FINALLY! After 3 years, the first series of pedals I made have all sold. It took a while, but that’s business. It’s impossible to talk about this pedal without talking about business. It’s because of the BITTEN distortion that I started ANOMALOUS. It’s been an incredible 3 years so far. I’ve built so many things I’m proud of, helped other creative people make music, and learned so much about business. Owning ANOMALOUS has helped me get into the MBA program at Haskayne School of Business (I start this fall!)
My original value proposition was to create a series of pedals. The series would have three tiers – A basic tier with screen printed art, a hand-painted tier (these are the ones I ended up building), and a special edition tier. The special edition tier would feature a different circuit and have some wild visuals. I was inspired by the way cars are made and priced. The VW Golf, for example, comes in a base model, a GTI model, and a Golf R model at the top of the range.
Although this tiered idea didn’t exactly come to fruition, my business did pivot to better create products people liked. It took me this long to sell all five, after all! I simplified my product offerings into two categories: Stock Effects which are always in stock and made to order and Unique Effects for those who want something special on their board. This batch of five BITTEN pedals made up the first set of Unique Effects.
I came to find out that I took an agile business approach. I created a product, a Minimal Viable Product (MVP – that was this pedal series), and adjusted my value proposition based on how customers reacted. The BITTEN pedals didn’t fly out of my door, so I made something else. I started making the Stock Effects next. And although I still make Unique Effects, it’s the Stock Effects that make money for my business. I make the Unique Effects out of personal enjoyment and artistic expression. They are starting to sell now too; I don’t tend to hang onto them for that long – persistence and patience go a long way.
The best thing I did for my business was continue to make pedals after the BITTEN was slow to sell. If you’re thinking of starting a pedal business, my suggestion to you would be to do what I did – make a couple pedals at first, integrate with the amazing community, and have a genuine passion for making pedals. Keep making different pedals until people take interest.
ANYWAY…
About the pedals! The circuit is my own design, a distortion meant for heavy metal performing in a band. The amount of gain is pretty high but not overly so. And the tone is slightly on the bright side, even with a bit of low-end cut. This allows it to fit beautifully in the studio and live with a band.
This was an assumption I had made, that my customers would be in a band. I happened to find out that at least two of my customers who bought the BITTEN play solo. One of the most wholesome and heartwarming things that has happened to my business happened when one of these customers wrote to me saying how he was so inspired by his BITTEN that he recorded an improvised ambient noise mini-album with it.
Julie, my girlfriend, painted the artwork on all five pedals. My good friend Emily made the resin knobs. Another aspect of my business idea was that I would support local artists. I would feature visual artists and jewelry makers to paint enclosures and create knobs. This aspect was another thing that didn’t pan out – people just didn’t care. They just wanted something that sounds and looks cool. That isn’t to say I won’t collaborate with other artists and jewelry makers again, in fact, quite the opposite. I can still see my business going in that direction.
I also still want to create a Special Edition of the BITTEN. I have the circuit already, and it sounds amazing. It will be a one-off, and I will paint it myself. For it, I will commission a local jewelry maker to create three resin knobs, one of which will have a real human tooth embedded. The only reason why I haven’t made it yet is because I’m still looking for the tooth. I have a number of friends who have had their wisdom teeth removed, but they won’t give them to me!
So, if you or someone you know has a REAL HUMAN TOOTH that you could give to me, and you are in the Calgary area, please reach out to me at michael@anomalouseffects.ca.
Thanks.
