Hi There,

It’s not you, it’s me.

We have these wonderfully exciting email chats where you share your music dreams. Then they end, with me advising you against my services. I’m not actively pushing you away, but the conversation just tends to trail off into oblivion.

I would love to work with you, but the reasons we don’t are numerous.

• Many times, you tell me your problem, and I show you how to solve 80% of it by buying stuff off-the-shelf. Then I show you the kind of effort, money and time it would take to achieve 100% satisfaction, and you realize 80% isn’t so bad.
• Sometimes, the technology has not caught up with your vision. The cost to realize your solution becomes huge, because I’m tasked with Invention as much as I’m tasked with Implementation.
• Sometimes, you get caught up in a deep conversation when you were actually just window-shopping.
• Sometimes it’s simple sticker shock.
• I’m guessing here, but I bet that many times, I never receive an email in the first place because of fear that I’ll steal & commercialize the idea. (FYI, I have non-disclosure agreements ready for these kinds of conversations.)

Believe it or not, this is pretty much what I expected. Lots of nibbling, but not too many bites. Many conversations started, just as many hanging forever in limbo. It’s the nature of this business.

To be clear, I’m not discouraging ANY of this correspondence. Anyone who I’ve talked to can attest to my fervor for finding solutions to their problems, even when they involve off-the-shelf components or a competing service. Every new email is an opportunity to learn about something new — an opportunity to improve my quoting and research skills.

Unfortunately, the current state of the technology makes it difficult to affordably serve most of you. This reality may change as the costs of MIDI electronics and Rapid Prototyping go down.

While this may seem discouraging to both of us, it’s OK by me. 60 Works operates on the fringes of the music technology world. My clients are few and far between, and consist of people who are as devoted to finding solutions as they are frustrated with the current state of the art.

Until I’m so busy that I cannot answer your questions, keep the emails coming. I can’t promise I’ll be the one to solve your problems, but I can promise to give you a clear idea of your problem from the perspective of a boutique builder.

-Dave