Totem Rollout Update 6/21/24
Hey friend!
Welcome to our first ever weekly newsletter blog post. We've realized that many of you don't always receive Totem Tuesdays in your inbox, and we're here to make things easier (and more fun!).
Alright Tribe—let's Vibe.
There is important information in this post, so we are keeping things streamlined and straightforward for you.
There are lots of awesome product updates and exciting info further down in the email, but we're starting this one with an important announcement that may be disappointing to some of you.
Here are the 3 things you need to know, right now.
Shipping Expectations & Communication Policy
Let's have some real talk.
We didn’t respond well to changing circumstances over the past month (specifically around EDC, Bonnaroo, and Electric Forest).
We set timeline expectations that we didn’t meet.
We disappointed some passionate customers.
We have learned our lesson and we are now changing our communication policy because we refuse to let you down again.
Until now, our way of showing love to you has been communicating optimistic timelines based on feasibility, but we recognize that this policy can’t continue.
With this in mind, we are making a strategic change on how we will manage this rollout to better embody our values of simplicity, love, and beauty.
Simplicity
We will not be setting an expected ship date again until shipping is entirely within our control and there are no external dependencies.
Love
The next time we announce an expected ship date, it will not change.
Beauty
When you get your Totem, it will blow your mind.
Totem Support
We realize that this information, right now, may also be a letdown for you.
But we also hope that it gives you peace of mind that our focus is completely on delivering a kickass product, and that we are listening to you and adapting as needed.
If this information results in you wanting to refund or cancel your order, here’s how you can do so.
- Go to www.totemlabs.com and click “chat with us” in the bottom-right corner
- Select “track & manage my order”
- Login and request cancellation
No hard feelings.
If/when you find your way back to us in the future, we will always welcome you with open arms.
Quality Assurance Update
Last weekend, we took the Totems to Bonnaroo, one of the most famous (and hottest) festivals in the world.
Fred Again referred to it as both the sweatiest fest he's ever performed at, and the Glastonbury of the USA.
While we were there, our team conducted thorough performance testing of the Totems.
This was a big opportunity because it was the largest festival we've taken them to yet, and it also provided an excellent stress test for their durability in extreme field conditions. Crowds were thick, and temperatures got up to 109° F (~43° C).
Here's an overview of all the testing we conducted.
Vibe Mode
We tested Vibe Mode in the loudest (and most musically diverse) environment the Totems have ever been in.
We tested Vibe Mode at SVDDEN DEATH (dubstep), T-Pain (r&b), Goth Babe (indie rock), Jon Batiste (jazz/soul), Khruangbin (jam band), Chase & Status (drum&bass), Seven Lions (psytrancey EDM), Red Hot Chili Peppers (rock), and more.
We made some adjustments to the code throughout the weekend, and by Day 3 the Totems were Vibing beautifully to every genre at every stage, no matter how loud or soft the music got.
(Videos to come on our socials)
Satellite Connectivity
We tested the Totems' ability to get reliable satellite locks all over the festival: in dense crowds, in RV's, in the VIP lounge, and more.
We got consistently super-accurate satellite locks all over the festival. Location tracking is on-point.
Peer-to-Peer Communications
We tested the peer-to-peer comms between Totems in super dense crowds and in open spaces of the festival.
The range was consistent while we were in the dense crowds and outside of them, which confirms the results of past testing we've done smaller festivals.
Bonding
In our testing, the Totem Bonding process worked great in the festival setting, just like it does back home in the Totem lab.
Software Update Protocol
We tested our newly finalized software update protocol, and it was a massive success. We were downloading updates from our CTO back in Chattanooga in real-time at the festival via StarLink.
This was our first opportunity to test this process live from a festival environment and the software download process worked perfectly.
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Heat Tolerance
Bonnaroo was the perfect place to test the Totems' tolerance to extreme external temperatures.
This was one of the hottest Bonnaroos ever recorded and the Totems performed admirably, with no overheating or unexpected shutdowns with consistent usage (unlike our Team which experienced major heat overload when our generator tapped out on Day 2).
Waterproofing
We also put the Totems to the test by exposing them to different types of water in a live festival setting. The waterproofing held up perfectly in the rain and in Bonnaroo’s iconic mushroom fountain.
Need for Improvement
All that said, there are still aspects of the software that need to be improved before we will ship, to ensure that everyone's Totem will perform well in crowded events and harsh conditions all around the world.
Our focus is now on improving these three key areas over the coming weeks:
- While all the above features functioned effectively, we want to improve their efficiency to maximize battery life
- While the device comms worked well, we want to make some improvements to the code that will extend the peer-to-peer range further
- There is room to make the mesh network more efficient in how it operates, which will increase range, accuracy, and battery life
We will keep you updated on our progress with these new focus areas!
Moving Forward
While there are still some improvements we need to make before we are ready to ship, there are also a lot of things to be excited about.
Last weekend was the first time that the public ever got to see production-grade Totem Compasses live and in-person.
The software is closer than ever, and our next shipment of PCBs should be released from Customs very soon.
This means that we'll be able to start showing you some really cool content of the Totems over the next couple weeks.
We’ll be beefing up the content across all of our channels (Instagram, Totem Blog, YouTube, TikTok, etc) to showcase all the amazing features you have heard about but not yet seen, and some you haven’t even heard about yet.
We are also going to begin publishing Totem Tuesdays on our blog, and host the Totem Tuesday archive permanently on our website.
And lastly… we captured lots of awesome content of the Totems at Bonnaroo that we are SUPER excited to show you.
The sweet fruit of gratitude
Hey there 👋
As I walked the Bonnaroo festival grounds last weekend and met Tribe Members from all over the country, I was shocked.
Shocked at how many people said they look forward to their Totem Tuesday every single week.
But even moreso, I was shocked about how many people said that they read Totem Tuesday TOP-TO-BOTTOM every single week.
It was emotional. Beautiful. Humbling.
Look. Doing this isn't easy.
It isn't easy being consistent and pulling this newsletter together every week for 7+ months.
It isn't easy opening the door and letting thousands of people inside our company with this level of transparency every week.
It isn't easy delivering disappointing news, when the time comes to do so.
We do it because we care.
This is not about taking the easy road.
This is about doing something that matters. Something that inspires. Something that others won't do.
To those of you who stick with us, tune in every week, and read to the bottom...
Words cannot express how much your support means to us.
Words cannot express how much your patience means to us.
Words cannot express how much your love means to us.
So… thank you.
The sweet fruit will come.
We promise.
Totem Team, out.
✌️
