At first glance, the offices of Quirky Inc. appear much like those of any number of Internet start-ups. A mostly young staff of 50 sits in front of computer screens. Bikes, ridden to work, hang from the ceiling. A young visionary sets an eager, nontraditional vibe.
Quirky is an invention website that takes ideas from its online community and makes them into real consumer products. Ben Kaufman, 24, founded the Manhattan-based Quirky two years ago with the aim of making invention accessible.
| On TV |
| ‘Quirky’ |
| When: 10 p.m. Tuesday |
| Channel: Sundance Channel |
It recently picked up $16 million in financing from Norwest Venture Partners. Kaufman expects the site to be profitable by next year. They’re readying a move later this year to a larger warehouse across town. And on Tuesday (10 p.m. EST/PST), the Sundance Channel will premiere “Quirky,” a six-episode reality series that documents the fast-paced life at Quirky.
“There’s a difference between your crazy scientist garage inventor and regular people,” says Kaufman. “Regular people experience problems on an everyday basis that piss them off. Those are what I think are everywhere. That’s what Quirky is here to achieve, to capture those problems, those opportunities and turn them into products.”
Ever thought you could invent a more ergonomic dog leash? Or create a power strip that has room for boxy plug-ins? Those are the kind of ideas that Quirky has turned into consumer products, splitting the profits with its inventors and members of the community (“influencers”) whose tips help shape the final product.
On the site, users vote for the product ideas they like the best. Every Friday, two winners are crowned. Quirky developers create the product, and then it goes into presale. If enough people commit to buying the product, Quirky takes it to market, produced from its manufacturing base in China.
Thirty percent of top-line revenue on direct sales is shared with the community, as well as 10 percent from indirect sales with partners like Bed Bath & Beyond and the Home Shopping Network.
The first episode of “Quirky” features the inventions of two products. The Pivot Power, an adjustable electrical power strip, is Quirky’s flagship product. The idea came from a shaggy-haired college student, Jake Zien, and has been one of its most successful products.
The episode tracks the problems both products faced in production: regulator holdups for the Pivot Power, and slow design inspiration for the Ventu. But “Quirky” the show, much like the business, is thoroughly positive about invention. The message: Anyone can do this.
