Jun 30, 2014 8 Questions With : Windcatcher
Being an avid backpacker I’ve had my fair share of experiences sleeping on some terrible surfaces. Mountains of pebbles, twigs, large rocks, and even bumpy dirt can be just enough to hamper your desire to get some much needed rest. I personally invested in a self-inflating ALPS mat a few years ago, which has been pretty solid to this point, but thats not to say that it still doesn’t come with is own set of issues: the self-inflating valve tends to go in and out, air can sometimes leak in the middle of the night, and the pad itself is quite thin. Its concerns like this that inventor Ryan Frayne sought out to solve over the last six years, founding a new startup called Windcatcher that revolutionizes the way we inflate these types of products – and let me tell you, this is some ridiculously awesome technology that will have a plethora of applications in your every-day house hold products.
His first product to market, the Windcatcher Airpad, launched on Kickstarter last Summer, tripling their funding goal from $50,000 to $150,000. Unfortunately they’re all sold out of this latest model but luckily they’re currently developing out the next Airpad iteration and I can’t wait to see what they come out with. Thanks for participating and best of luck to Ryan and the folks at Windcatcher!
1) What are you working on?
We’re working on the Windcatcher AirPad 2 (plus a couple secret products too).
2) Where do you find inspiration?
Most of my inspiration just comes from the problems I encounter in everyday life. I also browse Pintrest and read the news to see what else is out there.
3) As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
I never wanted to be any “thing”, meaning I never had any professional aspirations like a kid that wants to be a firefighter or doctor.
When I was a kid I wanted to do things like building a floating island and underwater island, or creating a videogame about robbing museums and banks. The idea of having a career never really entered my mind and even now I’m much more project driven than career driven.
4) What are you reading at the moment?
I sometimes read the news on aggregators like Google News and also read blog articles when I need to learn something. But I prefer to watch documentaries or programs like Modern Marvels or Nova Science Now, rather than read any book.
5) How would you describe your job?
My goal is to develop products that other people will find useful and be willing to pay money for. Every day I do whatever I have to and as much as I can to achieve that goal as quickly as possible.
6) What does your working day look like?
My work day looks different depending on which stage of development we’re in. Right now, I spend about a third of my time emailing or talking with business partners/vendors like our lawyers, retail partners, licensees, manufacturers, etc. I spend another third of my time creating design documents or writing provisional patent applications. The rest of my time is spent coming up with ideas, researching ideas, and planning out how to execute those ideas.
7) What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Most days I work from home and don’t have a set schedule. So when I take a break from work, I’ll usually watch a TV show online or just take a nap. Now that the weather in Portland is nice, I’ll also take our Windcatcher Air Pad to the park and stare up at the clouds.
8) If you could give some advice to your teenage self, what would it be?
I wouldn’t give myself any advice because I’d be too worried about the butterfly effect it could have. All the mistakes and missteps that I’ve made are just as important to me as the success I’ve had.
But the advice I’d give to someone else is the same thing I remind myself of everyday- don’t lose sight of the reason or goal for doing whatever it is you do. I find it helps to write down my goals and revisit the list often to make sure I’m still working for the right reasons.
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