Feature Roundups on Typogram in August & Launch Schedule Change
Week 51 of Founding Typogram
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My dad and I rarely talk — we are both introverts and don’t have lots to say unless asked. My dad texted me about some documents this Tuesday and asked if my app had been launched and, if so, how are the sales. I told him it is still under development. He replied, “hasn’t it been a year already?”(translated from his original words: 不是一年了?) Stressed out by his rhetorical question but knowing he is coming from a good place, I sent him my recent interview on a Chinese-speaking podcast to assure him I am indeed doing stuff, and not exactly becoming a hobo.
For the month of August, we signed a contract with a very important strategic partner to secure high-quality, exclusive typefaces to be added to the Typogram app. We have more updates on Editable Icons with fun gifs. And a bit of news that will set my dad (and myself) on nerves — delaying the launch day.
Partnering Up With The Type Founders and Adding Premium Fonts
My co-founder and I came from the font world, and the friends we made along the way got us where we are today with Typogram and further! We are officially partnering up with The Type Founders(TTF) and incorporating TTF’s exhilarating library of fonts (they sparkle joy in me when I look at them). Featuring work from renowned font foundries in the likes of P22 Type Foundry, The Freight Collection, Laura Worthington Design, Mark Simonson Studio, and more, we will be seeing these exclusive premium fonts available in Typogram to design logos with them in the short future:
More Editable Icons
We continue the work on the editable icons.
This month, we are introducing icons with three style axis. Each axis can manipulate a specific visual part of the icon.
For example, the mountain icon can be manipulated using: Hill, Snow, and Ratio. Each of these controls the corresponding visual aspect of the mountain to allow manipulation.
Heart icon is controlled by Ratio, pointiness and concavity. Through these three axis, you can manipulate the way heart looks.
Updating Launch Schedule
In the last few months, we have completed:
choose brand personalities
choose logo typeface
logo editor that includes font menu, property editor, icon search/editor module
part of account management
Though much has been accomplished, we still have to:
finish account management with necessary backend database updates
revamp color palette feature
add brand guidelines webpage publishing features
In order to ship a quality product, unfortunately, we have to ask you to wait a little longer — our targeted launch date changes from September to January. We are very sorry for the delay. Many of my subscribers have purchased the pre-order and I hope you stay with us; if the launch postponement changes your mind about us, we completely understand, and it is on us. As always, we offer full refunds. Please contact my co-founder hua@typogram.co to start the refund process if needed.
In hindsight, underestimating the work scope is the main mistake that set us back — for example, I underestimated the workload surrounding backend development. The account feature is taking much longer and diminishes my momentum. The editable icon project my co-founder is working on also shares the same problem. We need to look at this problem internally and find solutions to estimate work scope and set deadlines more accurately. We have internal deadlines for each project, and missing them oftenly hurts our morale and momentum.
Hear from You
I recently started to think of the days I worked for an employer in my 20s: the period of time I worked for 16 hours a day to meet a short launch schedule, and the days I pulled an all-nighter to deliver an impressive design presentation the next morning. I asked myself why I wasted my “good years” working for others, and when it was my turn to work for myself, I lost that productivity and horsepower. Sometimes I get sucked into that regret and can’t recover from the bad mood quickly. I wish I had started working on my startup in my 20s, and how wonderful would it be if those 16-hour productive work days were spent on Typogram? Do you think startup is better done in younger years? Do you feel there is a productivity drop because of age? Do you have any advice for my situation?
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