visibility!!! you need a series of youtube videos showing the helmet in action. preferably with a radar gun showing it can take a very fast puck with no damage. use a mannequin head instrumented to show the forces on the head when the puck hits.
if you are really confident and have the puck strike point dialed in, take a few hits wearing the helmet. think of the early demos of bullet proof vests - always the inventor
once you have the videos, contact a few TV stations in NHL cities - try to get them to do a piece on you (again demoing it yourself). the plucky underdog story always works!
I've seen a lot of great idea businesses fail because there was a lack of understanding that inventing is only half the job - marketing is just as important.
Good ideas! Thanks Tom. I'd been thinking along the same lines for the videos. I definitely understand how important marketing is, it's just a completely brand new muscle for me.
I think it would help to put up a post (or a web page, or a YouTube video as Tom suggested) that succinctly summarises what you're trying to do. As it stands, it's pretty hard for a reader to send a single URL to a hockey player to get them to understand the project, as (as far as I can tell) the only public documentation of it is the updates you've published on substack.
Once you have that "launching-off point" where people can quickly learn what the project is about, what's so good about it, why they care, etc. then you have a chance of people spreading it virally, but also (IMO) you're much more likely to get through to the goalies and agents that you're trying to get involved, because there's a better chance that they'll actually understand.
Thanks James. Totally agree. That'll be my next step. Get some good testing footage (assuming my next prototype is good enough) and then figure out how to present everything concisely.
Agents are a decent idea but in my opinion a goalie coach or equipment manager would be far easier to reach, possibly even easier to reach if you choose to go after smaller market teams, Carolina, Florida, Ottawa or their farms teams in the AHL, ECHL etc. You may not be able to reach an NHL starter but you may be able to reach an AHL backup goalie for a chat. These guys are 2 injured goaltenders away from getting up to the big leagues. Also you could focus more on the goaltenders out there who are always experimenting with their equipment. Back in the day Belfour was famous for tweaking and working on his own equipment, you just need to find the modern day version of Ed Belfour who is always looking for an edge equipment wise, and stay away from the likes of Hasek and Irbe. They would never change! 100's of years ago I was a goalie and I've been following this story since part 1, very interesting, good luck.
Ton of great ideas in here Garry, thank you so much! (Also for a split second, when I saw your name pop up, I thought the coach of the Rangers had commented haha)
Gerard and I are from the same Island, no doubt we're distant cousins. There's only 135,000 people here, some days it feels like there's 130,000 Gallants.
Remember hockey is a very small community so if you can find your way in, you're in. If you have time, check out the episode of 32 thoughts where they interview Jonny Oduya, he's starting an athletic clothing brand he talks about the challenges of breaking into hockey as new brand. Nike couldn't even do it back in the day.
There's hopefully some enginerds who have a cousin or an uncle in an organization who can help make that connection. It seems like the easier method than social media.
I'll have to check out that episode. But I can see that. Recent brands like True and STX give me some hope since they've gotten interest through technical innovation.
That would be nice. I think from this and other comments I've gotten, I'm realizing that I need to not self-limit. Just try as many avenues as possible and see what happens.
and by the way - you have filed for a patent haven't you or do you intend to give it away? once you get some buzz going, turning it into a commercial produce is the next hurdle.
visibility!!! you need a series of youtube videos showing the helmet in action. preferably with a radar gun showing it can take a very fast puck with no damage. use a mannequin head instrumented to show the forces on the head when the puck hits.
if you are really confident and have the puck strike point dialed in, take a few hits wearing the helmet. think of the early demos of bullet proof vests - always the inventor
once you have the videos, contact a few TV stations in NHL cities - try to get them to do a piece on you (again demoing it yourself). the plucky underdog story always works!
I've seen a lot of great idea businesses fail because there was a lack of understanding that inventing is only half the job - marketing is just as important.
Good ideas! Thanks Tom. I'd been thinking along the same lines for the videos. I definitely understand how important marketing is, it's just a completely brand new muscle for me.
I think it would help to put up a post (or a web page, or a YouTube video as Tom suggested) that succinctly summarises what you're trying to do. As it stands, it's pretty hard for a reader to send a single URL to a hockey player to get them to understand the project, as (as far as I can tell) the only public documentation of it is the updates you've published on substack.
Once you have that "launching-off point" where people can quickly learn what the project is about, what's so good about it, why they care, etc. then you have a chance of people spreading it virally, but also (IMO) you're much more likely to get through to the goalies and agents that you're trying to get involved, because there's a better chance that they'll actually understand.
Good luck with it, I'd love to see you succeed!
Thanks James. Totally agree. That'll be my next step. Get some good testing footage (assuming my next prototype is good enough) and then figure out how to present everything concisely.
Agents are a decent idea but in my opinion a goalie coach or equipment manager would be far easier to reach, possibly even easier to reach if you choose to go after smaller market teams, Carolina, Florida, Ottawa or their farms teams in the AHL, ECHL etc. You may not be able to reach an NHL starter but you may be able to reach an AHL backup goalie for a chat. These guys are 2 injured goaltenders away from getting up to the big leagues. Also you could focus more on the goaltenders out there who are always experimenting with their equipment. Back in the day Belfour was famous for tweaking and working on his own equipment, you just need to find the modern day version of Ed Belfour who is always looking for an edge equipment wise, and stay away from the likes of Hasek and Irbe. They would never change! 100's of years ago I was a goalie and I've been following this story since part 1, very interesting, good luck.
Ton of great ideas in here Garry, thank you so much! (Also for a split second, when I saw your name pop up, I thought the coach of the Rangers had commented haha)
Gerard and I are from the same Island, no doubt we're distant cousins. There's only 135,000 people here, some days it feels like there's 130,000 Gallants.
Remember hockey is a very small community so if you can find your way in, you're in. If you have time, check out the episode of 32 thoughts where they interview Jonny Oduya, he's starting an athletic clothing brand he talks about the challenges of breaking into hockey as new brand. Nike couldn't even do it back in the day.
There's hopefully some enginerds who have a cousin or an uncle in an organization who can help make that connection. It seems like the easier method than social media.
How funny!
I'll have to check out that episode. But I can see that. Recent brands like True and STX give me some hope since they've gotten interest through technical innovation.
That would be nice. I think from this and other comments I've gotten, I'm realizing that I need to not self-limit. Just try as many avenues as possible and see what happens.
and by the way - you have filed for a patent haven't you or do you intend to give it away? once you get some buzz going, turning it into a commercial produce is the next hurdle.
Yup, I'm patent pending.