Brain Dump #64

What's happening in the app?

We're building the website! Of course, we had to invest all our time into building the app, but we're finally happy that it's 90% stable. So, the next challenge is how do we make a website that's different to everyone elses. One things for certain > no ugly flashing banner ads.

🎙️Episode 21 - Real Life Willy Wonka

Jamie Ashpole started JJA Pack Ltd installing and fixing chocolate machines. He now uses his experience, and his own chocolate line to inspire kids into manufacturing! His 14 year old twins are also involved in the business, delivering workshops and becoming the face of the JJA Snack brand, now called JJA Kids.

Huge thank you to this episode sponsor - Enginuity!

Enginuity is dedicated to closing the skills gap in UK engineering and manufacturing, creating a thriving and more productive sector that is at the forefront of delivering solutions to society’s greatest challenges.

You can join the Enginuity Alliance, if you're serious about closing the skills gap and inspiring the next generation of manufacturing, here: https://enginuity.org/the-alliance

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What have we been up to?

Gonna list what I've been up to first, cos I've just found myself in a rabbit hole of furiously tapping the keyboard for the monologue you can ignore further down.

I joined my first UK Automation Forum steering group with the team to look at upcoming events and what we can do to promote the forum this year.

Then a catch up with Helen Gott to look at an EI roll out at Hartlepool College of Further Education !

The usual marketing Wednesdays with my 3-student media team, chasing users, customers and being taken the piss out of for being old.

Over stayed my welcome by about 2 and a half hours yesterday with Duncan Stanton & Gavin Wicks at Lamonde Automation Limited 😅. But, good to hear Duncan's PG rated stories away from exhibition stands and at the 'comfort' of his office desk. I think the guys liked EI - we'll see if they appear anywhere soon 😁

3 out of 4 meetings today were no shows/last minute cancellations - beat's last weeks record of 2 in a day 😂

Tomorrow (Saturday) me and Daniel Smith are filming content with the ManufacturersHub boys - Richard Patch & Kevin herring (huge thank you to SIMS ENGINEERING SYSTEMS LTD for letting us use their facilities!). We'll be making some explainer content for MH to promote the features of their site and another comedy inspired piece to promote EI.

I appeared on a brand new podcast this week, as guest number 1, thanks to Rees Thomas of The Engineering Compass .

If you've ever wondered, who am I and why do I appear all over your LinkedIn feeds, or wtf is Engineers Insight - it's a pretty good episode for you to watch.

It got me thinking about our journey so far. One day I'll write a post about it but as you're all insiders I'll give you some highlights:

• Got sick of being charged a fortune by magazines, knowing my age group wouldn't read them.

- Couldn't find a digital solution so decided I'd build my own.

• I couldn't program a PLC, never mind build a mobile app. So, I convinced a best friend to become my co-founder, writing code on weekends and evenings while still full-time employed and two young kids. He also got married since we started building.
• Managed to convince WAGO UK & Ireland, WERMA, Siemens, YASKAWA UK & Ireland, KUKA, Festo UK & Ireland, SMC Corporation (UK) & EUCHNER (UK) Ltd. that I was going to transform how they launch products to market and become my first customers.
• Persuaded my fiancé to rent out our lovely new house in a nice area, to move back to my mum and dads in Bedworth (shithole), with the dog.

- It was supposed to be 12 months but turned into 18. We got married and she fell pregnant. So there was some pressure to get the house back and earn some money..

• We thought we'd go on Dragons Den, raise £1M and take over the world. We didn't.

- We bootstrapped for the past 5 years, weekends and evenings, taking as little cash out of the business as possible. And actually, we're glad. We still own 100% of the business and we're finally seeing traction.

• 52 paying customers - 7 more due to come on asap. 2300 app users. 5000+ apprentices due on this year. Now rolling out at Colleges & Universities.
• Lots of amazing industry partners, including: Automate UK , Easyfairs UK , Nineteen Group , ConeX Portal , ManufacturersHub , Enginuity , Engineering and Manufacturing Network , MTC Events , MTC Training , Premier Publishing & Events Ltd , Mark Allen Group , Wynne Consulting , CV Technical LTD .
• Taken a small role at Automate UK as the host of the UK Automation Forum .
• Launched a podcast with a 70-guest waitlist, 20K views an episode and 18 of the next episodes paid for upfront by sponsors.
• Launched a media arm of the brand that can produce engaging content for manufacturers.
• Partnership with MTC Training to launch a central training platform for industry, allowing engineers to book on multi-vendors courses and only have to raise a single PO.
• Will take our jobs board to market this summer, allowing more recruiters to post their latest jobs.

I'm not listing this for a pat on the back. I'm listing it to remind myself of how far we've come. As a business owner it's easy to fall into a spiral of "am I wasting my time", "does anyone actually care", "should I just get a job again". You're not. You're just wasting time comparing yourself to others and not pulling up your sleeves and working harder.

We can now produce your media!!

Let's have a chat, here's my calendar > https://calendly.com/thomas-flude/engineersinsight-meet

Upcoming Events:

7th & 8th May at The CBS, Coventry >> Automation UK

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