suwhat: Sharpening our Blades

Sharpening our Blades

9:54 AM

handmade notebooks

With less than a month of operation, I can truly say suw(h)at has grown into something that neither of us, the founders, expected. It was and still is a great learning experience for us; coated with layers of apprehension, and doubt. The initial decision of creating a business out of something I simply considered a passing hobby was nerve-wracking. It was scary, very much so, and we all needed a lot of cajoling from each other to put ourselves out there.

Now, with more than thirty notebooks out of the workshop, scars and paper cuts, and some arguing here and there, the company and it's vision has evolved. Our process, although still very primitive and most definitely "handmade", has improved - the orders leading us into further developing our technique both in production and in business.

It was more odd than anything to see our notebooks in our customer's hands. The feeling of both shame and pride in actually exchanging our product with a currency that has value; it makes you wonder if what they received is worth the money at all with the product's many flaws. I'm naturally hard on myself, as you can see. I always hold this strict criticism with all the products I produce. I take to heart every comment, insult, and any form of feedback (and a little bit of praise wouldn't hurt every now and then).

But something I found a very important part of the whole process was having the right team. A team that supports you, encourages you, and just naturally brings the best out of you. I can definitely say I have the best one, as far as our experience is concerned. We push each other to think, to get better, and to do what's best for the business, and I think it's that's what makes our team so special (counting the long mid-morning and late-night chats on pop culture, writing, and, of course, production).

It was the combination of the two, my heavy criticism of my own work, and the just as heavy nagging from my team, that I created my own technique that made the notebooks what they are today. Certainly not the best, but are now considerably better version of what they were back when we first started out. Now, we're thinking of new designs, new sizes, heck, even a new product when it comes down to it.

It makes me so excited to go through this adventure with you, our customers, and my team. If we didn't make it clear enough in our previous posts, we'd just like to say how grateful we are for your support and that we wouldn't even be dreaming of doing what we're doing right now without your support. So to thank you, we are planning a big announcement due in a few hours. A special promo, of sorts, whose teasers are up on our Facebook page. Why a special promo, you ask? Well, because in true GoT fan fashion, a Lannister always pays his debts.

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24 comments

  1. It's really heartwarming to read blogposts from founder like these. I reminds us that the people behind products are still very human and are just as affected by our feedback. That puts a lot of things into perspective.

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    1. what if we aren't? kidding. thank you for this, comments like this really do keep us going.

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  2. Congrats on the success! What you said about having the right team is true. Sometimes no matter how much we give, one cannot do it all and the right partners will really make a difference.

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    1. Absolutely! Like they say, if you want to go fast - go alone. But if you want to go far - go together.

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  3. congrats on a great start! im really lemming on those GoT notebooks. cant decide which one to get ahahha but really kudos on taking the leap of faith on your ideas!

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  4. In a way, your story has inspired to take a leap of faith and do something different. There will be difficulties and setbacks, but those are the things that will make us grow faster and reach our true potential. Keep learning and moving forward. #YOLO

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    1. that means a lot, thank you so much. We only hope we can keep inspiring more as we learn along the way.

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  5. Congratulations you three! I'm practically enjoying the notebook even by just looking at it! Hahahaha I'll be testing my new pens on it so I'll let you guys know whatever feedback :)

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    1. thank you Tara, that means a lot, most especially when we know we could've done better on the notebooks we gave you. do keep writing!

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  6. I can't wait to buy your products! You might have remembered me commenting before that I'm obsessed with cool notebooks! Hehehe. You are one great team of creative people. I will be proud if I have done what you've done even when you're just beginning. ;)

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    1. We feel honored to belong to your category of 'cool notebooks' hihi.
      Thank you, Rea. Just keep doing what you love, and it will eventually love you back.

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  7. Congrats Ashley and the rest of the Suwat team on your success! You have inspired me to also pursue my dreams and work on it like a mad beast. I'll probably buy one of your notebooks soon. Have you ever thought of producing a Suwat ballpen to go with the notebook? :)

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    1. Thank you, Jaz! It makes our hearts happy to know that we have inspired people even if we still are just learning along the way. Just don't give up on your dreams!

      awesome suggestion, we just might along the way. thanks again!

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  8. Congratulations and it's great that you've surrounded yourself with a positive and supportive team! Looking forward to your future offerings.

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    1. Being commended greatly not only on the brand but also on the team makes us really proud. we couldn't thank you enough!

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  9. Don't be too hard on yourself lang pud however, always keep your standards high, especially on the quality of your handcrafted notebooks. Team dynamics may make or break a dream but I can see that your team will go somewhere! ^_^

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    1. We'll keep that in mind. Thank you for seeing such potential in us, chanel!

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  10. Well, WAY TO GO! :) just remember that all you need to do is take baby steps to achieve your goals and reap the benefits after. I soooo love my su[w]hat notebook ha! I really exposed it to the elements and i am glad that it has survived so far :)

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  11. Wow kudos on your team! It's hard to get a good team and even harder to find the right team. I'm also looking forward to get those GoT notebooks to give as a gift. It's so cool and creative. Keep up the momentum and more powers to you guys! :)

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    1. Awwe. Thanks, thankfully we haven't had the difficulty in having the right ones, I guess it's simply about doing what you love and everything will eventually fall into place.

      we look forward to you purchase someday!

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  12. I'm thinking of buying and selling these if you don't mind but I'm still gonna check if I'm gonna get buyers at work

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  13. I want them all .. ^_^ is this still available. .. Please lang huhuhuhu

    Jace | www.laagpamore.net

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    1. Hi Jace! Thanks for taking an interest! Our order forms will be back up on Monday, and yes! The Game of Thrones sets are still available, just check their details out at our Products page. Looking forward to hearing from you soon :D

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