18 December 2023 · 1 min read
I’m back in HCMC in Vietnam.
The objective this week is to approve the pre-production samples (PPS). The factory will produce two sets of PPS - one for me and one for them. The factory team will use these samples as a reference during production.
All the materials are already in the factory.
Once I’ve approved the PPS, production can be scheduled. The entire production process should only take a few weeks. Once complete, the bags will be shipped to Singapore (literally, by sea). This process needs to happen before Tet, when companies in Vietnam will close for the lunar new year.
Based on that timeline, we expect the bags to reach Singapore before the end of February 2024. Within a week of arrival, they’ll be ready for shipping. We already have a list of pre-orders for the Street Satchel, so these patient folks will be getting their bags first.
Production has already been delayed three months due to problems with one of our suppliers. This is one reason I’m glad I didn’t set up a Kickstarter campaign for this first production cycle. Better to iron out the bugs before creating an offer with a tight timeline.
While I’m at the factory, I’m also going to build prototypes for some new concepts. One is a travel pack, the other an accessory pouch. Going forward, when one batch goes into production, I’ll be working up designs for the next production cycle. This approach will give me time to test bags before deciding whether to move them into production. Not all bags make it through the process.
I’ll also be measuring the volume of each of the bags, which is a weird process involving lots of small plastic balls.
Next step: Schedule production for January / February 2024.
Follow our progress here.