The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi all,

I have been struggling with some things here at Sandy recently, and I decided I need to make some changes.

One of the problems I have is that I have outlined a clear path of products I know we can deliver over time, but I have also taken on a lot of side projects. The side projects do take up a lot of my time, but they also are consuming all the money. UltimIDE could have been produced twice as quickly if I was sitting on the funds to do it, instead of spending those funds also on many and varied side projects.

For this reason, I am seriously considering slimming down operations to focus entirely on just a limited few projects. All other projects could be dropped, sold off at cost to recover the funds and pay to return samples and etc.

Here's what's staying:
Microdrive pads - until current batch runs out (I have just made a lifetime batch of 10,000)
Minerva MK 1
Aurora
SuperRAM, UltimIDE, UltraQ, "QL2"
Q-Regulator

Here's what's getting cut:
Gold Card battery replacements (I will sell off the remaining prototypes)
QL on a Disk (remaining stock will be sold off at lower prices)
"QL1.5"
Minerva MK II
ZX Printer belt
ZX80 case replacement
Software projects

Here's what I haven't decided on:
A backplane relevant to current case/PSU designs
Power supplies

I welcome feedback/discussion on the above. My mind isn't firmly made up. I just think that I am not serving my customers very well and that I really need to focus on only a few lines of products. Also, I do not like the feeling of living paycheck to paycheck over the hardware projects because of money being frittered away on side projects that don't add to the pool.

What do you think?

Another aspect of this:

I have very limited space, and about half of my space is taken up with side projects. It has reached the point where I have no actual desk space to prototype or test on any more. My wife has asked me to move the QL system off the dining room table into my room and I just don't have the room to move it in!

Removing all these other projects would free up much needed space and give me room to breathe and to be more organised with the remaining projects.

Dave wrote:Another aspect of this:

I have very limited space, and about half of my space is taken up with side projects. It has reached the point where I have no actual desk space to prototype or test on any more. My wife has asked me to move the QL system off the dining room table into my room and I just don't have the room to move it in!

Removing all these other projects would free up much needed space and give me room to breathe and to be more organised with the remaining projects.

...and to increase the w.a.f. (wife acceptance factor)!!
I vote for UltimIde !

Sorry, been a bit quiet recently... Joys of university exam (marking) season!

Not sure whether this is the right place to mention it, (perhaps WoS would be better), but I would reconsider dropping the ZX Printer belt project. If you have a plausible solution, I suspect this would have a big market out there.

However, I appreciate that gadgets and clever electronics may be more aligned to your interests...

I vote for UltimIDE, UltraQ, "QL2".

afx wrote:I vote for UltimIDE, UltraQ, "QL2".

I don't understand the voting.
Possibly because my English isn't good enough.
Are you voting for UltimIDE to be also dropped?
As far as I understood this was going to be continued.
And the side projects were going to be dropped?
@dave
I do totally agree that too many side projects slow everything down.
I am interested in some of these side projects. I don't want to decide which should be dropped and which should better be continued. I believe this is totally up to you.
For those projects you drop it would be a big help if the stage you are at would become open source or sold on.
For example, did you scan the ZX80 case?
There is no need they are produced by you. Anybody interested could do this.
The expenses you had for scanning could be taken over by someone (me?) and the scan data could be produced by some one who has a 3d printer.
Please feel free to drop any project that is consuming more time or money than it is worth.
Kind regards
Paul

Dave,
simply follow up what's the most fun to you and drop the rest (maybe not for ever, but at least for the time being) - That gives the best guarantee it will actually be done.

And I think I've got an idea of where your personal fun might be with

Tobias

tofro wrote:Dave, I think I've got an idea of where your personal fun might be with

Tobias

Hello hello hello

Hey now!

I've made some decisions so far, but not others.

I have some orders I need to get mailed out, and then I'll let y'all know what I've decided. Just know that my choices are all about increasing the chances that the core projects come off successfully, and on a good timescale.

Dave wrote:Just know that my choices are all about increasing the chances that the core projects come off successfully, and on a good timescale.

Good to hear!