Recap of the first day at IDSA 2010

Well the day is done (sort of) and I am spent, but in a great way.

Some of the highlights:

Interview with Jeff Jarvis for his new book
John Jay of Wieden and Kennedy - Literate, urbane, magical speaker, co-panelist
John Hoke of Nike - Really really great mind and firm hand on the tiller at Nike Design co-panelist
Randy Gragg of Portland Monthly - Moderator of our panel and super questioner
Dan Emery - Employee 1 at Ponoko and founder of Oakland CA unit
Bill Moggridge of Cooper Hewitt and IDEO cofounder-fame - Wants us to come talk in NYC....wow
Jennifer Peavey of Eastman - Knows plastics and Fiberforge inside out
Jeevak Badve of ASC - Talking about DiY for the bottom Billion in the world. Grameen to Tata, Jeevak brought incredible perspective about how we overbuild in the developed world......
The Team from Wacom
The Team from Dassault Solidworks/CATIA
The Team from Autodesk

So I would say that that is a full dance card and enough to take in in one day.....
Sadly it is not over for my tired feet.

I am off to Core77s Hand-Eye Supply store opening. More local stores more local production and supply. The WHOLE World is about bringing the Making process back to main street and Local Motors is right in the middle of it.

Preview of LM at IDSA's National Conference Thursday Aug 5th

Tomorrow, Thursday, I will be presenting as one of the speakers at the IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America) national conference.

This year at the conference should prove to be as exciting as ever because the theme is focusing on Do-It-Yourself Design (DIY Design) and whether it is a threat or an opportunity.

Of course, we wouldn't be in business at LM if we thought that it was a threat, but that also requires some explaining and a humble ear to listen to other points of view.

As a preview for the Vision Blog's readers, I will highlight the three topics that I am planning to cover tomorrow on stage. Feedback, is, as always, welcome.

1st: The evolution from Crowdsourcing to Co-creation. One of the Conference's 6 major discussion topics is "Crowdsourcing" and the focus will be to dissect the victories and failures in this new field. We are going to try to further the discussion by exploring how, for LM, there has been less "sourcing" and more collaboration.




















2nd: The 3 major successes (and soon 4) on the Rally Fighter project where we have moved full circle through the co-creation mill. a) the Car itself, b) the side vent on the quarter panel, c) the skin competitions.... and soon d) the interior inspiration. These successes are the proof in the pudding of our way of designing and creating, and they will speak for themselves, I expect.



















3rd: The Future of DIY builds and Mods at LM's first microfactory. What would a talk be today without highlighting America's first ever automotive micro-factory, where customers come to build there own car? We just opened the doors in Phoenix to the tune of 400+ guests, now is the time to talk about what it means....DIY will never be the same.




















Guaranteed there will be more to discuss and to fill in, but join us as we take on the challenge of "Threat or Opportunity" in Portland this summer. It is guaranteed to be lively.

In Memory of Norman Schureman

On March 21, 2010 a light was extinguished before its time. Los Angeles, Art Center College of Design, the product design trade, and one incredible and loving family lost their favored son, friend, teacher, and family man, Norman Schureman, in a terrible tragedy that should never have happened. As always, with untimely death, we are left behind to pick up the pieces of what existed so warmly just moments ago. Straight Sadness.

On last Sunday, I traveled seven hours in the wee hours of the morning to commune with fellow mourners in the sculpture garden nestled high in the San Gabriel Mountains beside the Art Center Hillside campus. The moment I got close, I could tell from the line of cars, driven by sunglass-clad teenagers dressed in black, filing up the Pasadena crest for miles that this was not going to be a small or easy remembrance.

The campus was bustling as I have never seen it before, but the energy this morning was different in that everyone was singularly focused on this one soul instead of a myriad of individual projects or missions. The love was as warm and present as the Southern California sunshine.

Norman, you were remembered as a King in a way so richly deserved. From the student works (current and former) that lined the entire east side of the campus your indelible mark on the industry could be seen stretching on for centuries. From the letters of family and friends read with such passion it was clear that the oak tree your life planted in the middle of this world would sustain lives for equally long. From the tears of the sweetest and most broken-hearted Mother and Father, I can only say that you will never be forgotten. Never.

I knew you only briefly, but I have never cried so hard.

From another man, committed to the cause of realizing great design and promoting the cause of the young and unheralded, I promise and dedicate to you that we will never stop and never cease until each happy customer knows the name of the young designers whose legacies put a smile on his face every time he uses their products.

Peace and Attaboy.

Welcome to Sarah Stokes - Local Motors HEAD of SALES

Well it is official. Local Motors is now selling cars (43 to be precise so far), and Sarah Stokes is at the head of that train, leading new desert racers to the finish line with wit and excitement.

Joining from an illustrious career at Boston Consulting Group and formerly in the United States Marine Corp, Sarah brings a passion for the road like few before her. She is engaged and charmed by the intensity that enthusiasts bring to every automotive passion from Airstream Trailers (of which she owns 2) to cool Jeep CJ's (in which she plied her first tracks to school).

Oh and if it was not fate enough, Sarah's Grandfather used to Hill Climb Indian's. This is FOR REAL!








































Give her a shout out at sstokes@local-motors.com and ask her to bring the Rally Fighter to see you in your neck of the woods. She will have it on the road for Jan and Feb. Normally she, her husband, Kealoha "Stokes" Stokes, and their dog Skillet call the desert of 29 Palms, CA home. He is one of our god-fearing Marine Captains, and God bless Marines!

Welcome Sarah, we are so proud to have you aboard.

Welcome back to the Vision Blog - 1st Video of 13 week series

My last post was 9/11 as I went into the trenches to do battle with the dragon of Financing Risk.

Young businesses fail more often due to financing risk than any other. I was determined not to let this distract Local Motors so I made a decision to adjust my focus and schedule in order to bring more power to bear on this issue. Hence the hiatus in the Vision Blog. Many of you have written me to ask when it would return, and I so appreciated your contact.

As of 2 days ago, I am pleased to announced that we have closed on a substantial multi-million $ round of financing from some of the most visionary and supportive investors worldwide.

Given the power of this fundraising and the interest, we have decided to continue to raise more $ while the "iron is hot" so we will detail the final close details when we are all done....nonetheless, the Vision Blog will return.

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, I am at PopTech 09 conference in Camden, ME. It is a great conference and marks a special day as it is coincident with the launch of the first of our first video in a 13 week series. Every Wednesday night at 10pm EST for the next 12 weeks we will debut a new video chronicling the story of local motors.

You can see these launches at our YouTube channel

Please enjoy the story and repost, retweet, email, and share with your friends. These are going to be 12 exciting weeks.

Much needed update

Vision Readers and Faithful.

Fear not that the Vision Blog has been left bereft. I have taken a month long hiatus while I have been engaged in some of the most intense fundraising efforts in the history of the Company. It is too early to report victory, but I can tell you that the initial intelligence is that we are making great headway.

In the meantime, I will keep it short and say. Keep checking in as the Vision Blog will soon return to order....

Here is a link with a video and an audio track embedded that ran on National News yesterday - PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer.

Enjoy

Franchising in the Future - The Pysical API

Snarkmarket broke a story that FastCompany then spun in their coverage. The General gist is taking a close look at the "Franchise of the Future" and how a few cutting edge Companies (aka Starbucks are thinking less about their core brand and more about specialization tied to a strong back end. AKA a Physical API.

In our Micro-Factory concept where each unit is independently branded but tied to a network of others by an ethos of exciting, sustainable car manufacturetailing (no, not a typo), we have been promoting this Physical API concept for the last 2 years.

Not to claim first mover word rights, just so stoked to see others also embracing this concept.

If you are still confused as to what I am crowing on about, no worries, I suppose that you would first want to know what an API is.

Here ya go.

But all of the tech-focused speak could probably even be avoided by saying, it is a way for established corporations to allow others' visitors to plug into their service easily and often for free from their own sites.

Said in the physical world...it is allowing unbranded customer touchpoints to operate using a strong well-organized back-end fronted with a hip, counter-culture image.... ooohhh, the discerning counter-culturalist is finally being served up a challenge.