Dec 16, 2013 8 Questions With: OrigAudio
The company OrigAudio began as an eco-friendly, portable solution for listening to music while on the go. Inspired by a Chinese take-out-box, the “origami of audio” concept was launched in 2009, with “Fold n’ Play” speakers made out of recycled materials. Earning honors a mere three months from inception, such as “Top 50 inventions of 2009,” to landing an investment offer on Shark Tank, to being named Entrepreneur magazine’s 2013 “Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year,” and named to Inc.’s “500 Fastest Growing Companies in America,” OrigAudio is not standing still.
Co-founders Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak generously spent some time with us recapping how they’ve created outrageous growth in four short years, and where they would like to take the company. Their flagship product is Rock-It, a portable vibration speaker system that literally turns any object into a speaker. OrigAudio also currently allows customers to become creators of their own style with products such as Cubicool and Designears (fully customizable speakers and headphones). Proving out mass customization of broader categories such as travel gear is next on the horizon. We wish them the best in navigating this exciting space!
Tell us a bit about the last four years, the product evolution, and what the brand stands for.
Mike: Our brand, (both then and now) is all about standing out from the crowd. However, I think in the beginning it started out as our own personal way of revolutionizing the way people listen to music and our first two products definitely reflect that. Our Fold ‘N Play won Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of the Year and solved the age old problem of how to make music more portable. The Fold ‘N Plays are made from recycled material, come flat, and fold to create awesome speakers on the go. Our follow up product The Rock-It won us ABC’s Shark Tank and ultimately changed how people listen to music. The Rock-It is a small gadget that uses vibration technology to turn anything into a speaker. Definitely not the average speaker! Nowadays, we’ve really embraced our motto of “Why be the same when you can be different?” Most of our newer products are geared to encourage individualism and allow new and different ways of self-expression, whether that be speakers, headphones or several other new products to come.
Where would you like to take OrigAudio in the near/long-term future?
Jason/Mike: OrigAudio’s Rock-It is our company’s signature product. However, we plan to focus more on the mass customization of many types of products—not just audio products—that employers or celebrities might want to put a logo on, whether iPhone cases or T-Shirts. Mass customization is the wave of the future. If you’re not drinking that Kool-Aid yet, you should drink it. Beyond putting custom logos on products, we are moving more and more to strictly digital inventory. The advantage is that we don’t have to keep warehouses full of inventory. This past summer, we launched the OrigAudio Marketplace, an online store where fans can buy headphones custom-designed by celebrities or athletes—including motocross racer Jeremy Stenberg or hip-hop group Latryx. We’re able to print and ship them on demand, eliminating the risk for us and giving opportunity to up and coming stars.
What has been the best thing about the growth of your business?
Jason: What started out as two guys in a garage has exploded over the last four years, and one of my favorite things about the growth of our business is being able to employ and mentor dozens of fresh, young minds. Knowing that these people have the faith in our business to see us through and getting to see each person grow in their role is pretty remarkable.
Mike: I love getting the chance to see my ideas be brought to life. Back in the day, taking on new product ideas seemed like a Herculean task, but becoming a more established company gives us the opportunity to take risks and put ourselves out there. As we’ve gotten larger – we earned Inc. Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies – the brand recognition has increased as well and definitely helped us to increase exposure.
Do you have any insights or lessons to share as you’ve built OrigAudio
Jason: You should always be a step ahead, especially in technology. In fact, with technology, you should probably be two steps ahead because the space is always changing so fast.
Mike: Explore the unexplored…meaning basically create something new and do not re-invent the old.
How would you describe your role (day-to-day and how it has changed over time)?
Mike: Early on when we first started, the business was all encompassing. It wouldn’t be unusual for Jason or me to work 9:00am to 3:00am. We also had to wear every hat imaginable between us. From fulfillment to accounting, we had to do it all. Now, due to our growth, we have much more reliable hours and have employed great people to help so we can focus our responsibilities and concentrate on company growth.
As a kid, what did you aspire to be?
Jason: I’ve always been an “entrepreneur at heart.” I’ve always had a knack for being a self-starter – I started my own candy stand when I was in the second grade. My family would buy candy in bulk from stores like Vons and Safeway, and then I would race home from school to put my candy stand out in the path of students as soon as school was over. Me and my buddies would then hang out, eat candy, and sell it, making about 30 dollars a day.
Mike: My dream job was to be a relief pitcher for a major league baseball team. Why? Because they have the perks of traveling, good pay, low amount of work hours, but still have a lot of responsibility and pressure to perform. It’s the perfect job!
What is your favorite post work destination?
Mike: When I leave the office, I just want to go home and play with my dog Briggs. In life, I’m always trying to explore the unexplored and go places I’ve never been before – like Argentina for one. Other than that, I always want to visit home and family in Chicago.
Jason: I always love going to the San Francisco Bay area where I’m from originally and where my family is.
Where do you find inspiration?
Mike: I find a lot of inspiration in creative works and people. Even if the subject has no interest to me, I can still draw inspiration from really great works.
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