JogAlong Update, July 2019

July 2019 JogAlong Update

Family Race Day

Running a race with my brother and with my niece in the JogAlong is something I had wanted to do for a long time. Between being eight hours apart, travel schedules, weather, race dates, and everything else, it took us almost two and a half years to make it happen. But we had a blast when we finally did it in May. We ran the Take 5 in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO, a beautiful location for a race. If you have the opportunity to visit or run there, you’ll love it. The landscape is unique and one of Colorado’s treasures.   We had multiple demands from our little co-pilot to go faster, something many of you have experienced. Dad and Uncle did the best they could to satisfy the speed requests, high lighting our downhills, and changing the subject during a couple of uphill power-walking stints. Kansas flatlander Uncle Mike may have been affected by some steep hills and low oxygen levels!

Taking the JogAlong out in public continues to be great fun. During the race, there are always conversations as we progress through the course. And afterwards we often visit with interested runners and parents.

Manufacturing Review

With the race finished, it was time to head off to see our manufacturing partner and review the prototype progress. Things are looking good. By the end of May, we had resolved nearly all of the items on our list. I had hoped to bring the prototype home, but we had some challenges with our cable routing. It’s one thing for me to route them on the computer, and then another to do it in person; the cable didn’t feed as I had imagined when we telescoped the arm position, so unfortunatley I didn’t bring it back. However, just this week after multiple attempts, we solved the problem. So I will head back to Asia as soon as I can to do a review and bring the prototype home.

That’s a big step for us. Once we have the new prototype in hand, with our updated pitch deck and business plan, we will start meeting with investment groups. These days, there are many options available for start-ups to raise capital: angel networks, venture capitalists, crowdfunding, equity crowdfunding, and others.  None of them are easy and not all are a good fit, as it depends on how much capital you need and the stage your company is at. But JogAlong has been working hard to prepare for this stage and I feel confident we’re ready to move forward.

JogAlong in Dallas, Texas on Saturday, July 13th

A quick note to those of you in the Dallas Texas area: My little co-pilot friend Mia and I will be running the Too Hot to Handle 5k race in Dallas at Norbuck Park on July 13.  Please say hello if you come, as we would love to meet you in person. If you want to feel the sensation of moving your arms with the JogAlong, you are welcome to give it a try after the race.

Stay cool!

By Mike Dresher

Mike Dresher is a mechanical design engineer who enjoys running and biking. He is the founder of JogAlong Stroller.