tompoland And having new models sent to experts for pre production testing g like many send to you Dave would seem like a sound idea. But to not even have a working prototype? Count me out.
Creators are concerned that a proper review would show up flaws, or negative points about the product and affect their ability to complete the campaign. They will want NDAs to control what can be said about the product. I’ve never signed and NDA in my life, nor would I, even though I have been asked.
The Crem 1 2B LFPP was a fine example. They wanted an NDA, I said no, so only got the product when it was “completed” 1 year later and due to go on sale. Shocker….I found a lot I wasn’t happy with and wanted fixed before I could even think to recommend that BB could sell them and other stuff that they didn’t want to do to make it better because it was so far into production. This was a great shame, had I been involved a year earlier, things would have been much cheaper and very different.
- So you have the wish to gag issue
- the concern that they need to use influencers if they can (influencers generally don’t improve products)
- If someone like me did review a prototype, they might be minded to listen to any feedback, because they wouldn’t send it to me if they weren’t going to listen, unless they made the mistake of thinking I am an influencer. So generally, I don’t get asked by Crowdfunders. The one that did (Niche), did not regret asking me at all.
What I do, and I’m good at it…is look at products and find:
- big gotchas, that need to be fixed
- Small gotchas that can be quickly and easily remedied before it goes into production
- Improvements that can be quick and cheap wins
- Spot things they have not thought of.
I saw a machine a while ago that’s in production and spotted a very easy change that can be implemented, very cheaply, with barely no modification. The improvement to the machine would be significant!
Another conversation about a simple shot timer in concept stage (open circuit board test of concept), allowed me to suggest something that hadn’t been thought of at all and would only require a little extra programming before board flash…but would make a significant difference to the concept, especially in a commercial setting.
I find this sort of challenge a mental puzzle, and I enjoy solving puzzles, especially when manufacturers can talk to me at specification and CAD stage.
P.S. It’s why I do very much less reviewing now, preferring to do improving and then a review of something I’ve improved. I’m happy for the “influencers” and entertainers to do the “review”.