Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up

[jacal01]

  ... and evil step sister of [redacted]

 
You don't mean Pterodacted?!   You know you can't speak her name out loud?  Oops.

 

[Ableza]

   
You don't mean Pterodacted?!   You know you can't speak her name out loud?  Oops.

You're thinking of Cthulhudacted

 

[jacal01]

No no.  She tends to get confused with Chupacadracted.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

 
You're thinking of Cthulhudacted

 
That's odd -- Google can't find that.

 

[valiant66]

 

 
You're thinking of Cthulhudacted

 
That's odd -- Google can't find that.

 
Hmm.
 
You're right. Not just google, meta search engines turn up nothing also.
 
Congratulations Albeza! You officially win the Internets for one day for inventing a word no-one has ever posted online before.
 

 

 

[artur9]

  ...tax rates...
Fact: this causes lots of time, energy, and expense to be expended to get the average rate down.
 

I think that happens regardless of tax rate.  They said on Sleepy Hollow that the American Revolution was started because the tea tax was raised to 2%.  
 
They should be using all that energy to make better music

 

[Oveja Negra]

Everytime I read REDACTED in a Jason's post, I can't help but to click on it hoping it's some kind of spoiler tag that will show me in full glory the name, what it does and when it will be available.
 
So far, no luck.
 
I'll continue clicking just in case.

 

[Alex Martin]

  Alex looks like a very anxious guy in your story !
 
A great chapter, more intimate than the previous, really nice.
Still lacking pictures, that said 

When I started in February 2012, we had six tables, an old Macintosh computer, two printers, and five garage storage racks from Lowe's.  We had four products: Asgard, Valhalla, Lyr, and Bifrost. That was my kingdom.  I moved us out of Jason's garage in to something that was about 1200 square feet give or take.  It was just Tony, Eddie, Jesse, and I.  We all worked part time depending on what was going on with the business that week.
 
Today, we have fifteen full-time employees.  Most of them are main wage earners for their households- meaning that if I really screw the pooch, some families are looking at living on the wrong side of a "Will Work for Food Sign."  We are in about a bit over 8000 square feet of cramped space that is constantly in motion while I try to keep supplies and products on the shelf.  We have 20 active products in various configurations.  Jason and Mike have plans for [redacted] more products this year.  Right now, I am now planning for 2017 growth.  I am wondering how long it will be until we outgrow another 4000 square feet. 
 
When we finally move, we won't be down a month.  We won't even be down a day.  There will be a ton of preparation getting ready for the move but it won't keep us from building, testing, and shipping.

 

[kstuart]

Mysteriously, none of the businesses that whine about California end up moving to Mississippi.   Google is still here, SalesForce is still here, Apple is still here, etc. etc. etc.
 
Mysteriously, every famous retired European is still in California, not Mississippi, including Keith Emerson (R.I.P.).
 
So, frankly Shut....
 
(sorry, you tweaked one of my pet peeves )

 

[tonykaz]

Alex,
 
You tell a bright Penny story compared to the gloomy report from Sir Jason.   Manufacturing managers are "can-do" sorts of people!  
 
Tony in Michigan

 

[Jason Stoddard]

  Mysteriously, none of the businesses that whine about California end up moving to Mississippi.   Google is still here, SalesForce is still here, Apple is still here, etc. etc. etc.
 
Mysteriously, every famous retired European is still in California, not Mississippi, including Keith Emerson (R.I.P.).
 
So, frankly Shut....
 
(sorry, you tweaked one of my pet peeves )

Wrong. 
 
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/11/california-lost-9-000-business-hqs-and-expansions.html
 
We stay here because:
 
a. We live here.
b. We have chosen an area in California that is most friendly to business.
c. We have architected the company to be uber-efficient and competitive, despite the handicaps of being located in California
 
However, this does not mean there is no downside to being located in California, nor does it mean that California's fundamentally business-unfriendly environment is not a handicap. What it means is, for now, we would rather continue to stay in California and do what we can to influence the powers that be to move towards a more business-friendly environment. This does not mean it will always be this way in the future.

 

[RickB]

 
Wrong. 
 
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/blog/morning_call/2015/11/california-lost-9-000-business-hqs-and-expansions.html
 
We stay here because:
 
a. We live here.
b. We have chosen an area in California that is most friendly to business.
c. We have architected the company to be uber-efficient and competitive, despite the handicaps of being located in California
 
However, this does not mean there is no downside to being located in California, nor does it mean that California's fundamentally business-unfriendly environment is not a handicap. What it means is, for now, we would rather continue to stay in California and do what we can to influence the powers that be to move towards a more business-friendly environment. This does not mean it will always be this way in the future.

 
For selfish reasons I wish you'd move out of California so shipping to Florida wouldn't take so long or be so expensive.

 

[Mediahound]

   
For selfish reasons I wish you'd move out of California so shipping to Florida wouldn't take so long or be so expensive.

And so would I so I would not have to pay CA sales tax (since I live in California). (And yes I know I'm technically still supposed to claim/pay sales tax on out of state purchases...)

 

[sludgeogre]

I just came back from a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course, where I have to start a project and come back in six weeks for another week long session. Of course, they talked a lot about just in time and the Toyota Production System. Really fascinating stuff. The instructor had been at a company where they reduced total travel time of their products in the line from nearly a mile down to a few hundred feet and were able to close one of two off site warehouses in the process. Leaning your process out can make a huge impact, but like you said, sometimes your hands are tied when you have to buy stuff in large shipments and sit on it.
 
The company I work for has been arguing about building a warehouse forever. We pay a company 250k per year to house several containers worth of dry goods as well as a cold storage room for some products that we make. Well, the warehouse is going belly up and gave us 6 months warning, so now we're looking at it all over again. From a Lean standpoint, I wish we'd just build the dang thing and be done with it.

 

[tonykaz]

Greener Grass,
 
California has about a 2.5 Trillion ( GDP )  Gross Domestic Product, which makes it the 7th Largest on a Global Scale.   
 
I've owned two California based businesses, I've never felt them disadvantaged.  One is an Injection Molding operation, the other a Safety Products Company, both based in the Bay Area.  
 
California is a profitable and successful place.  
 
New York is expensive!, $15 for a pack of Cigarettes, Breakfast for two at a sleazy street Cafe is $35 and it's filthy beyond imagination.  
 
I think we pay ( in the Bay Area ) $30/hr wages (starting), the Mexicans ( undocumented ) get $25 each but have to pay their "Man" $10 of it, they are good workers that don't complain ( they don't speak English ) .  
 
A big plus is that California folks are "allowed" to be "Free" thinking!, the social limitations of places like Mississippi can be stifling. 
 
Tony in Michigan