
How We Pivoted from eDiscovery to Siege Weaponry and Raised $60k in 30 Days - evan-arm
http://siegetoys.com/post/4743188690/con-que-con-lasers-or-how-we-pivoted-from-ediscovery
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joelhaasnoot
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.

~~~
roel_v
'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 ;) )

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

~~~
roel_v
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).

~~~
hugh3
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.

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smallwords
Their kickstarter page with video:
[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1803756771/trebuchette-t...](http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1803756771/trebuchette-
the-snap-together-desktop-trebuchet/)

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)

~~~
lutorm
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.

~~~
weel
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.

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Sukotto
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. <<

~~~
johnrob
This arguably could be reduced to:

Are they using the product?

>> Success. <<

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evan-arm
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.

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cubicle67
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?

~~~
JonnieCache
Build one yourself for $2500.

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

All the cool kids are doing it.

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HistoryInAction
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?

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

The bubble seems to be inflating exponentially!

~~~
redthrowaway
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.

