MYGROUNDUPSTARTUP Week 15 – “My Epiphany”

March 26, 2022

We’ve loaded the dryer full of the cedar wood and I just have to wait for it to dry out. For anyone who doesn’t know I work at a local business where we build rustic birdhouses and my boss has a homemade dryer for wood that he created. Until then, I will tell you about the epiphany that I’ve had about the numbers. 

Originally, I had assumed that I would paint on the majority of the numbers on the clocks and then use more creative numbers such as tin strips or some kind of homemade wooden roman numerals on a select few. But now I’ve realized that I have it backward. I should only have a select few that I paint numbers on and the majority should have creative numbers such as wire numbers. I created this jig to create consistent wire numbers that are the same size.

I have talked to my boss several times about my clocks and he has told me that the key to making this work is creating unique products. Unique, unique, unique. The problem with painting on numbers is that you can buy a clock with those kinds of numbers anywhere. Walmart, Amazon, HobbyLobby, etc. But if I make more creative numbers that people haven’t seen, then it will set me apart and give me an edge. A competitive advantage.

I need to be making products that stand out. The best way to do that for me right now is to create numbers that are creative. Doing this will also get me out of the little jam I have found myself in with the painted-on numbers.

I’ve been inspired again by my clocks and have been creating new numbers. It feels like I’ve had hiccup after hiccup lately with my clocks. First the stencils and then the wet wood splitting. I finally feel like I’m making progress and things aren’t falling apart. Instead of fixing problems and broken clocks, I’m actually making real progress. I’m getting back into my groove. 

Here are some of the different number types I’ve got so far. This is incredibly exciting, and I think it will really turn out well. Next week I will work on putting the numbers on my clocks and finishing them up.