suwhat: game of thrones

announcement

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.