Adventurous people love to try new things. At least, that is what the Brooklyn Workshop founder, Alon Karpman, hopes will be the case with his unique creation, the Skatecycle.
Inspired by futuristic Sci-Fi movies and comic books, Alon has successfully created the next new device that will have skaters ready to upgrade. He has eliminated the rollerskate board looking style, and replaced it with two wheels and in-wheel foot holds. His design not only opens up a new world of possibilities for riders, but it offers a unique edge to help motivate people to get off the couch and get active.
I recently asked Alon about his business and his future plans for the Skatecycle.
Tell us a little about Brooklyn Workshop.
Brooklyn Workshop, Inc. Is dedicate to bring Innovative Urbane Riding machines to the market. Having several ideas that are very high concept, I decided it would be best to start a company from scratch with the mission of putting out innovative products that other companies can’t afford to put the time into or take a risk on.
What is the Skatecycle?
The Skatecycle is the first mass produced hubless self propelled ride.
What inspired it?
Early inspiration goes to sci-fi movies, comic books, and the shows I watched as a child of the 80’s, like Robotech, Voltron and Anime like Akira.
How does it work?
Do you have any other products? If not, do you have any other products in the works?
We have several products in the pipeline but if I tell you about them through email I would have to attach a virus along with it that would melt your computer. We should be introducing the next product in 2012.
Do you have any goals you’d like to reach in the next year or so?
We are negotiating with distributors worldwide, so the goal for the next year is to make sure we have a great distribution network.
What are some lessons your business taught you?
I think the thing that I learned is to stay as authentic as possible. Make sure you know your beliefs and strategy before you set out and stick to it. In the end, that authenticity will permeate through your products and services. I’ve also learned that my competition is not other riding products but is the growing trend of people consuming media. My competition is the computer, the TV, the gaming console. I love the internet, but at the end of the day I don’t do myself any good if I don’t do what my body was designed to do, which is to be active.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Get out and learn to ride something you’ll have fun with.
Do you have any any advice you’d like to offer fellow entrepreneurs who are just getting started?
Make sure you have your costs and projections estimated as accurately as possible. Everything takes 3 times longer than you would expect. Time and money are things which you will never have enough.
