Right Before Launch
Where things stand
Launching next week. 8 o'clock on Wednesday the 26th, Korean time; the day before, US time.
I switched the 3D printing material from PLA to PETG. The Patternflow device doesn't generate much heat so I figured it'd be fine, but apparently it melts during shipping. Printing costs went up 1.6x and the sale price went up to $269. I don't know how PETG will feel. From experience, very plastic-y? That smooth… I think the slightly mass-produced feel will get stronger. PCBway kindly sponsored again so I'll receive it next week, but whether I'll like the material is uncertain. Even if I don't, nothing to be done. It's far better than having it melt.
For CE and FCC certification, I've arranged to go to a test lab next week. I've also requested the relevant documents from the panel vendor. It's hard to be optimistic in this area at all, but I hope some way through opens up. It's strange that I didn't ask the vendor sooner. I'd handled everything for the ESP32, so why? The LED panel only occurred to me now. Well, at least I've asked, so that's that.
I was selected for an arts pre-founder program. They provide 5 million won worth of indirect support along with help on market validation. Whether it can run alongside the program I was already selected for, though, I have to ask next week. I hope it works. If not, I'll have to think about which to choose. With these support programs, I've gotten some confidence in IR pitching and interviews. I go in with almost no prep, freestyle it, and pass every time. Maybe having numbers is enough that they just take you.
Since I recently registered the business, I designed and ordered business cards yesterday. For that I built a feature in Pattern Lab to export as image and video. It seems pretty decent. There are a lot of uncommon patterns, and you can adjust the colors too, so I thought people on the design side could put it to good use if they worked at it. Anyway, I only put one simple pattern on it and it looks quite distinctive, which I like.

I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I'm tired. Insomnia is genuinely the worst. Yesterday too I lay down at eleven and couldn't fall asleep until three, so I got up, killed time, and slept at five. Hm.