Purchase nicely. Purchase as soon as. – fellow.ventures

In 1999 a cleaning soap salesman referred to as Tyler Durden informed me “The stuff you personal find yourself proudly owning you”. Since then I have been extraordinarily intentional about what I personal and why. I do my finest to “Purchase nicely. Purchase as soon as.”

My mind prefers order over muddle so I don’t personal many issues. I even maintain a file of all my worldly possessions in a visible catalogue spreadsheet on Airtable. 192 gadgets at my final rely.

I do not rely hoodies, t-shirts, socks or usb cables however I actually do not personal many. I rely a pair of footwear in a field as 1 merchandise. 2 hundred possessions would really feel like too many. I wrestle to know how or why there are 300,000 gadgets within the common American residence (LA Times).

There are in fact just a few issues that basically could make our lives simpler and higher and we should always treasure them. John Wildsmith, a third-generation English shoe-maker, famously stated “You might be both in your mattress or in your footwear, so it pays to spend money on each.”

An excellent nights sleep and a snug pair of footwear are priceless. I take care of and respect the issues I personal in an try and make them final. Changing damaged or worn gadgets usually appears like a nightmare of upheaval and system change, particularly if I can not substitute them with the very same tried and trusted mannequin. However typically we’re left with out a selection.

On seventh Might 2023 I despatched a direct message to a stranger on twitter:

“Hello… I personal a pair of previous Fiorentini + Baker calf leather-based footwear that a number of cobblers inform me cannot be repaired. Principally, the leather-based has cut up and are available away the place the shoe meets the only so they’re now ineffective as footwear. However the leather-based simply appears too good to throw out – is it any good to you? See pictures. I will fortunately publish them to you if they’re any good to you. No value to you in any respect.”

The pleasant stranger, James McKiven of Whitstable Craft Co. replied:

“What a improbable thought, I’ve really at all times needed to do that!”

James makes handmade leather wallets. He additionally makes ‘Indie Bites’, a podcast of bite-sized conversations with indie hackers which have began small, worthwhile and bootstrapped companies.

I’d been following James @jmckinven on twitter for months. I often see a photograph of one thing he’s hand-crafted and hand-stitched. It made me surprise, may James have the ability to profit from my previous leather-based footwear? perhaps up-cycle them into one thing helpful to somebody, as an alternative of me simply binning them? And if James was capable of miraculously up-cycle the aged leather-based patina into one thing sellable, maybe the Fiorentini + Baker story and provenance could be of curiosity to James or his patrons?

I’d bought my Fiorentini + Baker’s again in 2006/7. They’re the one footwear I’ve ever owned which might be worthy of a swimsuit. I can’t bear in mind precisely the place I purchased them or what I paid. I started buying and selling as fellow™ in 2007 so a single pair of good footwear and a swimsuit had been knowledgeable necessity.

Now, fifteen years on, my trusty footwear have lived a great life. They’ve walked miles world wide. They visited quite a few nations. They’ve received story and provenance. There’s even a video of them opening The Skiff in Brighton in 2008.

James pinged me his deal with. I put them within the publish. All of the cobblers I’d spoken to could not restore or recycle them…

On the twenty fourth Might 2023 I received a shock message from James:

“Carl what’s your return deal with?! I’ve a present for you”

I stay completely astonished by James’ craft and kindness, and the hand-written humour above reveals a very superb customer support strategy which made me smile. As I write this weblog publish I am unaware if James was capable of make any extra gadgets from my footwear (hopefully sure ????) however I simply needed to share this publish with the Web and to say an enormous private thanks to James.

For anybody searching for a brand new pockets or present for somebody I actually do suggest testing Whitstable Craft Co.

PS. understanding that ‘Indie Bites’ is created by James and listened to by folks bootstrapping companies, this entire expertise made me ponder:

• [market] worth is fully depending on the way you body the issue you’re fixing.
• Turning household heirlooms and tales into significant helpful issues. These issues turn out to be higher and extra invaluable than the sum of its components. The merchandise we make/construct usually are not at all times what we promote. The story/worth/relationship/that means usually is.
  
• Pure connections can exist between totally different merchandise. Ie. Wallets and Financial institution Playing cards go collectively. Different manufacturers/missions/issues might align/match our merchandise too. Ie. Sustainable up-cycling, social causes such a Blood Donor Card or Organ Donor Card as an alternative of a Financial institution Card, and so forth. Connections might allow product/mission bundling or partnerships.
• “In the event you solely stroll on sunny days, you’ll by no means attain your vacation spot.” – @paulocoelho
• There are two normal approaches to life and enterprise: transactions and relationships. Transactions supply success however solely relationships supply that means. Relationships are a extra necessary forex than cash itself.
• “There isn’t any highway, the highway is made by strolling. That is true for any artistic course of. You’re taking a step into the unknown the place it’s a must to enable your self to get misplaced so as to discover the fitting method ahead.” – Antonio Machado
• Fb is the place you join with folks you went to high school with however Twitter is the place you possibly can join with folks you want you’d gone to high school with.
• “Purchase nicely. Purchase as soon as.” My choice to spend money on good footwear a few years in the past is kind of actually taking care of my cash long-term now – my footwear at the moment are my pockets!

PPS. Early on this publish I briefly point out https://theskiff.org. The Skiff is Brighton’s oldest devoted coworking house. In the event you’re an indie enterprise proprietor or freelancer who wants/likes to flee your private home workplace as soon as per week please do be happy to say howdy. I would be very comfortable to indicate you round and introduce you to our pleasant neighborhood of like-minds. Both method, I will undoubtedly be speaking to fellow skiff mates about James and Whitstable Craft Co.