Joe Shortt is the creator of Tripclip, a travel retail product that helps people have total relaxation as soon as they settle into their seat. Designed for phone/tablet/e-reader for eye level, hands free viewing of their media, whilst on public transport worldwide (e.g. planes trains, buses and cars) without infringing on any fellow passengers and avoiding neck & back strain.

Joe tells us all about how he came up with the initial idea and the process of getting his product prototyped and finally manufactured. He also covers pre-selling his product and getting stocked with major airlines.

If you have an idea for an original product this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Listen in to hear Joe share:

• An introduction to what Tripclip is and how and why he created it (00:45)
• The product development process (4:20)
• How long the process took and what it cost (8:34)
• Getting an order from Ryanair before the product was even ready (12:02)
• How Covid has impacted his business (13:53)
• How he’s got stocked in Retailers and Airlines (20:43)
• Finding a manufacturer for such a unique product (24:47)
• How and why he took preorders of Tripclip before it was available to buy (29:47)
• Working with bloggers to get the word out (32:06)
• The advice he’d give to anyone looking to develop an original product (34:36)
• What’s next for Tripclip (38:21)
• His number one piece of advice for other product creators (40:34)

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Tripclip website

Tripclip on Instagram

Tripclip on Facebook

Tripclip on Twitter

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How to develop an original product - with Joe Shortt, Tripclip

Welcome to the, bring your product ideas to life podcast, practical advice, and inspiration to help you create and sell your own physical products. He is your host Vicki Weinberg.

So today I'm talking to Joe Shortt from Tripclip. Jake has created a travel retail product that helps people have total relaxation. As soon as they settle in to their seat, while traveling it's designed for phones or tablets, he is to look at eye level hands-free while on public transport worldwide. So I'd love to introduce you to Joe. It's a hijab. Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks so much for having me. It's amazing. You're the first person that I've actually spoken to in, in over a year and by Tripclip. So, so yeah, I'm Joe Shortt and I created Tripclip about 'em while I'm working on at about two years. And it was to launch in June of 2020, obviously into an industry that that just happen to vanish overnight. I've had some listings with the airlines and airports, which they've all been furloughed for 2021. So, yeah.

Oh, thank you. And can we start by explaining to people what Tripclip is, because obviously I'm really familiar with your product's as they've been working together a while, but I'm aware that people listening might not be so can you just describe what it is Please? Yeah,

Sure. So Tripclip is a trial retail devices for the touchy to the seat in front of you while traveling on public transport. I designed it around air-crafts firstly, to solve a problem from my own self initially. Yeah, I was on Ryanair and I asked my wife, I was playing with the yellow background on the seat and I asked my wife, did she have a pen with a lid on it? So when I go on the lid and the pen was catching in behind the yellow, back in on the seat, and I, we just said to her and just put my toe in my hand up. And I say like, why can't my phone?

I'm on the iPod or my iPad go here and then leave the table free for food and drink. And she was like, Oh my God, like that is, that's pretty genius. And I said, you know, I've worked full-time as a chef, I'm the chef at 24 years. And I said, can I look into this? Can I hold onto my wages for maybe do this this month? So I like scribbled down. I called it the thing. So catchy a catchy clip. I was fiddling around with names and my tag was its really catching on. And so this was like, they wouldn't. And it was like, so I can hang on to my wages for this morning. She was like, yo, what kind of money are we talking? So I rang him tree D printing companies.

And there was one closer to me Here. So I got a few designs together and I mean, I should put up what's the first one looked like it was an apps and it looks nothing like the product today, but that was, it was just something in it. And I'm like, what I would say to others is kind of a matter of keep, keep your idea completely private and safe. But when you do go to, to meet professionals to do this the whole time gauged their reaction, you know, because their reaction to this was wow. Oh my God. Whereas, you know, if you're, if you're keeping something top secret to yourself, but you're going to meet designers.

That's the new products that are all day every day. Or if they're just like, okay, great. Here's my invoice. That sort, it's going to cost if they are not engaging with what you're up to us or, you know, they say, Oh yeah, we have something like that on. And then, you know, we really do take that on board because you will get into a bottomless pit of them have costs. And I'm, if you really got an inkling in the beginning of the day, you didn't get

the vibe from him for money. When you have a dealer more than that, it could be just money or it could have been better spent on, on, on another idea, just hold back, you know?

Yeah. Thank you. So after you had the Prix de printings on where, where did you take it in the next one? Is it too as a company that specialized in product development? Was that the next step?

Yeah, I, so I got to treaty printed version or the main bank colony 2019 and I will never forget it because we flew to Palmer and then the last rain and that was Gale force winds on here in Ireland. It looked like the cost of a Dell. So how long is this is the hardest weekend imaginable. And I'm sure the UK was quite similar, but everyone was like ha to them too, because we, we, we travel a lot and they were like, good enough for them there. But so I tried them on the seat in front of me and it broke out within seconds. I was devastated.

So I contacted the treaty printing company when it got back and was like, this isn't good enough. It broke. And this, that, and the other boat from it braking, I was like, just needs to be simplified. There was no need for that. There is this, the staff. So it wasn't until we agreed to do a second print, you know, they were saying, this is a V2. You're completely changing what we did for you. And I said, what we did or originally was a Turkey in separate pieces. And then put together, I was like, I simplified it into two. And they were like, well, we feel it's a VE too. And I was like, Listen, I can make you a D a V one again, this is going to cost you a hell of a lot more money to do it for free then to do this, just do this. So when they did that, I was like, no, we're onto something.

And I took it to a company called box clever and city West in Dublin. I had known Dominick before from a business partner. He was a very good friend, have a business partner of mine in a few years ago. And I'm

talking to them guys out there and they just said, leave it with us for about two weeks. I'm going to get back to you. So I went with her actually, I brought it a tablecloth slip from home store and more so I'm trying to get into their head once in my head. So they brought pens and literally the tablecloths clip from the home store and a few of their ideas for how do I felt that this should go and they should go.

And they get back to me two weeks later. And I went up for a meeting, went into the boardroom and then they were like, we have a bet in here to see what your, what your copy. And we spent two weeks trial on internet to go to find what your copy. And it was like nothing in a copy of it, nothing. This is just in my head, this, this, this is, this is my product. And so it still a known name and know nothing. And it just, it just really went from there. I got refined and refined. So yeah, it's been, it's been a crazy few years.

So in a box, clever, we're a company that specialized in developing products. Is that what they do?

Yeah, they are just real designers. Yeah. They, they do a lot of and stuff. You wouldn't see it, the be internal in, in the machines or so I think so for the gaming industry as well, I think all sorts of stuff they developed, they develop the lid for the Lavazza coffee sold on board Ryanair. I know I was really close with the guy that invented that he owned them. They owned a company called Retailers emotion. And then I met Dominick just, just to talk to him coming and going out. So I'm kind of, didn't really go elsewhere. I just went to Dominic and the guy was one of the guy's there eight years Marten.

And he said that I've worked on some pretty cool projects, but I've never worked in something I actually want to, I want this product. And it was like, okay, that's good to know.

That's a really good and say, how long was that? Was that did the process take to get from that first, you know, you walked in with your table whole with the clip and do your parents, and how long did it take to get from there to having something, you know, that the final product. And also I'd love to know. And obviously you don't need to tell me numbers, but it is it expensive?

Yeah, it can get, I mean, originally it wasn't that expensive. I had, I had said, I think I said two to 20 grand, the side for the design and the things, and the reason you came in and cheaper than that. But at the very first concept they showed me. It was kind of, if you, if you remember the, the flip phones, you not like a tiny little old man, the phones, they got so small ones all the time, it looks like a, a mouse. So it was like that. And then I said, no, no, no. And the back of it needs to be to be longer.

And then I was putting up shelving up in the shed. It's so unbelievable where their ideas came from, but I was putting up, shelving it in the shed. And then do you know the bulkiness shelving that you put up the kind of like key locked system so that you just tap them into place to tap, tap, tap. I've got them in a home store and more, No, sorry. It was still a place called home base. And then I was like, Oh, maybe if I put a rivet on the back of the plate for the iPad and put a keyhole slop on the product, then an iPad can, can never come off with turbulence or somebody's jumping into this seat in front of you.

You really, you know, the way somebody can jump into the seat in front of me on board, public transport, just by them falling into the seat and you get drowned in tea or coffee or whatever. But I just thought if the product is on securely, well, then I don't want people to saying yes, but you know, my, my phone and my

iPad, it took a trip down in the back of the plane. The product is fine, but because I've seen that on Amazon and I, when I looked up for the products and people were like, do not buy this absolute piece of junk, you know, my, my, my phone or iPad got damaged or broke. So that's where that little Designed feature came out. And so that's where the cost kind of can go when you go back with a new design elements.

But I suppose when you do get the product over the line, you wanted to be the best version or it could be. So, you know, you get them off to a good start there. So, yeah. And how long did that process take? I trying to get it. I know I was really short on time because Ryanair wants to list it for, for June the first. So they needed for a physical product. They needed a consignment in the country for February to get it to all of their 72 basis to list for the 1st of June.

So a box clever said they never did a project shorter than six months. So they really put it all the stops, which Tripclip. And I think that the more I knew what I wanted and how the product should be feel, and look, we, we just, we just got it over the line and they had great contacts for prototyping and stuff like that really trusted companies that they've worked with for, for years upon years. And it just, it was quite that the end of it was quite seamless, but then nobody knew what was it was to come into it.

Yeah. So it was that February of 2020 that Ryan and I wanted to receive them. Yeah. Wow. And so he, and so even before that, so back in 2019, they'd ordered the consignment. So did you have a contact at Ryanair? How did you, how did you get that order in the first place? Cause that's amazing to not even have the product developed and, and be able to take that order.

Well, so what we did was in maybe November, I was working in the box clever since may be may, June, July, August, maybe in August. If the second concept was pretty amazing. And then we paid maybe 1600 for a prototype and company and showing it to do with the prototype to do the exact spec. And then it came back and we were just like, wow, I can't believe this exists. That can't believe it's in my hand. And this is not so got a meeting in Ryanair and then they just thought it was genius.

There was just like, it's fantastic. Can it be exclusive to us? And I said, well, the way up Designed it is as interchangeable, excuse me, clip heads. And the B2 clip is perfect for your seats. And the clip was perfect for our Lingus. And then I have a C clip in there and it was perfect for the catalog being on the likes of Eurowings or, or, or different types of aircraft. So they were all in infringing on the person in front of you. And then you just simply attach your phone or your iPad, or, and we got a new detachable laptop here. So if you were a business traveler, we just put your, you know, your, your monitor, a poly, and then you just sit with your laptop on the train or the plane and, and do your work as you, as you go.

So that was it. They just thought it was genius and the love to listen it and just to get the pricing end of it. And they put in an initial order. So the order was for a a hundred thousand units, a, it was just bonkers. And then, then all hell broke loose. I knew before Corona, I'm not saying I knew, but I knew there was issues in China because I had to get back to the Ryanair and say, listen, this is something open China. And there are not working at the minute, or we're going to miss the fabric, a production line.

What is the latest date? So we were working on late or dates into early March, but then the costs had gone up on my end because we have to fly. We will have to fly the consignment Inn, but we were still willing to do that, to not lose the listing because of the, the magazines we're to print Tripclip, who was in the magazine, they onboard retail's 40 Euro and then editing was done. So, yeah, I'm not saying I knew about coronavirus before anybody else, but it was just one of them. And we knew there was issues with production and we knew that there was a book and then shine it up. It was I'm going to have seriously hinder us, Getting, getting it over to the line for them for June.

And then we just pull the plug on it. And then when we got into the first lockdown, when we pull the plug on everything and all my other listings went away, they would just like, we'll review it in, in 2021. And Ryanair said, we'd still like to list it. And then in November, which was a lot easier when a Corona virus hit because the physical magazine became virtual. So it's a lot, it is a lot easier if there's any changes to change it in an instance where as if someone goes to print, when you have something wrong, it, it looks ridiculous.

Or, you know, it might be a price wrong where you might have your description's wrong. Or so it was a lot easier to change, but people may not look at it, a virtual and virtual magazine, as much as they would have looked at the physical magazine that was in front of them. If you're not the way we all pick it up, we all have a nosy. And Tripclip the thing that they love of a Tripclip is, is because it will promote the buy on board that they already do it with. The tray table is free and the kids are happy and you're happy that it will then it probably going to buy food and drink because you're sitting there watching a movie and the iPad's not taken up the whole tray table.

So that's why the Airlines are crazy and about the product. And, you know, from a personal point, it does alleviate, you know, tech, neck, and eye level hands free and what you have wireless headphones. I mean, you really don't have to do anything if the person on either side of you wish is to get in a good, I don't even have to even have to do anything. And I know there is no, there was no wires. There's no missing. And just, just, just tell me a picture of a project.

Yeah, yeah. As you know what, I'm really happy with it. I think it's really cool. I think it's great. And as soon as I can actually go somewhere that we'll be, we'll be getting one, lets just wait for that later this year. Say, did Ryanair take that order in November? Did that happen?

Yeah, they, they took me 10,000. Yeah. So what I was able to do then was because they were canceling flights and closing basis, they said you are more than welcome to sell some of that stock. You know, we are not going to give it back to you because it's not, not selling, you're not caring anybody. And I say it, okay. So I did an, I did a pre-order sales and I kind of said, okay, what? Wouldn't leave them with not enough stuff. And I kind of tell them, well, maybe I'll try to do a pre order for 2000 and units. So this is what I knew there were coming.

I reduced the price kind of like an hour to entice people to buy it. Even though it wasn't physically here, I knew it was coming. And so that worked really well.

So what would the time is for that day? So you had your order that was going to come beginning of 2020 and then production in China was delayed. So that, but that, that production did still go ahead and did it, it was, yeah, it was just arrived later than expected.

Yeah. And I still do it with the days of the build of the week and I'm like, what year are we at?

Yeah. But it was the last, it was last year. So then I remember I did see Your presale or was it over the summer? I'm thinking it was

So it was, I'm sure it was over the summer because we, we obviously got confirmation. The production could be good. Go ahead. And yeah, it was over the summer and I think it was September, the 13th Product was to land in the UK and then whatever it sold in the pre order and my distributor in the UK Hotch was going to literally send me over 2000 units. So the way it would have worked his way, it was kind of eye. We would have owed two thousands to the Ryanair store and then on the next consignment, which, which hasn't happened yet, you know, but it, strangely enough, it's selling very well on board.

It's very strange. So every flight carries tree and the di card so that the car is the bar and they have the fragrance and wallets and headphone's and stuff. So, So this tree on the board, every flight. So I kind of going forward the chances of your buying one on board, if it is a really popular, it's a very slim, unless you, and then she had bought in to the website or Amazon before you flew, because it's not currently sold anywhere else. So boots and w H Smith are very interested in the product as well, but they are just sitting on so much stock. They, they can't make a decision on it, but on like an airline that only changed the range twice a year and needs to make the decisions at the latest and February, like dominated Smith could put it in an order tomorrow and just say, Hey, we will run with that.

The, the, you know, the vaccine's on it's way and things are picking up. We love the product. And then I would literally just give them a production and shipping timeline. So that's all they would need it.

So we moved up here at Smith and boots and all of the Airlines. And I am going to come back to pre-orders in a minute, but I'm just curious, have you literally just been knocking on doors and say, and I've got a product that you might like, I'd love to know how you're doing it because getting in touch into retail can be really, really hard. And especially at like the volumes you're that you're doing and the, you know, these big Airlines in these big brands, how were you doing it, Joe?

I don't know. Some days I just don't know. There's been a lot of doors knocked and not answered. So that's like, No is, I think S sometimes I take on the note was I didn't explain it well enough. Do you know? Because when they do get it or you get the right amount of time with somebody to explain what you're trying to sell them, they get it. But the non-response or the No, or No things like, yeah, this has been really different, but

Hutch owns a company called a new way of channel partners in the UK.

And then we met in, in, and I asked her to meet him. He, he flew over from the UK and I just said, would you, would you sign an NDA? And he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no problem. And I show them the product and he was like, all right, this is, this is, this is amazing. I'd love to add it to my portfolio. How can we, how can we do business? And I said, okay, well, you know, we don't get too much into it, but it was like, I, I have all of these orders, but I, I literally can't afford to produce them. So I like that. And that's where I need help initially. And then distribution. And so I think, I think he's got maybe 50 or 60 Airlines in Retailers that He uses worldwide, that he's been working with 10 or 12 years with his own product range, you know, headphones and wallets.

And he's got some really good product and adding a trip to it. This is as a bonus for a, for both of us.

Yeah. And it sounds like it really allows you to think about the facts of the production cost. So I guess the way it works, as you have to find the money for the production, and then you get paid after the delivery. So yeah. From a cashflow perspective, that's really hard. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you know, you can't like, it's, you can't really stroll into the bank and say, ah, I have orders for my product, have a couple of hundred thousand units. And they're like, okay. So they're not just gonna say, Oh, great. What is the cost price? And what's that in your like, Oh, I could add the chance of a half a million for it for six months. Can you just opened the account to a few weeks earlier? And it's, it's in the red as it is like, so that, that originally I was looking for investors and that's what they kept saying to me is, you know, how are you going to pay for this to be a producer?

I can understand what they didn't want to invest because I was like, Oh, that looks a little worried. We all worry about that. All the time comes up. That's the first world problem. And they were like, no, that is, that is a major problem. You know, if you have orders for a couple hundred thousand units is something, you know, it costs X to reduce and where's that coming from? So if I invest today, where are we getting that money from? It was like, okay, thanks. But no, thanks. You know, and myself and heart just kind of, he just, he just worked it into what he was already doing. He's been doing it for 10 years and having to put money up for the stock that you probably get paid for in three months time.

So we got there in the end.

Yeah. And with the manufacturing. So did you have to find a manufacturer in China yourself or was that something you've got to help with in the production? In the prototype stage

Box? Clover had two companies that they worked with for the last 10 or 15 years. And then Hotch had his own company out there that developed and produced his product. So we got quotes off all three initially box levers to there wasn't, there wasn't a 1 cent in it for me after you factor in manufacturing, shipping distribution, I'm the airline and crew incentives. There was not one red cent in it.

So we worked with this company and it was just, again, it was just another, another one of them bring in partnerships, you know? Yeah.

Yeah. And how did you manage it? All of that process. But actually, because we, when we were talking before we started, we were mentioned in sort of how hard it is trying to get your idea across, over the screens and things in the times that we're in now. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, when the likes of box clever send your, your tooling pack a day to any of these companies, that's its kind of like an architect. They, they don't need to see that. That's how they work. They see, you know, millimeters and that the tooling process to them is a virtual, you know, CAD systems that they physically look at the product and the prototype helps you send me, you sent them the prototype and their physical thing. They also get back to you with easier processes for certain things and their own little or how, how do they see something that might be an issue or not.

And then its all cost it out and it just came, just came together really well. That, that was the easiest. That was the easiest bit. 'cause you? Do you do have your CAD file or do you do have everything that you're showing to people that are, that's all they know how to work with the, they, they can see exactly what you want to do it then. But the issue that I think you're referring to is I wanted the tree and the explainer video done and I have met the lady that owns the company and I brought the prototype, but then we went into a full lockdown and they, they send me some stuff and there was two other ladies work in on the tree, the explainer video that had never seen the product.

And I was saying to them in an email, it shouldn't shouldn't we zoom shouldn't we zoom should not say no,

no, no, no, no. We have all we need from M the questionnaire we sent to you. I was like, you have never seen the Product. How is this, how is this going to work? And so at the end of the frost lockdown, I got sent out this thing and I think it took me a few days to come down and then I I'm, I just said, we need the zoom. I said like, what in the name of God was sent to me like, this is it just the way, the way it flowed or the product just to appeared on a seat on the phone, just to pay for it on the product.

And it was like, how, how did the product get there? How did the phone get on to it? This thing doesn't exist. We have to get across to people who, what, why, when and where this is a joke. And she was like, okay, I'll give you your money back. And it was like, no, you will not. You are the only person that saw this product. I

paid you. I didn't pay the girls. I'm sure that they worked with on the clock on it. And not saying there's not a lot of work in what they did and what, you know, and then she said, okay, I will take this. And I said, well, obviously I always thought it was going to be you because you're the only one that all about you own a company I paid you.

And he gave a project to talk to people that never sold the product. Like, I mean, so yeah, I was really happy in the, in the end. I, I don't know, she made a penny off me. 'cause there was five different renditions of the treaty explainer video. That's couple of minutes long. So if you multiply what I originally paid up by five, it, but that's just, it could have been right for a long time and it should of been. So that was, that was, ah, I think we have a few more gray hairs than I did in 2019.

Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah. Coming back on that note, we jumped around it a little bit, but it was a quite lots of a coverup coming back to the pre-orders. How did you get that? All of these pre-orders what did you do to get your products out there? I'm really curious about this because I know you did really well.

The tree, the explainer video, when it was really, really, really, really helped me to sell the product. So yeah, family and friends sort of bought a two and there was a bit of buzz around the Product, the deeper we've got into the lockdown. I think they could have sold, like that's what I was capping it. So I didn't eat enough to stop that kind of wasn't mine. Like if things picked up and I'd eaten into a 5,000 units, happy days for me, but not as if the airline industry that goes back, because if you run out of stock and you don't have more stock on the way to a plenty stuff, well then you're going to find out for, for, for having some Listen that you cannot supply.

So that's what I did cap on it, but I did meet, you know, I do meet friends and a lot of people around the town, if I'm getting diesel for the car, something, and they're like, love your product to buy it. I can't wait to

get it. But there are all because of 3d explainer video is totally focused on the airline industry because I didn't want to confuse to things. I didn't want to say, well, you know, you can put it over to the seat in the car for the kids and in the back, do you know, it's fine. Ran the house for a home office in a home gym and it's perfect for a boss and it's perfect for the Trane. So I kind of focus on the other day.

And then she, because that's where I was launching. But it, with the pandemic, I couldn't pivot the business. I couldn't say to people, Oh, you know, if you know, its all singing, all dancing that works here, there and everywhere because it was just, it, it was just that product that was known for doing that thing and that thing didn't exist.

Yeah. And so was it mainly sort of family and friends in social media that you use to get the products out there?

Yeah. I, I worked with nonstop. Dan, who was a fairly big blogger contacted I contacted blogger is that I had start to follow, but I started to follow to see did a show like what they did or what they, they, they didn't do it. And like a lot of them, I met with them, their broker or manager or this type of thing. And I just didn't engage at all. Some of them wanted astronomical for a 32nd video or a chef. And I was like, Oh, can you quantify

that, that like, how do I see that back in sales?

And they they're just like, I don't want to know don't care. Don't care if you're selling a nun, this is what he has to deal with it. And then you pay me in a way, I was thinking, how much of that? What does he get? Or how does he know? What you told me was that it was going to be like, Oh, can you tell me if it's 10 going on for 30 seconds? Are you telling her this? And you tell them, you have to go to and like, who am I? Right. So I just totally disengaged. And then I spoke to Dan and he was like, Oh, this is your, your a start-up I love the product. I would love to help. It was a few ways of doing this. We can do a swipe up and, and I, you know, just five or six different ways of doing it. And for every one sold, I get a commissioner was like, Oh, that was phenomenal.

I can do that. You know, I can definitely do that. So that went, that went quite well. And then I like being sold out. It was, I hit the track shold of all of Not getting into trouble with it. Not been able to replenish to stop. Yeah.

Thank you. It was good. It was just good to hear what sort of, what you've done it. I actually have to say, and

I would say in this is before we even started recording, you've just done so much in the last couple of years at this product's I think it's amazing in what you've achieved. And especially given, you know, you don't have a background in product design or retail. You just took this idea and ran with it. And I know you said you've had some challenges. So with that in mind, what, is there anything over the past couple of years you'd really want anyone else today, if they were gonna start doing something similar, I don't mean in a similar product is, but I mean, you know, an original product idea that they've got that they want to move forward with, what advice would you give to someone or what, what have you learned that you'd like them to know?

Like I'm extremely private. So I, I mean, if, if it's an idea that I kept close to my chest, and as I said, when you do start meeting with professionals and approach and people, when you, when you feel it's there, it's at the stage where you want us to investigate further, but not spending a major money, but you know, all the money that it's not getting spent on, on the family or the home, it, it it's all a major regardless.

So definitely just pick up on the cues and the volumes that you're getting, you know, and if they are wide-eyed and delighted, that is crossed for a desk because it's new and exciting and they haven't seen it before. Or if it's something that is way up 10 times better than something that's out there, they may say, Oh, I own such and such a thing. And it's absolute rubbish. That's that, that does solve this, this and that. You know, like I think that the pop socket guy, you know, he came up with the idea because he was, he was a runner and he wanted something to the wind, his headphones around.

So basically if, if I think you sold 36,000 units in a year, one for $36,000 in year one, and there are 200 million in a year or two or something crazy like this. But I mean, if he launched that when all the headphones became wireless and he was like, no, no, no, no, that's not. It was used for us to wrap up here. Like if you're selling, if you do 200 million and revenue, you'd be unique quite a bit. You wouldn't get it down where people were using it for you to be like, that's fine. There's just, the phone's got so big that his product was, it was perfect for a wedge into the phone between the hands. But what I just would say to people is to just keep your cards. So it goes to your chest.

I have a few of the designs of, of products and there was one before Tripclip, but to get it over the line was, I think it was a a hundred. I think that the budget was, it needed to be a hundred okay. Or something. So I just shelved it, but I did speak to somebody about it. And they were like, straightaway, just didn't understand it. And when it's a bit gimmicky, isn't it. So you really don't want, and things like that. And the doors, you just want to keep a close to your chest, spend as little money as humanly possible. And I'm a take, take, the advice is good or bad, or when it is a physical thing, because if, if, if people don't get a vibe for it and don't feel they want it, then you know, you see it on Dragon's den.

And the whole time, like when they hate something and they were begging somebody or do not spend any more money and they hear somebody say put remortgaged or something and they're like, Oh, that was way earlier than Rheem origin that you should've got a slide that this was, it was not. So people were shocked, you know? Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. And so what's next Tripclip so I know we've just got you on to Amazon, so that's yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah. And so people can go and buy your products at a sort of dramatic liter before they travel, as you've mentioned before. So I think that's it. So I think that's fantastic. What else was next?

So, so all over the weekend, I have to work on three separate Airlines in proposals. So with the vaccine on the horizon, they're now thinking of June again, I'm for listings. So yeah. I like to hear from the w hates Smith, then the next, phew. I think they said that they really look at it and in March, and that was, that was in December. He said, did a live look at it in February or March. So things aren't great at the minutes.

So like when I do here, I'm sure it will be positive. I think it may be pushback again. So what, what else is happening in the Tripclip I Designed a, a second Tripclip, which was, which has less features and the, than the travel program and its the travel buddy M so I've patent pending world-wide with it. And it's just a simple aversion. Also helps with somebody looking at the travel pro and working around my eight and make it a simple version.

So I didn't, I just sort of said, write it we'll you know, how people were going to work around with the product. And so the pro has, has a hinge mechanism and you tighten it and lock it there. And as a spring system, and then for the more basic I took them elements out of it and they extended the clips rather than it having this sort of hinged neck. So just trying to keep busy, trying to stay positive and a, you know, there's, there's, there's a lot of good to come at it in 2021 for everyone.

I hope to get back to doing what we love, which is chilling it and traveling.

Yeah. Well, yeah. That's how we can all get moving again. And by the way, I think it's really smart to go have created another version before anyone else decides to say that. I think that's a really good way for us. So one final question, Joe, if that's okay, I'm going to do appreciate your time. And so far, what was your

number one piece of advice be for someone else wanting to create a product? Yeah.

Go for it. Just, just go for it. I'm like have if, if, if, if you feel it's going to benefit a lot of people and like, if I wasn't in love of what I was doing, I think regardless of how much I've spent with the year, and it's just been, if you went and loving, you know, like I, I fell in love with, with, with Jeff being in the, in the, in the last few years, 'cause a lot of stuff. I came into kitchens free and pre ready. So it was like, no, hang on a minute. We're not even watching.

Let us know. We're not even making a pesto from scratch and all it takes two seconds. You've got teams, a guy is standing around here, drinking coughing are gone for a smoke breaks and we could be doing phenomenal food instead of this, you know, this is basically pre packaged to pre. So really say to yourself, do I love it? And I'm like, no one saw a pandemic coming. Or like there were, there will be obstacles. Hopefully not that huge again, but I absolutely love the process. I hate been idle. I hate to be cooped up a week. We all are. And it's for our own good and safety.

And, but yeah, love it. Keep it close to your chest, refine it, refine it every single day. There's two tiny, slight modifications since like I've, I've, I've played around with him for the last, nearly nine months in locked down. I had the back of the, of seats Here in the house. So yeah, love it to spend as little as possible and take, take the advice good or bad when, when it does materialize.

And when you are literally, you know, you, you are your best customer is usually the closest person to you. If, if, if your wife or your family wouldn't dream of buying it and then have a series of a serious rethink, I don't want to put anybody off. I'm sure. I'm sure people have ideas that are out there that family and friends hate and don't want to put, yeah, I don't know. Yeah.

Well thank you for everything that you've shared and I really appreciate that. How much you've told us. Yeah.

Yeah.

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take care and look forward to speaking to you again, then.