Serendipity Maybe

Has anything ever happened to you where for a split second you thought your life was over, but then you realized it was really probably something wonderful for you after all?

That is exactly what I experienced today when I read a press release from Trossen Robotics about a new line of robotic products they are releasing.

"OMGWTF!!! I am like 2 months away from launching this revolutionary product line that will change the world as we know it, and those sons-of-mother-#*@&3Rs beat me to it!"

You did not want to be around me from about 2:00 - 2:30 this afternoon. I was ruined. What could I do? Should I still bother to launch the products I have poured years and nearly one hundred thousand dollars into? Maybe I should just write it all off and join the Peace Corps. Clearly, they got to it before me. And naturally, I can't compete because they did it first and they must know what they're doing better than me.

Then I actually decided to look at their product. It really looks pretty cool. I kinda want one. So I decided to look at it a little more closely, and all of a sudden my life was no longer over. Their RobotBuilder kits are awesome in their own right, an excellent complement to my products, but are not in any way a direct substitute for any of mine.

In fact, not only am I not ruined by the news, I am thrilled to see a product so directly targeted to the same market as mine. Leading up to my own product launch, I have little doubt the products are excellent. My concern was whether a sufficient market existed for a robust robotic prototyping platform to make it financially worthwhile. While Trossen's press release may steal a smidge of my thunder, it gives me great confidence that I am not diving headfirst into completely uncharted territory.

When I calmed down and looked closely at the RobotBuilder brochure and product information, I noticed a few things. First, their brand messages "less time building, more time enjoying" and "we make robots easy and fun" are the same themes that resound in my own marketing materials. Second, their product featureset is defined similarly to mine, but their actual product is very different. Third, their prices are on the same scale as what I expect to charge.

These factors combined tell me that I am doing something right. My products are still revolutionary and without direct substitute on the current market, but the target market is now a little better defined. What's more, the market is reachable and likely to have its appetite whetted by the RobotBuilder product. Although we may wind up competing for holiday dollars later this year, the buzz Trossen has created can only help give my product launch more momentum.

Besides, I love trossen. I am a customer and a fan. Perhaps they will carry my robots in the future, and I can certainly envision more opportunities to partner with them than to compete with them regardless.