That’s right, folks, the rumors are true. Your Windowfarms are shipping.
When the dust settles we have more to share about what it took to get here. This has been a hard-won battle; fraught with many challenges that we weren't always sure we were going to overcome. Although our entire history as an organization has been built around a commitment to transparency and a policy of "publish early, publish often," it has been a real learning experience for us about what transparency means in the context of crowdfunding a new business and we've had to navigate some gray areas. Not only are our backers watching, but hundreds of other entrepreneurs, as well, who have written to us seeking guidance for their own crowdfunding projects. We have a lot to share, but we are focused on shipping for now.
We did start shipping slightly ahead of schedule two weeks ago, quietly, in very small batches until we got the first slew of bugs worked out. Now, Windowfarms have made it all the way to Alaska and a Community College in Seattle, Washington is already ready to grow.
Right now it’s all hands on deck here in Brooklyn. The entire Windowfarms team is running spreadsheet relays, tweaking address fields, and fielding calls with vendors at this crucial moment. We have almost 2000 kits going out, soon to be followed by thousands of baby plants, over the next few weeks.
Taking a step back for a second, this is epic. Seriously. We just blew our UPS sales representative’s mind with an increase from virtually no packages to hundreds a day. Only massive companies ramp up like this. It’s a beautiful sight to behold and we have YOU to thank, as well as our awesome teammates and a bunch of factory partners who have now become friends.
We are getting lots of emails from individual backers asking for the exact date when their Windowfarm will ship or arrive. We need to set some realistic expectations.
We are rolling out domestic shipments first, and then will tackle the international shipments, which are much more complex. Our kitting and fulfillment center, the Mid-Hudson Workshop for the Disabled in Poughkeepsie, NY has been handling the craziness like true Operations champs. We are grateful to have them by our sides. The kits are shipping out a batch at a time every weekday.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a customer service call center full of those ladies with perfect hair, white teeth, and headsets. Thus, although we love ya, we will not be able to respond to every individual email. Please, sit tight and know that we will take care of you when your turn comes up. When your Windowfarm ships, you will be notified with a UPS tracking number.
From here on out, everything you need is on the Internet. When your kit arrives, look for a packing slip inside the box -- don’t throw it out! We have printed a personalized web address (the one we emailed to you back in May) that you will need to log onto my.windowfarms.com in order to view your Windowfarms set up instructions and to get started GROWING SOCIALLY with all the other fantastically awesome Windowfarmers popping up around the globe.
High Fives,
The Windowfarms Crew
Britta, Skyler, Destiny, Antonio, Eric, Pirapha, Beth, Stephen, Rafay, & Pat
