LTT Pen

[deathrow]

I know it's niche, but since there's already an LTT notebook (which is great), why not have an LTT pen? Why not a nice metal pen, or something of the sort. Sell ink replacements, or special colors. I'd like that, maybe different art pens or themed-pens.

[Harlem_Shaker]

To me, this doesn't really make sense as a product.  LTT is about Tech, and a pen is very analogue.  But by my logic, the notebook doesn't make sense either so perhaps my opinion is not valid.  Either way, seems a very niche product and I do know Linus has said that he doesn't want to just brand something that already exists and sell it.  He wants to be able to design/sell things that are demonstrably better than alternatives on the market and I'm just not sure there is room for improvement enough on an ink pen to make it worth investing resources. 

[saintlouisbagels]

5 hours ago, Harlem_Shaker said:

To me, this doesn't really make sense as a product.  LTT is about Tech, and a pen is very analogue.  But by my logic, the notebook doesn't make sense either so perhaps my opinion is not valid. 

Disagree. There's a decent amount of variables one can mess around with when it comes to designing a notebook. Way more options than their t-shirts at least.

 

But designing a pen... this category has been solved million times over by Pentel, Pilot, Lamy, etc. and tons of Kickstarters. Literally anything you can want, you can find it on Amazon or JetPens. This is also without considering that pens are a low-price, high volume product. Just seems like a massive waste of engineering time and warehouse space for a product category they cannot possibly innovate in.

[Harlem_Shaker]

3 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

Disagree. There's a decent amount of variables one can mess around with when it comes to designing a notebook.

This is true.  And I did think of it while I was typing my post.  So from a variables stand point, yes they kind of make sense.  But the particular point I was (trying) to make was that LTT is about tech, and analogue (like notebooks) doesn't really fit that niche.  It's really not a good point though at all.  By that logic, t-shirts, sweatshirts, underwear, etc don't fit.  So really, it was a flawed logic.  This is the internet though so that doesn't matter, right?  Right?!?

[Shally]

4 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

Disagree. There's a decent amount of variables one can mess around with when it comes to designing a notebook. Way more options than their t-shirts at least.

 

But designing a pen... this category has been solved million times over by Pentel, Pilot, Lamy, etc. and tons of Kickstarters. Literally anything you can want, you can find it on Amazon or JetPens. This is also without considering that pens are a low-price, high volume product. Just seems like a massive waste of engineering time and warehouse space for a product category they cannot possibly innovate in.

Can't we say the same about the notebooks they are selling too though? I mean I do love mine, but it's not much different than a similar valued notebooks. Doesn't stop them from selling them!  

[deathrow]

Couldn't the same be said about the backpack and the screwdriver? They're selling T-shirts, backpacks, screwdrivers, jackets, notebooks, and plenty of other things. Many other gigantic corporations already sell these things, it's no different than with a pen. There's literally millions of t-shirts out there, millions of notebooks, so why can't LTT sell them? I could say "just buy designer brand t-shirts", or buy a designer brand backpack. Just because someone else sells it, doesn't mean LTT can't.

[deathrow]

9 hours ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

Disagree. There's a decent amount of variables one can mess around with when it comes to designing a notebook. Way more options than their t-shirts at least.

 

But designing a pen... this category has been solved million times over by Pentel, Pilot, Lamy, etc. and tons of Kickstarters. Literally anything you can want, you can find it on Amazon or JetPens. This is also without considering that pens are a low-price, high volume product. Just seems like a massive waste of engineering time and warehouse space for a product category they cannot possibly innovate in.

Can't the same be said for backpacks and screwdrivers? There's thousands of these already in the market.

[saintlouisbagels]

1 hour ago, deathrow said:

Can't the same be said for backpacks and screwdrivers? There's thousands of these already in the market.

Yes and no.

The pen has been solved a million different ways because it's only specifically 1 function. If the user doesn't like how fast one brand dries, how smooth the ink flows, etc. they just try another brand. Hell they can even frankenstein different cartridges and bodies for their own perfect pen.

 

Screwdrivers have far more variables (that are well covered in the ProjectFarm review) and compromises. Rotational slop, magnet strength, back drive, bit-holder handle etc. LTT designed one that specifically fits needs that were not met by other drivers. AKA, the (general purpose) screwdriver market hasn't been solved, but damn does LTT's come close. If we use PF's video as an objective list, the only "better" screwdriver is the PB Swiss one, and that one doesn't even have a bit-holder.

 

There may be a lot of backpacks on the market, but again they made backpack that fits their needs that were not met by other backpacks. And you can't 'solve' the backpack market because there different scenarios. Hell, I own 4 different backpacks and a couple cost as much as the LTT backpack. 1 for work and travel, 1 lightweight for casual hangouts, 1 for camera equipment, and 1 for hiking.

 

Let's talk about socks. Linus wants to make a product in that market. But they don't want to make one if they don't have anything to bring to the field, and they don't want to make one if it's not at least as good as Darn Tough. So they still have not made socks.

 

Why would they make a pen when when Pilot already makes the best gel pens, or Sakura and Staedtler already make the best felt-tip pens, etc. etc.

[deathrow]

33 minutes ago, saint_louis_bagels said:

Yes and no.

The pen has been solved a million different ways because it's only specifically 1 function. If the user doesn't like how fast one brand dries, how smooth the ink flows, etc. they just try another brand. Hell they can even frankenstein different cartridges and bodies for their own perfect pen.

 

Screwdrivers have far more variables (that are well covered in the ProjectFarm review) and compromises. Rotational slop, magnet strength, back drive, bit-holder handle etc. LTT designed one that specifically fits needs that were not met by other drivers. AKA, the (general purpose) screwdriver market hasn't been solved, but damn does LTT's come close. If we use PF's video as an objective list, the only "better" screwdriver is the PB Swiss one, and that one doesn't even have a bit-holder.

 

There may be a lot of backpacks on the market, but again they made backpack that fits their needs that were not met by other backpacks. And you can't 'solve' the backpack market because there different scenarios. Hell, I own 4 different backpacks and a couple cost as much as the LTT backpack. 1 for work and travel, 1 lightweight for casual hangouts, 1 for camera equipment, and 1 for hiking.

 

Let's talk about socks. Linus wants to make a product in that market. But they don't want to make one if they don't have anything to bring to the field, and they don't want to make one if it's not at least as good as Darn Tough. So they still have not made socks.

 

Why would they make a pen when when Pilot already makes the best gel pens, or Sakura and Staedtler already make the best felt-tip pens, etc. etc.

Why'd they make the notebook?