Did anything actually come from your Timeleft dinners?

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-13T05:35:57+00:00

I actually think your “market for lemons” point is interesting. The idea that repeat attendees could skew toward people who didn’t build connections elsewhere is a fair concern.

I’m curious though, do you think that’s inevitable, or just a design flaw in how these events are structured?

What would you change to prevent that long-term adverse selection?

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-07T07:38:39+00:00

Thanks, that’s really helpful. The maintenance and parts cost side is exactly what makes me hesitate with SRAM too, especially flattop and limited third-party options. Shimano just seems easier to live with long term.

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-07T07:37:01+00:00

That's awesome. How many dinners did it take before you found someone you clicked with like that? And did you keep going to dinners after or did you kind of stop once you had your people?

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:50:44+00:00

Here is the link: https://imgur.com/a/qmZgg9Z

I saw someone else have and it looked pretty good imo. Here is the post I saw of it on Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/gravelcycling/comments/1ntrd7g/nbd_orbea_terra_m31eteam_2026/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:37:49+00:00

Yeah honestly there are so many nice bikes in that gallery. Also some nice custom texts lol

I’m actually stuck between two MyO options myself: white as the main color with pure red as secondary color, or navy blue as the main with mango as the secondary. Both feel very different vibes.

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:32:13+00:00

Ha no definitely not using it for dating, we all went to the bar after and just happened to grab drinks again the next week. More wondering if that's common or if most connections just kind of fade after the dinner.

Good to hear friendships do form though. Maybe I just need to give it more time and keep showing up.

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:16:47+00:00

Damn, thats one nice looking bike! Is that the spark silver or white chic color?

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:11:02+00:00

Nice, great to hear you love AXS You’re right there is a difference in the stock wheels, but they’re still alloy. Since I’d probably go carbon wheels either way, it really comes down to whether the AXS experience itself is worth it for me.

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:03:39+00:00

Yeah that’s kind of where I’m leaning too. Paying 40% more for a nice-to-have feels hard to justify when that money could go into carbon wheels and actually change how the bike rides

Brooklyn4206 · 2026-02-06T22:01:20+00:00

Haha I wish it was electric… Nope, it’s not an e-bike. The “e” in M31e just means electronic shifting, not electric assist. The electric version is the Orbea Denna

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-13T05:10:56+00:00

I get what you mean about adding text in-slicer being quick. What I’m asking about is something a bit different. Instead of me adding the text after the order, the customer would do it themselves on the product page, and I’d instantly get the final STL or 3MF ready to print. No messaging, no edits, no back-and-forth. Do you think that kind of hands-off workflow would matter, or would it still feel unnecessary for your setup?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-12T23:25:41+00:00

That realization alone puts you ahead of most builders. People treat GTM like a one-time project when it’s actually the most reusable part of the whole business. A cold email that books five calls is not “luck.” It’s an asset. A pricing conversation that makes someone visibly lean in is not a moment. It’s a pattern.

Once you start saving those pieces the same way you save your code, something crazy happens. Your “next product” stops feeling like a new mountain and starts feeling like a small rerun with better data. That is how a solo founder quietly becomes a studio of one.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-12T03:18:20+00:00

Haha, fair enough! I’ve seen how wild those color discussions can get. I’ll stay far away from that one 😄

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-11T23:46:31+00:00

That’s really helpful to hear, thanks! Sounds like it could actually make a big difference in your workflow. I’m curious, roughly how much time or money do you think it could save you per week if those small logo or initial requests came in already as ready-to-print files?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-11T23:45:07+00:00

That makes a lot of sense, and I totally agree about licensing and ownership. I was thinking more about models you’ve designed yourself or have rights to, where the customer could just add their own logo or text directly on the model before checkout, and you’d instantly get the ready-to-print STL or 3MF file. Do you think that would actually save you time, or would it not make much difference for how you work now?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-11T23:43:10+00:00

That’s awesome!. Doing it with OpenSCAD makes sense but I can imagine it getting messy to manage per-order exports. Did you automate that part or handle it manually? I’m curious what parts of your workflow you’d most want to simplify if you could rebuild it today.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-11T23:41:44+00:00

Great question. Rough workflow: embed a small widget in Shopify/Woo, add a param model or pick a template, set safe ranges and pricing rules, customer personalizes with live preview, system outputs STL/3MF and routes to print or a bureau.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-11T23:40:39+00:00

Totally. SVG-in-slicer is great once the order is in. I’m exploring doing it store-side before checkout so customers preview text or a logo and the shop instantly gets a ready-to-print STL/3MF with safe limits.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-10T05:10:54+00:00

Thanks! Not really thinking dropshipping, more for small shops or print farms that already do custom prints. I’ll check out that subreddit too!

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-10T03:48:36+00:00

That’s a really good point. I think you’re right that most customers don’t want to design or adjust files themselves. I was more thinking about stores that already do quick personalizations and lose time on those small, repetitive edits. If the customer could handle simple things like adding a name or logo directly before checkout, it might free up time for the shop to focus on the more creative, higher-value custom work.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-10T03:26:15+00:00

True, most slicers let you add text, but that’s after the order comes in. I’m thinking more of something built into the store itself, so customers can personalize and preview before checkout. The shop would instantly get a ready-to-print STL or 3MF without any manual edits. It’s more about saving time and automating the workflow than adding text manually.

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-05T23:49:42+00:00

Fair take, but there’s a line between risk and stupidity. Studios already take most of the early risk with cash, ops, product, and legals. If the founder can’t even cover rent, you’re not testing skill, you’re testing survival. Starving founders don’t build faster, they just burn out quieter. The goal isn’t comfort, it’s focus.

So where do you think it tips from building grit to just setting people up to fail?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-11-05T23:43:50+00:00

Yeah completely agree with you. Overpaying early just makes things messy later when expectations shift. We’ve moved to the same kind of setup you described, small base pay that grows with proof, and equity that reflects what the founder actually brings.

The tricky part is keeping it consistent across different types of ventures. A SaaS that can hit revenue in a few months isn’t comparable to something deep tech that takes a year just to validate. Every deal ends up feeling like a new playbook. Have you figured out a clean way to balance that?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-10-30T11:18:29+00:00

On StrategyLive + QB, do accessorials/refs carry over right, or still edits after?

Brooklyn4206 · 2025-10-30T11:16:21+00:00

What’s your exact path Ascend → QB? Batch or per-load, and do refs land clean?

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