Gentlemen,
I am so happy to hear all inputs including critiques and I will try to address as many issues as I can with my humble honesty. This is a good opportunity for me to communicate with you all.
1. Value:
If you judge anything by specification, you've encountered wrong product.
Many watches do the same function that it tells you the time. But you do accept different price points. How so? You can buy a watch that tells exact time at fraction of cost than others, yet you purchase little different than others at much different costs?
If you compare any product by just their specifications, you might be a little disappointed by not much difference when considering similar class with equivalent power and light source.
PK DESIGN LAB products are much about fine details of Ergonomic, Engineering approach, Design details, Design style, and new fresh Artistic attempts of machining methods for all details in cosmetic pleasure as well, etc. Not your old sand blasted and cheap knurled tube copies of SureFire wanna-be things. I have moved on..
Please be advised,
this light may not be for you at all to purchase based on SPECIFICATIONS VS. PRICE. I am sure you may be easily satisfied for your requirements in those aspects with many others.
PK products are definitely not designed and targeted for everyone in many respects.
As company motto said, it is "Designed for Cultivated Expectations".
2. UI:
Programing different reset time is very simple and it does not cost any more.
I do not believe in any products or switch that I can NOT predict what it will do without my true understandings. I call it "unpredictable" switch. How many seconds can you COUNT in real emergency situation? Or Do you must count that seconds or can you afford that? 20 seconds is stable enough for you to know that your switch has been reset and move on. Or do you want to have a switch you don't know which mode it will come on after whatever short reset time is or was?? I don't think you want to think about it when bullets are passing through next to you and counting flashlight's reset time..
Your best UI is your finger and you can control at your command at any time.
That's the reason my lights don't have ridiculous SOS or flashings mode function.
There is no additional cost for program change, but unpredictable switch may cost your life in some serious situation.
Trust your faithful UI finger. Your finger can do it all at your command very successfully without any electronic babble and that's my UI philosophy.
3. "In God We Trust":
This goes way beyond Thomas and can be interpreted in many different ways.
I only mean "We believe God will know that we must do right things and God will be behind us".
There is no political or marketing agenda behind it.
FYI, Outside of package clearly state with BIG letters that it is "Made in China" without shameful small hindering letters.
We, all of my teams, are very proud of what we are doing and that it is right as we know it.
As it said "In God We Trust", we will trust in God with our commitments.
4. Critics:
I've seen and learned many times that criticisms are good, but many of them are expressed with personal attack or emotions that diminish their own merits.
It is sad to see many productive ideas dying due to their lack of true expression.
I've been in this arena many years and have gotten used to being treated as a ridiculous idiot.
Many times I've introduced new different ideas and gotten criticized with hammers.
Like I've introduced hexagonal bezel, $480 M4 big flashlight with 6 X CR123 batteries that gets so hot, L4 head with wide flood beam, big *** HID flashlight, etc.. Oh, my ICON lights with different program that you are not so used to it too.
DIFFERENT is not necessarily WRONG.
This is the way we EVOLVE.
5. Reputation:
Constructive criticism is very good for all manufacturers and users in order to understand what is behind it all. And many times it does support to create better products - or not.
What is so fun or needed about new products coming out that are doing the same thing that you have or are familiar with? Cheaper price? Yes, that has a value too many.
But, I will continue your excitements with more controversial products that are NOT the same as you've become comfortable with.. Hey, that's my excitement and duty that I know of..
I am really happy doing what I do and to have people who criticize and encourage..
I already have a place to sleep and enough food.. oh, sorry - enough to drink too !!
Are there any other things I need more than my own experienced compelling passion?
Since I have opened my own company PK DESIGN LAB after quitting my old company, I have filed more than 120 patents within the last 2 years. Even this month alone, I've filed 5 design patents and 3 utility/invention patents through my consulting companies.
Chances are, you probably are already using my patented products or you will soon or later, whether it is original or copies
I have no intention to sell my products based on MADE IN USA idea, which I've never supported it either.
I would be sad to hear if anyone purchases my products for my name sake.
Please purchase my products for their own value and merits for you to appreciate long long time.
6. Packaging:
I have to agree that my initial packaging is not so impressive as much as many suggested.
Definitely, I should make better package then what it is when we can do a larger volume of production. Complete agreement with many that expensive fancy package will enhance product image and project perceive value of product at premium value.
7. Warranty:
We have 1 year limited warranty policy in public statement. Since it is limited production, it is not realistic for us to state that we will provide you with any unrealistic LIFE TIME warranty.
Limited spare parts have been reserved for repairs and we will support purchased products as much as we can despite stated time frame limitation as much as we can.
Remember "In God We Trust", we will put our trust in God with our commitments.
These kind of Town Hall conversations are good.
And feel free to email me your personal thoughts here:
[email protected].
Respectfully,
pk