Hello everyone. Here with an April update as the finish line draws near. I’ll cut to the chase: I’ve made the decision to postpone fulfillment to June. In this update I’ll talk a bit about why.

WTF, Eh?

There’s no easy way to put this — the world is kind of a mess right now. There’s a whole lot of uncertainty. And what is harder is that nobody really has any answers. I’m not going to promise I have it all figured out, but I can break down some facts of this project that might help alleviate concerns about tariffs.

• Zerowriter Ink is designed by The Zerowriter Company (that's me!) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Zerowriter Ink is being assembled in Croatia by Soldered Electronics (product of Croatia).
• Zerowriter Ink is being fulfilled by Crowd Supply via Mouser Electronics. They will be importing the goods from Croatia into USA (regardless if you are in USA or not) and then shipping to you.

What does that mean for tariffs? It doesn’t mean much, because everything seems to change week-by-week. Or even day-by-day. But as we move product into the USA and towards fulfillment, we’ll know what to expect. With any luck, the world will be in a bit more stable place by then.

Additional Field Testing Time

For those who have been following along, you’ll know I have been using my Zerowriter Ink prototype in various shapes and forms for quite a while! And I’m happy to say that the components and enclosure and all the intricate insides are ready to roll. In fact, I did a quick little video showing how it all comes together (and comes apart, again and again.)

Using and testing the new enclosure meant a new set of hands on development. My friends at Momentum Design here in Ottawa have helped give things a really polished feel. I’m especially proud of the insides of the device — it comes together thoughtfully, feels sturdy and reliable, and is easy enough for anyone to get in to and modify or repair.

That said, we quickly found little issues that could crop up and cause problems. One example: if the keyboard plate was assembled a certain way, the keyboard stabilizers would jam up on the space bar. So we iterated a bit further, tweaked a few things, and solved it before it became an issue.

But it made me realize that I really shouldn’t rush the field testing phase. So the added time allows me a chance to take some production units and get them out in to the wild with friends across the world. I want to do this right.

Canadian-Made, for Anyone, Anywhere

This project is an international collaboration. It’s awesome, and I really am thankful for the support and community we’ve developed along the way. I’ve even had people reach out to me about donating to the project, investing in my company, or developing custom products. I would love to talk about all of these things, so feel free to shoot me an email at any time.

But — and I’ll be a little raw here — it’s difficult for Canada right now. It’s difficult for my family right now. It’s difficult for me right now.

The trade war has already had enormous impact on the way of life up here. The sentiment is palpable, thick like syrup. Our politics have shifted sharply. Our identity is under threat. Industries are changing rapidly, including my career/day-job (which enables this project). I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen and heard Canadians so united, so angry, and so incredibly frustrated and disappointed.

And that’s another reason I decided to take some more time with this. The enclosures are being manufactured domestically by a Canadian entrepreneur — a great guy who I have been working with for a year. This project allowed him to upgrade his equipment and invest in his business, and I am thrilled to help a young Canadian building something special. He needed a bit more time to get running. Alongside that, I am working with a friend to assemble the PCB plates by hand — this is a manual process but it’s important that it is done right. Why the extra step? Because I want to make sure everything just works when you get it, with minimal fuss. This also helps support my manufacturing partner, Soldered, who are already going above and beyond for this project.

First impressions matter. I want you to love your Zerowriter the moment you open the box. And I want you to know that it’s a Canadian product. I want it to feel like it’s coming from me, a friend, to you! This entire project, it’s what being Canadian is all about: being neighborly, being kind, being honest, and trying to treat the world how you would like to be treated.

That is the company I am building. That’s why I’m proud to call this country my home.

Production Timelines

I’ll keep this part a bit more brief and general: next up is more field testing. There’s a round of testing to be done by me, and then by some trusted testers as a bit of a sanity check to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything major.

After that, Soldered moves ahead with full assembly, which will probably take them about six weeks. Then they flash the final software, box it all up, and send it to Mouser so they can get it to you.

While I was hoping to have this all wrapped up by now, I know it’s for the best if we take the time to get it done right. Thanks for your patience. Coming to you soon!