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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/43027
CLOSER LOOK JADU >CO-FOUNDER JAZZY HOBBS TALKS SKADOOSH INTERVIEW BY MATTHEW SCHILDROTH MacDirectory > How did the idea for the Skadoosh stand come about? Jazzy Hobbs > Dustin (her husband) heard about the iPad's impending release from his brother -- an Apple fanboy. The very first thought in his mind was, "that's gonna need a stand." MD > Tell us a little bit about the journey from when the light bulb came on with the idea of a stand like this to where you are now. JH > We started with the functionality requirements for the stand first. We wanted to make it easily adjustable first and foremost. The other important features were that it needed to hold the tablet in landscape and portrait, and the stand needed to be as portable is the iPad itself while still being very stable. Then, of course, we had to consider the apperance. We wanted something sleek and elegant, the perfect complement to any professional's desktop as well as any gamer's tech collection. Most people find it to be beautiful, or at least intriguing, and very functional. MD > What has been the most challenging thing in marketing the JaDu stand? JH > One of the challenges with marketing our stand is that the solid quality doesn't come through enough with the pictures. With how flimsy and cheaply things are made these days, our consumers can never really appreciate how sturdy, graceful, and functional the Skadoosh stand is until they hold it in their hands. MD > How have the growing pains that every business has shaped how JaDu is today? What have been some especially difficult decisions to make? JH > Our first year in business was quite a wild ride. Neither of us ever planned or expected to start her own business, or to ever work in the tech or retail industries. My background was in restaurants and I always entertained hopes of someday taking over a little diner in some small town. Dustin is taking on more and more responsibility at his father's tool and die shop with plans to buy the well-established business once his father was ready to retire. However, as soon as Dustin came home with the first proto-type of what would become the Skadoosh stand we realized that we had a great product on our hands that we needed to bring to the market. We knew that the timing was critical and that we had to have the stand available as soon after the iPad's release as possible. So, in our race against time we jumped head first into a great unknown. We immediately set out trying to learn about starting and running a small business, the tech accessory industry, and how to patent produce and market a new product. When we first created JaDu Industries we expected this whole endeavor to be a small supplemental income that we'd be doing part time. However, once westarted shipping the stands and were struggling to even catch up to the orders that were coming in we realized that it was going to be much bigger. MD > You mentioned that you are working on building JaDu as a brand. What are some examples of things you've done to build the business? JH > The first step we took in preparing to establish JaDu as a brand was to commission a professional logo for our company. Something simple, striking, and hopefully memorable. We also decided that we wanted our company to be known for exceptional quality and exceptional customer service. We chose an online store because of the lower overhead and greater customer reach than a brick-and- mortar store. We try to treat everyone who contacts us as we would treat someone walking into a real store in person. We feel that word of mouth is the most valuable advertising available, so we try to invest as much time and effort as possible to create happy and loyal customers. MD > Who is your primary audience for the Skadoosh stand? JH > Traveling executives and office professionals. It's a great desktop stand that can also be thrown into a briefcase or bag when needed for travel. The stands also performs brilliantly on airline tray tables with a small footprint, grippy feet, and a non-threatening shape that is easy to get through security. MD > Will the Skadoosh stand still be usable in 5-10 years when newer tablets have been released? JH > Yes, yes, yes. The true beauty of the Skadoosh stand is its adaptability. As more and more tablets are coming on the market and as newer models are released, we design new rockers to fit them so our customers don't have to buy a whole new stand. 90 MacDirectory