In 2012 I graduated from Bauman University. My speciality is designing of electronic devices. In parallel I got second economical education also in Bauman University. When I finished university I already worked as engineer in Schneider Electric.

Without going into details I can say that I didn’t like that life. And one year after graduation from University I left the job and went to Krasnodar. My roots are from Krasnodar. I went to my grandmother. And my help was useful to her. It wasn’t a plan. But also It’s not like I just randomly selected destination.

For the start I had a great rest! I looked around. I went to the Black sea several times and mountains. I watched a lot of movies and tv shows.

I wanted to make something my own.

As most of the other boys I liked cars in childhood. It continued to student time. I did a little of racing – karting, touring. And I decided to combine interest in cars and knowledge in electronics. I didn’t have specific idea. And I went to work to Jaguar Land Rover as automotive electronics engineer to deep into cars world.

There are childhood dreams that are not your own but nice and romantic in general. And you need to went through them as earlier as possible and live then your own life.

I went through cars fast enough.

Back in Moscow I started project Knowledge of city (http://youtube.com/knowledgeofcity). This is a technique which helps you to quickly and well master the city. After cars I worked with it for several months. I joined Public Council for the Development of the Urban Environment under the administration of Krasnodar. Then I did web development. I took part in designing navigation in Krasnodar parks. Also I studied in media school, acted in the movie, recorded in a song… It was like the second childhood.

Every person, when he leaves the house, takes something with him and places it somewhere. This is so small process that at first sight it not worth thinking of it and talking about it. But if something is not right in this process than a lot of people every day face this inconvenience. Perhaps even without realizing it. And exactly in such small, seemingly insignificant, processes I like to find flaws and make these processes better. The big picture consists of small things. Small things matters.

Filled pockets - this is unaesthetic, unpleasant and uncomfortable. If you have a bag you can put everything in it. But what if you want to go out without a bag when for example you go to the nearby shop. Or you are walking along the coastline in the evening. You need to reduce contents of the pockets. Mostly we have with us cash, cards, document, phone, keys. I was always shocked by enormous leather wallet that are several times bigger than it’s contents. But I never thought that phone occupies place in the pockets. Most likely I drew attention to this when smart watch appeared. I was interested maybe there is phone in the form factor of wrist device which can help to partly free pockets.

In January 2014, I googled for a smart watch. And I tried to find wrist phone. At that moment there was a couple of crowdfunding projects, concepts from Samsung, Nokia, not serious Chinese crafts. I didn’t find anything. And I just started to follow the topic. I learned about internet of things and wearable devices. September 4, 2014 was the presentation of smart watches Google moto360. September 9, 2014 – Apple WATCH. Both of them are just smart watch.

Time passed, and the wrist phone did not appear.

September 11, 2014 in IT park Krasnodar facebook group there was a post about Skolkovo contest.

It aroused my excitement! I started to generate ideas about what should wrist phone be like.

I always wanted to take part in products creating process directly, to have influence on what product will be like. And I want to make great product with quality user experience, comfortable, aesthetic. I like things and processes which connected with regular daily life. In the kinds of activities that I've had to do, I did not have a feeling that I was involved in the creation of the product, and it upset me. But I didn’t think about how to change it, how to find that activity where it will be the way I like it. I had a feeling that quality products are obtained when developers consciously want to make them so. That is, it is the result of a certain way of the constructed development process. And not only good luck. And I decided to deal with it.

So I started to explore the product development process with it’s latest achievements. I explored professions which are involved in development process and tried to understand what is the best for me.

The main idea is a construction that transforms from wrist state to handheld by one simple act.

When you only need to look at the screen, the position on your wrist is acceptable. To interact with the device it is much more convenient to keep it in your hand. Classic wristwatches have one function - show time. For them, the position on the wrist is optimal, the watch does not occupy a place in the pocket, but, if necessary, the person raises his hand and checks the time. Smartphone has many functions, and not all of them are convenient to use when it is on your wrist. For some functions, for example, surfing the Internet or voice calls, it is more convenient to remove the device from your wrist and take it in your hand. In the case of a call, then dial the number and attach the device to your ear.

At the very beginning I told about the new idea to my grandmother. It turned out a funny movie:

Having formulated the main idea, I began to make breadboard models from improvised materials.

I had an idea to use a slap bracelet. What's funny is that Apple has a device patent in which a flexible screen is attached to a slap bracelet.

But the slap bracelet is unstable in the open state.

And I came up with a mechanism snapping from squeezing. You put it on your hand, squeezed it to the end, it clickes and closes. Again, you squeezed it, let it go. It openes. The angle of closure, the depth of the girth are adjustable. So, one bracelet can cover a series of wrists.

I gradually developed this idea and came to the hinge design.

We needed some simple implementation to test the idea without much investment. I came up with a rubber band.

December 5 I wrote a letter to myself describing the idea and design. I was once recommended this method, as the most simple to protect the ideas. Then I wrote a few more letters to myself with other ideas in this endeavor.

I had no idea what to do to realize the project. I googled and learned about Work Weekend Harvest (December 5-7, 2014) from the Fund for the Development of Internet Initiatives. I went. We did a problem interview, walked around the city and asked questions, it was fun! The market was counted. We were told how to make a presentation. We talked with experts.

After Harvest, I bought a Chinese wrist phone and attached an elastic band to it. I inserted my sim card there and walked with it for a couple of months.

December 23, 2014 I came to the club of the mentors of the FRII and showed this thing. I wanted to get feedback, talk, orient myself how and where to go. Guys were quickened! I was told that I can resell these Chinese phones. And about the development of the rephone they said that this is an unrealistic task, I do not need to get hung up on this. But I wanted to move on.

From January to March 2015, I did not systematically work on the project, but slowly thought and collected ideas.

In early March I developed corporate identity.

https://www.behance.net/gallery/37404123/Identity-for-rephone

I came up with the name of device - rephone.

I registered domains reobjects.com/ru and social networks accounts:

https://www.facebook.com/reobjects/

https://vk.com/reobjects

https://twitter.com/reobjects

https://www.instagram.com/reobjects/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Qx2MuHCX__fZ3GGTrFRgA

https://www.linkedin.com/company/reobjects

https://ok.ru/group/52414223679704

https://www.behance.net/reobjects

https://vimeo.com/channels/reobjects

I created 3d model.

The conditional fastener of the bracelet is located not from below, as usual, but from the end of the wrist, in the most inaccessible part of the eye, in order to maximally use the parts accessible to the view under the screen.

I was interested in studying the infrastructure of Krasnodar for technological start-ups. I didn’t find the hackspaces. But there is something. You can find some equipment. I will leave a few references:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ITparkKrasnodar/

https://www.kubsu.ru/ru/node/8060

http://fasie.ru/krasnodar/

http://arenda-zip.ru/

http://www.sedin-inc.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/startups.krasnodar/

https://www.facebook.com/WinCubatorKrasnodar/

http://europeya-bp.ru/

In early May, representatives of Innopolis, the republic of Tatarstan, arrived in Krasnodar with the event Startup sabantuy. The main goal of the event was to tell about Innopolis, attract people. All the participants presented their start-ups. So do I. It was interesting for me to learn about Innopolis, to practice my speech, to get to know like-minded people, to better orient myself in how to move. There was a buffet table with national Tatar treats!

In the end of may May I went to Moscow to show myself and explore opportunities for start-ups in Moscow. At that time, Moscow occupied the 12th place in the world for infrastructure for start-ups. There are several powerful technoparks with hackspaces. Hackspace is a place with a set of equipment for working with physical objects - 3d printers, milling machines, soldering stations and so on.

Gradually I learned about the process of product development. I was on an excursion at the factory Zenit in the department of industrial design. The design of cameras that were made there in the Soviet era, is recognized throughout the world.

Being in Moscow, I went to all profile events, tried to talk as much as possible about the rephone, make profile contacts, see how other start-ups are live, find some opportunities, ways for myselve.

On June 1 I presented rephone in Central Telegraph at the Intel IoT meetup event, which was organized by the Center for the Development of Technologies, Prototyping and Innovative Education (http://steelup.ru). I got a gift - Intel Edison development board!

On this day, I made the first publications in the social network and launched a simple presentation website (since I did not extend the domains later, it is no longer there). When the domains ended I did the Coming Soon page on Indigogo, but after a while it became so that after a certain period the page destroys. And rephone page was destroyed.

On June 2, 2015, I was in Skolkovo at the biggest startup event in Russia - Startup Village. Rephone come to the semifinal of the startup competition. But real investors did not take the startup in any way. And I continued to do something further. Alone.

After that they wrote about rephone: http://nstar-spb.ru/news/sri_petersburg/startup_tour_2016_vyshel_na_finishnuyu_pryamuyu/

I was curious to visit Skolkovo. There is the Skolkovo Foundation, it was formed to develop innovations in Russia. The Foundation decided to build the city of Skolkovo with all the necessary infrastructure for life - residential quarters, a kindergarten, a school, Skoltech University, medicine, shops... and all the necessary infrastructure for start-ups for these purposes. This is a very modern and stylish city. The heart of the city is the Skolkovo Technopark, where start-ups can rent an office, use the collective center. There is access to investment. Grants. On the territory of the city of Skolkovo are located the development centers of large corporations, which, probably, should encourage start-ups to create new technologies. A startup can get the status of a Skolkovo resident and have access to all of this.

From July, 10 till July, 17th, 2015 I was at the school of engineering business Klipper, which was organized by the guys from Bauman University. We went to a special economic zone. We were on the production of printed circuit boards (there I met a friend of the University), watched laser cutting. Technological entrepreneurs came to the school, gave us real cases from their activities.

http://klipper-russia.ru/

In the Center for Prototyping of the University of Dubna, I was allowed to print a layout of the rephone on a 3d printer. I am thankful!

https://www.uni-dubna.ru/Science/Innovations

I continued to systematically study the product development proces. After Klipper, I visited the Design picnic of the Industrial Designers Club (https://www.facebook.com/kpdrussia/). The club, in general, consists of manufacturers of furniture. There was an excursion to the production of FineObjects.

As a result of this trip, I began to see how a technological start-up can be done. But I did not see any real opportunities for myself.

Then I returned to Krasnodar and participated in the design of navigation in Krasnodar parks. But I still could not leave the rephone, at least I had to clearly understand why I can not make such a startup under my conditions, so that I can understand what to do next. Or, if I go to a hired job, I had to figure out what role is right for me.

In September I returned to Moscow.

September 22, 2015 I went to the opening of Hackspace at VDNH. It was a great get-together! Grilled steaks, made branded hot dogs. The equipment has not yet been delivered, but something I managed to see. There was an exhibition of startups. I presented rephone.

September 29, 2015 in the continuation of the master class Rent Roelink (Italian University of Design), I told about rephone in English in Krasnodar. We talked about the idea and design of the rephone.

About the process of product development. I thought that the one who most influences on what the product will be like is an industrial designer. I was interested to immerse myself in this sphere and in late 2015 I went to art school. I had an accelerated and slightly curtailed program compared to the standard program for children. I took the course for about half a year. But apart from the art school, I practically did not do anything else.

In 2016, one of the cities of Skolkovo Russian Startup Tour was Krasnodar. I received an invitation letter, because earlier I participated in the events of Skolkovo.

I made a presentation of rephone.

I met guys from the robotics club, for some reason before that we did not intersect with them. After the first day, there was an after party in the Dranky bar. We had a great time!

I liked it as Nikolai Grachev said: "The team needs someone like the founder of yotaphone, so that this idea does not sound like a joke. Or you need to go to a company that is already releasing a smartphones and make rephone there". I’d already come to this understanding a decent time ago, but I had to get to know the process of product development. And, doing a rephone it was more convenient to do than just in theory.

But after I decided not to continue with rephone.

Rephone is a smartphone. This is not a watch, not a wristwatch. Not a smart watch. Rephone - this is a real smartphone, which has all the functions of a smartphone. The main feature of rephone is the possibility to carry it on your hand. The smartphone market is a huge heavy competitive market. Startup in the smartphone market has nothing to do. A startup should create something fundamentally new and that can’t be quickly repeated. Or it should initially have a weight - a lot of money or founders - the authorities in the industry.

There was also a problem with the flexible screen technology. Devices with a color OLED flexible screen is still not on the market (September 2018). More simple technologies, for example, a screen based on electronic ink, do not have the necessary consumer qualities. But, if everything else would be normal, then we could take some screen, but, when the flexible OLED arrived, take it.

At that time, I did not like the idea that the OS should be android. But now the android has become more or less and I would not look at it. Moreover, there are users who like android.

When I was doing rephone smartphones with a screen of 5.5 just appeared and were gaining popularity. This size allows you to comfortably perform almost all user tasks. In addition to a smartphone for everyday life nothing is needed. To work, you need a computer, and for everyday tasks 5.5 inches is enough. But here, too, it's not so simple. Power and screen size is enough for all user tasks, but mobile OSs are limited in functionality and some tasks can not be performed without a computer for this reason. And, if all the same, most users have a computer or a tablet, the size of the phone screen can be sacrificed. But also it would be possible to make a model of a rephone with a large screen. Of course, it will be wide for the wrist, but a smartphone 5.5 too big for the pocket.

In the case of devices, it is absolutely necessary to make a crowdaming company, because it takes a lot of money to organize production, and series should be big, and crowdfinding will help to test the idea, find the first buyers and raise money.

The very first thing is to make a working prototype.

To make a prototype and organize a crowdfunding company it will take around $ 100,000. A phone is a complex electronic device. In order to develop it, you need a team of several highly qualified specialists of different profiles. It takes time, that is, money to rent a room, equipment. Computers. Software. Materials, development tools. Crowdfunding company involves an active promotion, which is also money - publications, exhibitions, etc. You either need to have your money or a cool team and find a business angel. You can go to the accelerator, business incubator. They can give you the first money too and there is equipment, like-minded people.

On crowdfunding company you need to fund from $ 500 000. To organize the production, you need to negotiate with the suppliers of chips and components, which have a minimum threshold for the amount of the contract is very high.

If the company has a success, you organize the production and send out the first batch to the backers. Next, placing product to the market, sales.

The next stage is to attract investments for growth. To do this, there are venture funds, private investors. Maybe someone will come up with a loan.

If things go uphill, at some point you can make an IPO - go to the stock exchange.

Perhaps I did not realize from the beginning, but the main goal when working with a rephone for me was to understand the process of creating a product. I always wanted to participate in the creation of the product, but it did not happen itself. Most of the time I devoted to immersion in industrial design. As a result, I realized that the industrial designer does not really affect what the product will be like. He works on tasks, which is given to him.

We live in the era of a market economy. There is a market. And the product is released for the market, for the consumer. First of all, it should not be what the author wants it to be, but the way the market wants it. And the product is produced primarily in order to earn money for the one who produces it. Therefore, what will be the product, determines who is engaged in the market - marketer. Marketing includes a range of activities. The part that is responsible for the product is called product marketing. There is also such thing as product management. I realized that I need to dig this way.

In life, of course, it does not always happen that way. But that's life.

I started with the fact that I wanted to solve the problem of stuffed pockets. Let me remind you that when the pockets are chock - it's unaesthetic, unpleasant and uncomfortable. I began to make a rephone, because I have the specialty "Design and technology of electronic equipment". But the problem of stuffed pockets can be solved in other ways. I thought and identified a number of ways:

• Bring the smartphone to your hand - what was discussed.

• Put smartphone somewhere, for example, in a holster on a strap, on a string around my neck, I do not consider a solution, because it is the same as a pocket - at least, not aesthetically.

• Do not take your phone with you when you don’t take a bag. If you can do without it, it's an option, but it's not always possible, that is, it's not a 100% solution, you can have it in mind, but you can not stop at it.

• Have an additional phone with the size of a credit card and put it in a purse. There are suck phones, the minimum thickness - 4mm. If it were thinner, it could be considered as a solution, but it still limits functionality.

• Do not take the purse. So far only a few people can. There are very few discount cards that can be added to Apple Wallet, even now in 2018. The money was not stopped to be printed, coins is minted, too. Paper checks are given. There are auto-documents. The document proving the identity.

• Make a purse with all the necessary functionality from thin materials. In 2014, I was looking for a thin purse, seriously confused, walked around all the shops in the city, reviewed all crowdfunding platforms, ebay, amazon, aliexpress, online shopping, instagram. And did not find anything. For me it was a shock. I even bought a few wallets, walked with them and sold them. When I'm looking for something, I usually have serious requirements, but before that I always managed to find something. But here or it is either not thin, or thin, but the functional is trimmed, or uncomfortable, or lacked work on the appearance. A normal wallet just does not exist yet. Kickstarter even has a special section devoted to the creation of a purse.

After I finished with the rephone, I tried to participate in other start-ups, but decided that I did not have enough experience to give something to a serious start-up.

Then I studied personal finance for a while, tried to trade on the stock exchange.

And then I started the creation of a wallet...