I get it, ramping up mass production is hard. The wording of the last update implied the design for the voice satellites is done, but the release date is starting to push against the deadline for 2024 Christmas gift orders. A pre-order system would allow you to start making sales before your production is complete, and allow you to (at least somewhat) profit from this Christmas season. The number of pre-orders you get could also influence your production pipeline, so you don’t get overwhelmed and let people down.
Also, any update on when the hardware will be released? I’ve been checking the blog every day since November 15th, the last update we got. I’m very excited.
The reason that the first batch of a product is small is because it is used to learn and optimize the manufacturing process. In the past, we’ve always launched the first run, causing limited availability. We would sell out within days, sometimes hours.
As Home Assistant grows, so did our distributor network. That means that a smaller batch now had to be divided over more shops, decreasing the odds a community member would be able to get their hands on the product. That’s annoying!
We decided we’re done with that and changed our strategy. Now when a product is announced, it’s because the big second batch is at shops, or it’s on their way to their warehouse. This allows them to be able to give accurate delivery dates. This also gives the Home Assistant Creator Network time to create content and, in this case, for the language leaders to polish the experience.
We had some delays and were unable to make the Christmas shopping season. However, it should arrive on time for the community to play with it during their winter break.
If you’re into voice, you will love what we’ve made.
