- The niggle-nudge
- Solving problems we didn’t know we had (Gear Guy & Dr Mike)
- Thinking end-to-end (a mindset)
- Need for… Field Testing
- Order Processing – dry run…
The bullets? Par for the course in the world of former Suit KATIE.
And so it was that on an early morning, pre-shift run, former Suit KATIE drifted into thinking about her POUCH and how it came to be.
Then, after scribbling her post-run notes, she let the thought settle into the back of her mind as she got on with her day.
Let’s listen in for WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT. –The Gang.
FADE IN:
INT. KATIE’S WESTSIDE HOUSE
Later that same day, after her recovery snack, without checking emails and other sort of housekeeping items as per normal, she set off to do a sort of excavation of her hard drive — opening up a fresh KEYNOTE to plop in her findings.
Focused and moving to an internal beat, she bounced along.
Her pal, RC the GREMLIN / STORYTELLER silently observed while also keeping an eye on a random ballgame playing in the background on her home office TV.
He saw his opening as she pushed away from her workstation and stretched.
RC THE GREMLIN
Deep in concentration this day, eh my friend?
She smiles.
KATIE
Hey you…
He studies her and then makes a suggestion.
…How ‘bout we get out for some fresh air?
RC THE GREMLIN
Before you ask… Yeah, been here a while and … How ‘bout we get out for some fresh air?
KATIE
Great suggestion! I could use a breather, but not for long as… Gotta …
She points to the screen and he points to scribblings near her keyboard.
RC THE GREMLIN
Lots of FLO… I get it. Let’s hit your outdoor gym then… you can talk and pull, right?
KATIE
You’re on!
DISSOLVE TO:
KATIE’S WESTSIDE HOUSE – OUTSIDE GYM
Since the COVID lockdown, Katie has been working out in the backyard to balance out her morning runs. Focus on upper body and core.
She got her husband, GEAR GUY, to put up a PUNCHING BAG which she pounded in 3-min intervals. There is also a ROPE PULLING machine as it was the one thing she truly enjoyed during her training sessions at the UFC GYM. Made by the same company that had her second favourite — Jacob’s Ladder.
Anyway, she did her pulls in 3-min intervals too.
The timing of this particular session was good as the ropes were nice and warm.
Katie’s “Gym”…
RC settled into the tall IKEA chair near Katie’s stander writing table and then… the questions began.
Katie, without missing a beat, answered.
RC THE GREMLIN
The scribblings? Dog house? Huh?
KATIE
Weird, right? So how random that when I first got into the industry… high tech… I landed at a company that made IBM-compatibles doing software testing…
RC THE GREMLIN
Oh yeah. I believe… That’s when… I stayed up in Santa Barbara and you went off on your… break from Gaucho-land. When your quarter break extended to two quarters and then extended some more, I finally headed back South to check on you.
Katie smiles and nods.
KATIE
It just so happened that my boss was a PRODUCT MARKETING expert… taught classes at the local college. And one day, he was walking around with this picture of a DOG HOUSE… So, like you just now, I asked. He pointed out the caption. Something like “Do you have a dog that fits this?”
They both stop for a beat to ponder.
KATIE
His point… Marketing … product people… creating things folks don’t know they need… it’s a challenge…
RC THE GREMLIN
Your Gear Guy is always bringing home things you didn’t know you needed, right?
KATIE
Similar… For sure. And I have this POUCH…
Pondering the Pouch…
RC THE GREMLIN
That cool GREEN one with the black custom writing/drawing?
KATIE
Yeah… Pretty much well-thought through for its function.
… The Pouch IS my dog house…
RC THE GREMLIN
Ah! Right… So…?
Circle back time…
KATIE
Got the DING! to circle back and revisit how it came to be that this POUCH “magically” appeared…
What problem I was solving?
RC THE GREMLIN
Musings as Ritual… The 3Rs Timeout thing?
KATIE
Yeah… I remember weird stuff from early Corporate… like if you had a clipboard in your hand when you walked around, nobody would question you. Great for escaping the cubicle to wander around and see what others were doing…
RC THE GREMLIN
Tom Peters-like?
KATIE
Yup! Anyway, I guess during one of my runs or pulls or boxeo sessions, I saw my eyes this way to discretely contain the things you needed for the 3Rs sessions — a Grab-n-Go — where you have what you need and when you’re done, you can neatly store for next session.
RC THE GREMLIN
Compartmentalize… Kinda get into character for the session and then pack up and return… Makes sense.
KATIE
The thing is… when I talk about such things and even go as far as GIFT-ing folks, I get funny looks.
RC THE GREMLIN
This is where I say… Funny Ha Ha or…
KATIE
Like in THE LITTLE PRINCE… the costume guy vs the business attired guy…
from The Little Prince…
KATIE
So I figured that maybe… If I tell the story of the iterations to get to THE POUCH, it could help, you know?
RC THE GREMLIN
Ah! So this is the Eagle Creek thing?
The Eagle Creek thing…
KATIE
And circling back to my attempt to gift my friends these MUSINGS kits… Really it was just to facilitate FLO… a 5×7 with a pencil scrunchie-banded… in a nice CASE. That’s all.
Katie talks away while moving in a circuit between Rope Pulling and hitting the bag. Her story FLOs with her.
RC THE GREMLIN
You … when you traveled… had that neat Eagle Creek you used for yours, right?
KATIE
Yeah… It was the best. I could sneak off to a table outside the room and write before my run, just like home.
RC THE GREMLIN
So… the sourcing quest…
KATIE
Had to scale. And the OG Eagle Creek was… a find as part of an employee discount deal we had when I was at TCS. The size perfect, but…
She’s shaking her head.
RC THE GREMLIN
Discontinued?
KATIE
Yeah… I get if the LIME GREEN version went away as… seasonal and all. EC was always changing up –themed colours year after year, but…
RC THE GREMLIN
The style went too…?
KATIE
Yeah… So I hit the AMAZON for knock-offs and … Thing is… you can’t get a pouch without committing to a set with different sizes. So I was like, let’s test materials and ordered sets from different vendors to test, and then…
She makes a motion that RC recognizes.
RC THE GREMLIN
Your brain exploded?
Rat from “Pearls”…
KATIE
Yeah… I can’t commit to the volumes these guys would want to break apart a set — for just the one size that fit perfectly. Back to the drawing board for me — which was a major downshift to using ZIPLOC bags — not elegant. For sure, not beckoning…
RC THE GREMLIN
Got it. And then… what? DING!! happened??
KATIE
Yup! Somewhere along the line… on a run, I recalled the company that made my SATCHEL-PAK with the DragonBustR logo… trade show promo guys with reasonable minimums and printing fees. Took a flyer and searched their website and …
RC THE GREMLIN
Ah! Pouch discovered??
Snapshot of Mockup…
KATIE
Yup. Ordered samples. Did mock-ups and the rep helped me get to what we have today. Out of pocket expense not too bad. Just funded it by taking on some extra consulting projects.
RC THE GREMLIN
Sounds like a great story to me… bootstrapping the operation, so to speak.
KATIE
And now to get the story told with links to… Give it a try…
RC THE GREMLIN
Huh?
Katie motions to inside the house.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. KATIE’S WESTSIDE HOUSE
Back in Katie’s office, she points to one particular scribble:
- Need for… Field Testing
He looks at her and she’s shaking her head…
RC THE GREMLIN
Ah… You’re seeing your eyes that Sales VP … screaming about not checking with his team?
KATIE
That was so long ago, but still embedded in my brain — the harshness of the interaction, yet…
RC THE GREMLIN
He was right… As your boss was using that dog house analogy, yes?
KATIE
Uh huh… The pouch works for me and my travels. How does it play for others? Will it PLAY for others?
RC THE GREMLIN
And where are those OTHERS?
Using a pen as a pointer while discussing this, Katie lets it drop on her desk.
RC THE GREMLIN
Pencil’s down?
Stop now…
KATIE
For now, yes. I accomplished what I needed for today, the … you’ll appreciate this … the “REWIND” to how I got to the POUCH. It was great to hear me talk it out loud, so thanks, pal!
RC THE GREMLIN
Uh… Okay… You gotta…?
KATIE
Yeah. Hemingway always said to stop where you know where to start next time… something like that.
IG-able…
Just then, Katie’s mobile pings. She picks it up and notices a series of missed messages.
KATIE
Whoops! Gear Guy’s been…
RC THE GREMLIN
You go, Girl! Don’t leave that husband of yours hanging…
FADE OUT.
That’s a Wrap..
And that’s how the stage got set for the next quest — SEEKING OTHERS…
Katie is seeking help on FIELD TESTING the concept and ALSO, working through FULFILLMENT challenges.
We usually close with a STAY TUNED, but this time we have a treat…
THE MOVABLE DECK…
Too cute, we know with another Hemingway reference, but this time…
Enjoy !!
Thanks for hanging with us!
And if you liked it, hit us up below [Speak Your Mind] and … please to share!
Until next time, KOKO!
-The Gang
P.S. And if you haven’t done so already, we invite you to join our waitlist.
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