Third Generation Juicies Charging Forward
I've followed the Juicies startup from the beginning. It was a simple product -- special charging cables for smartphones -- that found a massive audience on Kickstarter, raising over $22,000 (more than four times its $5,000 goal) in 2011. Despite a huge learning curve and significant delays, founder Laurenz Laudowicz was able to report that his mission was accomplished two years later.
For its second act, Juicies upgraded from rainbow colored plastics to higher-end materials to become Juicies+ in 2013. Considering everything it took to get the first batch out the door, Juicies+ had a more realistic $40,000 fundraising goal. The campaign ended up raising over $270,000, and despite having to change manufacturers in the middle of the project, Laudowicz declared that every cable had been shipped earlier this month.
Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Today, the Kickstarter campaign for Juicies+ XS and XL was launched. While there have been some upgrades to the design from 2013, the primary difference for this cable is that they are either very short or very long. Now in its third variation in four years (well, as of Earth Day on April 22), will backers still pledge their support for a taste of even more Juicies?
Is the third time the charm? Or will Juicies strike out?
There's no need to guess at the answer: in the time between the announcement of the Juicies+ XS & XL Kickstarter this morning and this post, Laudowicz's USB-power-fueled sequel has already raised over $11,000... more than half of its $20,000 goal. Over 360 people have signed on for round three, and there are still 29 days to go.
Why would you want a foot-long cable?
"Most USB cables are 3-4 feet [long]. But there are many times when that's just way too much cable. For example when you're working from a coffee shop and your phone is plugged in to your laptop. Our new JUICIES+ XS cable is only 1ft (30cm) short. This keeps it clean and tight. Yet it's still long enough that you can pick up your phone to reply to a text, take a selfie or do a #meerkat stream!"
Why would you need a 10-foot cable?
When traveling we use our phones and tablets a lot more. So we often find ourselves at the mercy of the next available power outlet. But at airports, hotel lounges or your cute cousin's best friend's bedroom the plugs are often too far away. Here our new extra long JUICIES+ XL cables are a life saver, they're a whopping 10ft (3m) long! This ensures that you have enough length to reach any wall plug, no matter where it's hidden, while still being comfortable.
And interestingly, in this first day of fundraising, the interest in the XS cable is essentially the same as the XL cable. About 100 of each have been claimed as early bird rewards ($15 for one foot of Juicies+ and $25 for ten feet). While the Kickstarter prices will rise to $19 and $29 respectively once 500 backers sign on for each, Juicies says the full retail price of Juicies XS will be $25 and $35 for XL.
I'm not sure if I need a foot-long cable, let alone want a ten-foot cable, but I have no doubt that many, many people do.
As before, it seems like Juicies has more than its fair share of critics from previous campaigns, but this early success suggests that many of Juicies' prior backers are satisfied customers.
I'd say I'm one of them. My first Juicies didn't see much use, since it was a 30-pin cable in a Lightning world. But even though I have probably a dozen Apple and off-brand Lightning USB charging cables in the house, a couple in my backpack, and a couple in a drawer at work, I still went for Juicies+ in 2013. That cable has a permanent home on my office desk.
I've even gone back to pay full retail for a few more, giving a couple of them as much-appreciated gifts.
While I'm having fun imagining what Juicies+ v4.0 will be like (woven hemp? transparent aluminum?), you have plenty of time to get in on the third-generation model. Visit the Kickstarter page, or connect with Juicies on Facebook.