm still hoping for an answer!

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru