XFoil: Ask a Campaigner Something (ACA)

In our Ask a Campaigner Something sequence, Stacy Bradford sits down with Indiegogo campaigners to get into the nitty gritty of their campaigns. Stacy is Senior {Hardware} Supervisor at Indiegogo, and he’s assisted bootstrapped entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 firms alike in elevating over $30M on Indiegogo. He’s additionally a co-host of Go Time, the official Indiegogo podcast.

If you happen to had been below the impression that browsing and flying had been mutually unique, permit me to introduce you to the XFoil. The XFoil is a made-in-the-USA carbon fiber electrical watercraft that may glide both on the floor of the water or above it, in lakes, rivers, and oceans. It’s the fourth marketing campaign from Paul Lowchareonkul, founding father of PLX Gadgets, who has cemented his place as a stalwart within the sustainable crowdfunding group with earlier launches like Legion Photo voltaic, a solar-powered transportable power answer. I sat down with Paul over Discord to study extra concerning the XFoil and what’s subsequent for PLX.

Stacy Bradford: Hey Paul! Fancy seeing you right here. I don’t find out about you – however I feel we’d have the very best seats on the server. What say you?

Paul Lowchareonkul: Hey Stacy! Yeah fancy seeing you right here as effectively. These seats are fairly good. I’m joyful to be right here chatting with you right this moment.

IGG: Yeah, identical! Let’s get right down to it, since we now have so much to talk about right this moment. Let’s begin with introductions. I clearly know who you’re, however for our viewers on the market: inform us just a little about your self and the founding of PLX.

XFoil: Yeah completely! So I’m an entrepreneur and expertise fanatic that based PLX Gadgets in 2003 within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley, the place we design and manufacture all of our merchandise. Since our founding, we’ve been acknowledged globally with awards from the automotive trade and shopper electronics trade together with three main SEMA awards for Greatest New Product, over 100 International Media Awards, and two In style Mechanics Editor’s Selection Awards.

IGG: That’s wonderful! Much more wonderful is PLX’s dedication to sustainability and preventing local weather change. Inform me just a little extra about that.

XFoil: We take local weather change very severely, and in flip we associate with many inexperienced power firms such as photo voltaic producers, lithium batteries, and energy inverters for clear power merchandise. This helps with local weather change and to scale back CO2 emissions. Additionally, PLX offsets about 50% of our carbon footprint using our personal inexperienced power product, Legion Photo voltaic. 

IGG: That’s tremendous cool! Now could be that carbon offsetting utilized to your manufacturing services in addition to your workplace?

XFoil: Presently, it’s simply our workplace. Our manufacturing facility is coincidentally positioned subsequent to the Tesla Manufacturing unit in Fremont, California.

IGG: Fascinating. I’m seeing a Made within the USA, California-centric theme right here. Are the supplies that make up the XFoil sourced right here in California as effectively?

XFoil: With out getting too within the weeds, all of our supplies are sourced globally with ultimate meeting, inspection, and high quality management measures achieved at our manufacturing facility in Fremont.

IGG: Alright, pivoting barely to the XFoil itself, what’s one thing anybody new to watersports ought to know earlier than backing your marketing campaign?

XFoil: You’re going to get moist and have a blast doing it!

IGG: That I don’t doubt! It seems to be tremendous enjoyable. Now, do I must know easy methods to surf earlier than backing your marketing campaign?

XFoil: Completely not. XFoil is designed to be the best board to study on. Whether or not you’re a newbie or an professional, XFoil means that you can construct using confidence in progressive steps.

IGG: I noticed these progressive steps in your marketing campaign web page. They present a pure evolution. You’re telling me that I can study to physique surf, surf, and fly utilizing the identical board?

XFoil: That’s proper! And never solely that:As I stated earlier, you’re going to have a blast doing it.

IGG: How laborious is it to fly utilizing the XFoil?

XFoil: It is determined by the rider’s talent. Some folks will be capable of choose it up rapidly whereas others might have extra time, however with our 100% maintenance-free motor and a 25 mile vary with every cost, the XFoil affords inexperienced persons and specialists alike the time to study new expertise and methods, respectively.

IGG: What sort of methods do you assume I might pull off on the XFoil?

XFoil: You? Most likely not many. Hahaha. Kidding. The XFoil is designed for all talent ranges with the security measures in thoughts to place even probably the most paranoid mum or dad comfortable.

IGG: I recognize the ribbing there, Paul. haha So these security measures – inform me extra about them.

XFoil: Completely! In order I stated – the XFoil is tremendous protected starting with a propeller guard on all XFoil packages. To not point out an anti-runaway characteristic that shuts the motor off as quickly because the distant touches water whereas concurrently stopping the motor in midspin. That’s simply to call a couple of. Anybody can take a look at all the protection options by viewing our marketing campaign web page.

IGG: That marketing campaign web page is on Indiegogo, proper?

XFoil: Stacy, you already know it’s. Haha. We plan to ship XFoil in August 2022 utilizing FedEx as our main delivery associate, however our backer group ought to know we additionally use UPS, DHL, and USPS sometimes as effectively.

IGG: Superior! The XFoil is tremendous cool! I do know we don’t have a lot time left, however I needed to ask you: I’m positive there are creators on the market who need to the XFoil and PLX as examples of what to do proper for his or her subsequent marketing campaign. Do you have got any recommendation for these sustainable creators?

XFoil: Work laborious, be passionate with what you do, and bear in mind to innovate and take dangers.

IGG: Admire you sharing your perspective with that recommendation there! Thanks a lot to your time, Paul.

XFoil: Completely! It’s been enjoyable. Thanks, Stacy. 

Wish to study extra about XFoil? Try their marketing campaign web page right this moment!