A young entrepreneur and inventor recently developed a smart case in early 2010 in anticipation for the upcoming release of Apple's iPad, and his company reached $100,000 in sales after just two months.
In December 2009, young entrepreneur and inventor Tim Angel suddenly lost his job. With no high school diploma, he felt it would be difficult to find a job.
Angel began developing a smart case in early 2010 in anticipation for the upcoming release of the iPad in April.
In June, ZooGue Innovative released the ZooGue Smart Case, a simple case for the Apple iPad that allows users to handle the tablet computer at any angle.After two months, the company had already reached $100,000 in sales.
In the latest edition of PD&D’s Inside Design, Angel discusses the development of the new iPad Smart Case prototypes from concept to manufacture, as well as his undying faith in the iPad’s success.
PD&D: Were you an early iPad adopter, or did you wait for Apple to start ironing out the kinks?
Tim Angel: I was so confident the iPad would be a success that I started my company way before it was even released. When it became available in the stores, I was already in China finding a manufacturer for my case. The day the iPad was available, my sister shipped it to me (via) DHL overnight.
PD&D: Did you predict the iPad's success?
Angel:Yes, but it was so obvious to me. The Kindle had sold three million pieces by the time the iPad was announced.
Kindle was not well known at release, you can only read on it, it has no internet, a black and white screen, it’s expensive and they sold three million.
Compare that to the iPad. It has the most popular tech company [Apple], it has Wi-Fi and 3g, and you can read books, play games, and have fast access to emails — like the iPhone. You can watch movies, listen to music, message friends, and access GPS.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know it was going to be successful. People would ask me, “Why are you risking everything when you don’t even know that the iPad will sell?”
My response, “I do know, you don't.”
PD&D: What's in the name? How did you come up with it?
Angel: ZooGue was something that just came to me when I was writing down possible names for my father’s company. Once I saw ZooGue on paper, I knew then that someday I would own a large successful company called ZooGue.
About 5 years later, when I came up with the idea to make this case, there was no question what my company name would be.PD&D: Do you think the market is oversaturated with Apple accessories?
Angel: Yes the market is extremely saturated with iPad cases, but it is not oversaturated with cases that are convenient. That’s where ZooGue comes in.
I get emails all the time, people telling me I’m a genius, saying they had to buy three or four cases before they found the ZooGue. People get the iPad and look for a case of their favorite color or style. They don’t realize how frustrated they will get when trying to prop up their iPad at all different angles.
People spend so much money on cases that just don't meet their needs. Back when the iPhone was released, I bought five cases and became very frustrated that I couldn’t find a case that fit my needs.
When I heard about the iPad, I thought, ‘Great, here we go again. I’m going to buy a bunch of cases before I find the one that meets my needs.’
Then it hit me. I had no job. I had been inventing things since I was young, I had some manufacturing experience, and I had a lot of business experience. I decided I was going to make the most convenient case before I came up with the design.
For almost two weeks I did nothing but brainstorm. I would sleep a couple hours, make prototypes and drawings for 15 hours, and eat — it was a repetitive cycle and I just wouldn’t give up.
I didn’t know what day it was and I only left my apartment for food. I would work on an idea for an entire day only to notice that it wouldn’t fold flat enough for travel, or wouldn’t be sturdy enough. I had to start from scratch again and again. I remember finishing my final case made out of thin chipboard at about six in the morning. I was very impressed with my design and I immediately knew of ZooGue's massive potential.
PD&D: How difficult is it to become an “Apple-approved” accessory?
Angel: Well I would have to say it’s not easy, but ZooGue will be Apple-approved in the near future. I am currently talking to them. They say that they love how convenient the ZooGue case is, but they dislike the Velcro look. It is only a matter of time before Apple realizes that there is nothing out there that compares.
PD&D: How do you position yourself to stand out in such a large market?
Angel: If you want something bad enough, you go and get it, no excuses, no complaining. No ‘ifs’, no ‘maybes’, when you get to a wall in your path, you blow it up. Keep that mindset and nothing can stop you.
PD&D: What's next?
Angel: After I reach my goal of donating $1 million — by selling 1 million cases — I will work in the infomercial industry running ads of my own products, while I look for inventors with the next amazing idea.
I was a huge Billy Mays fan. In fact, I was on a mission to contact him in some way. One day I was calling a hotel he was at, trying to get a hold of him. Sadly, a couple days later, Billy passed away and I never got to meet him.
For more information, check out www.zoogue.com.
Have an idea for the next Inside Design? Email your ideas to the editor: [email protected].
