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This is how it all unfolded...
That night, March 18th, 2017, I sketched a rough idea of what the fitting could look like. It started with squeezing as many circular 1/2” and 3/4” connectors inside a 3” hole. I quickly found out that small circles inside a larger circle is not a very effective use of available space, so we pivoted to rectangular openings inside the circle to maximize efficiency. With the help of a designer, we produced a CAD (computer-aided design) that seemed very promising.
Applying for a patent. With the CAD in hand, we decided to apply for a utility patent. With extremely limited knowledge of IP (intellectual property) law and minimal funds for hiring an attorney, we decided to hire a budget friendly attorney. Over the course of hiring multiple “budget friendly” attorneys to file a patent, it became very clear that there was a reason for their pricing structure. This ultimately cost us years of time with minimal progress, in addition to thousands of dollars with minimal to show for it. The final attorney we ended up with is exceptionally well versed and experienced in IP law, which of course comes with a hefty price tag. Although the rate of our current attorney is well over double what the previous attorneys were, I wish we would have started with biting the bullet as it would have yielded far better results and shaved years off our IP journey. The real value of an experienced IP attorney is how well they can articulate your idea into legally binding and proper verbiage while maximizing your protection. Our attorney is not experienced whatsoever in our field nor can he write a perfectly accurate description of our product alone, but with our knowledge of the product and his extensive knowledge of the legal system we were able to collaborate and come up with something unique enough to patent with protection.
Making a mold. After the IP was secured, we needed to have an injection mold made. Fortunately, we were referred to a shop in the area that does injection molding and makes high quality molds. Weighing the pros and cons of having an injection mold produced domestic and foreign, we decided to move forward with a mold made locally in the US. One reason for this was protection of the intellectual property as long as possible to reduce the likelihood of knock-offs. Another reason was the quality and long-life guarantee of the mold. The third reason was the ability to have any modifications or repairs done in house and not have to spend 12 weeks turnaround shipping it to a foreign country and waiting for it to return. This was one of our best decisions in the whole process by far, even though the mold cost was 250% above the foreign quotes. The project manager at the facility took a personal interest in this project and has played a pivotal role in the success of the Wire Waffle and meeting UL (underwriter laboratories) standards. We had over 20 iterations and modifications that had to be done to the injection mold to meet UL’s very strict standards. Being able to modify the mold in house made all the difference.
Prior to this process, I had no context for the complexity that is the plastic world. I thought plastic was plastic and we could choose any type that was cost effective and performed properly, man was I wrong! UL has very specific parameters for this application and there are very limited number of plastics that meet the criteria and perform the task up to their standards. It took nearly 9 months of ordering and running different samples of plastics that looked good on paper, but performed very poorly. We were nearly defeated, but the project manager made a call to an “old timer” in the industry who knew of a lesser-known potential option that ended up being exactly what we needed.
Running samples. With the injection mold built and the plastic selected, we ran samples to perform some at home testing to make sure the product was ready for UL’s rigorous testing. They required hundreds of samples of the connector and thousands of feet of cable (US and Canadian) ranging from each size cable we wanted it listed for. They were shipped via a pallet to the testing lab in Illinois. After weeks of anticipation and thousands of dollars invested, we were notified that the connector had failed the tests in all but two cable types. Knowing we would not be able to market the connector with only two sizes of cable, we went back to the drawing board with how to modify the fitting to pass the tests. Brainstorming with the project manager, designer, tool maker, engineer, owner, and myself for a couple hours we were able to come up with some options we thought would work. Some of the modifications made were a few thousandths of an inch, but still necessary.
UL listing. When the next batch was ready to send out, my father and I were invited to UL’s testing facility to witness the tests being performed. We gratefully accepted the invitation and were welcomed to their massive facility. While there we met some of the wonderful people at UL and were immersed into the testing procedures. The stringent and thorough testing process performed by UL makes me realize why it is universally recognized in the NEC and gives me full confidence to install any equipment in the field that is UL listed. We achieved our full UL listing of the Wire Waffle and were eternally grateful for the experience and understanding of the process. Although this was the “cliff notes” version of our experience with UL, it took over 2 years to complete the process.
Pitching our invention. Knowing it would be very difficult to market and sell the fitting ourselves as a tiny entity with a single widget, we decided to reach out for help from some of the larger more recognized companies. Prior to our UL listing, I called, emailed, and used favors accrued in the industry reaching out to 56 different companies that I thought might yield some results. Very few answered the phone or returned emails, worse yet I started reaching out right before Covid hit. Even the handful of companies that I had engaged in discussion with all pulled out due to the pandemic citing that they halted all new R & D projects indefinitely to keep the company afloat during the unprecedented times. Discouraged and determined as ever we trudged on knowing the value that it would bring to the industry. Post Covid, we reached out to one of the companies again that we had a good rapport with. They were willing to give us a chance and this last year gave us a front corner of their booth at the NECA (National Electrical Contractor Association) trade show in San Diego. Much to our surprise, we were fortunate enough to win a “Show Stopper” award for the product at the show. We handed out many prototypes at the show and the response from the crowd was a resounding success.
We are also currently partnered with Rack-a-Tiers and are launching May 1st. We are hoping to have them available in the supply warehouses towards the end of this week for in store purchase!
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I feel the same way about an invention. In addition to all the professionals I've already listed, we have also been blessed with consultants, electrical wholesale managers, friends, and most of all, family. My wife has taken care of the kids and our home while I worked tirelessly towards the success of the invention. My father, and business partner, has shared the workload and investment. We have collectively as a family, including my mom and two kids, hand packaged and shipped every order to date. Things are trending up and we hope the future of the Wire Waffle is sweeter than maple syrup.
Hunter
How to connect with Hunter and his product?
Website: Wirewaffle.com
The online store: Shops.wirewaffle.com
Hunter's direct email: Wirewaffle@gmail.com
Mike Holt's Comment:
I received the product, have tried it, and it is amazing! I am so excited for their success. I am more than happy in whatever small way, to help them continue to the next level. They had a vision and saw it though to completion. What an inspiring story. Congratulations!
And to anyone else out there, this should be an inspiration
to you to pursue your dreams.
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Mike, as I am writing this to you, we are gearing up to start the initial production run to hit the market. We have a long way to go and a lot of work still ahead to meet purchase orders and selling direct to consumers, but I wanted to extend my gratitude and appreciation for some advice and wisdom you shared with me during our phone call a couple years ago. We are in the process of working with a big-name partner in the industry to bring the Wire Waffle into every wholesale electrical distributor as well as big box stores.
