Can’t Buy Experience – Update #46 on DRP – Feb 21, 2020

It’s a good thing that me, my company and Michael Summers have been here before.  If I still had my rookie card, I would most likely be pacing the floor and snarling at people. The advantage of having created Mighty Math and Scholastic’s Math Tutor has helped me to stay calm when blips occur as we create our prototype

At the moment we have a couple of blips.  Past International Rotary President Wilf cannot make the progress he expected because many of his contacts flew off to India to celebrate the subcontinent’s 100 year anniversary of starting Rotary. If you are going to travel that far, it is likely that you will stay a while after the celebrations to visit and explore. We are not pressed even if they stay for a month. 

We have also been expecting our holdback of just over $5,000.00 from Indiegogo. I have contacted them unsuccessfully a couple of times in the last week seeking clarification. Today I stumbled across a new piece of information that indicates that, in their eyes, the end date for our campaign is today. The disbursement should be released forthwith, so I will just be patient and check our account on Monday.  From a development perspective, we are still accessing the prepayment to Nesda, so there is no worry there. 

There are however other costs, like Andrew’s editing, which needs to be met. The rebate should be sufficient to keep those in control. Andrew is close to finishing the first 20 of 60 lessons.

The Homeschool market is proving difficult. I am shifting strategies and may use either homeschooling magazine ads or homeschooling e-blasts to get the news out.  Their market cycle begins in April and ends in September, so were have sufficient time to work through these issues. More later as things become clearer.

I am trying to keep tabs on the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read Inquiry, but they are not making it easy. Trying to connect with the team doing the work is like running a marathon.   As the second phase of their work, they are intending to interview school boards and universities with Depts of Education.  Now if that is not putting the proverbial fox in the henhouse, I don’t know what is. These are the same outfits that created, perfected and maintained the problem for 50 years … and you seriously want their opinions and guidance? We may have to write the dissenting Minority Report to add some balance from the scientific quarter. I will have to break out my diplomat hat for that one or maybe better yet, get someone else to throw the snowballs.

The rest of the company is continuing as usual, all of which helps keep us in the game.  We never expected this to be easy. If it were, others would have already done it. But make no mistake, it is the support of our backers that have allowed us this opportunity, for which we remain thankful. 

I will update you again next week.

Regards,
Michael