An Inventor's Quest for the NHL Pt. 22

The Quest (Unexpectedly) Continues!

This series follows my attempt to develop a product that I dream of getting into the elite levels of hockey. Previously on the Quest: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Concept Launch

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One of the weird things about my life is that I seem to get what I want only after I’ve stopped wanting it. By the time I launched my cage last Friday, I was at that point – ready to move on with nothing more than a sense of accomplishment.

I worked hard on my “launch” video, but I saw it more as a nice way to wrap up my sabbatical than as a serious attempt to make noise. It was something I could point to in upcoming job interviews and say, “Look, I made this cool thing. I’m proud of what I accomplished, but there wasn’t enough interest to keep going.” I was even starting to daydream about my next project.

So, with no expectations, I sent out my newsletter and posted the video on Twitter. I tried to drum up some interest by directly messaging a relevant account or two, but I wasn’t sure if they would even see my message. An hour later, on a whim, I decided to tag some folks.

That’s when things went nuts. Every time I refreshed — more notifications. More retweets. More likes. More views. More comments. Curtis McElhinney. Mike McKenna. Smarter Every Day. Darren Pang. Messages. Emails. A PHF goalie. Then two. An NHL goalie. Then two. Journalists. Investors. Manufacturers.

Over 600,000 people watched me make this dumb face:

I short circuited.

I started out strong, responding to a few comments and messages, but shut down shortly after, unable to process what was happening. That night, I lay awake – too wired to sleep. A week later, it still doesn’t feel real, but I’ve had some incredible experiences.

I appeared on NHL Network Radio and CTV Vancouver (which I thought was going to be an introductory call, not the actual interview. oops). I chatted with a few current and former NHLers. Two PHF goalies I talked to, Amanda Leveille and Kassidy Sauvé, are interested in working with me to develop the uncage. How cool is that?? I have a clear path to pro hockey. Now I just need to deliver.

Thank you so much for your support. It’s not an exaggeration to say that I wouldn’t be here without you. Let’s see where we end up, shall we?

Surjan

PS - For any deities reading, I’ve totally and completely stopped wanting a storybook romance and a Lancia Delta HF Integrale "Evoluzione II". Thank you.