Dave Smith
03-12-2011, 08:51 AM
It's Saturday morning here at Factory Five and the guys are getting a GTM ready for pick-up for cust Karl L.
We have a 40 person club tour this morning and the 818 crew is in and working behind closed doors.
It is 50 degrees and sunny and as I was one of the first cars in the lot this am I was able to finally do some 4 wheel drifting without steering around snow piles or ice patches... The warm weather is so close!
Mostly though I am smiling at the great efforts that launched this forum. 4 weeks ago we put the new factoryfiveforum on-line and with the help of alot of great people, we have gotten off to a great start.
Over 2,000 members (soggybottom called it when we passed 2,000). Great posts and a good start with supportive vendors.
The path ahead for this place has been charted. Community above all else. That means providing a place where people can form friendships, where suplliers are welcomed and recognized for the vital role they play more than as simply a source of revenue (and the early guys are remembered for their belief in the future of this place).
Thanks to everyone who has helped with your posts, photos, blogs and more. I have tried very hard to be a part of this forum, yet Ive been out alot this month with family priorities (and Jen is home, her IV lines are gone, she's gained weight and she is doing great... Thanks for all the support, thoughts and prayers!).
I guess what I'm saying is hold on tight. 4 weeks since launch and gaining speed. I get excited to think what the place will be like in two years! There are so many cool things we are planning on doing with the new forum, from monthly give-aways and on-line contests to bringing real detailed tech and instructions from both the FFR guys and builders in the field. The FFR guys have made a concerted effort to respond quickly and accurately to tech questions, and customers have added to this effort, making builds go faster and building fellowship in the community.
We also have a chance as the forum grows, to bring in large company support in the right way, so that the sponsorship benefits can REDUCE ad rates and provide goodies to customers and members of the FFR community. I have yet to make a single call to any advertisers, and frankly, the vendors who are on now have been very patient as we didn't even have a vendor page done until just last week. Four weeks ago the moderators all said, "drop the hammer" and work on it as we go! That wa sgreat advice as I would still be cobbling away at the structure, forgetting that no plan survives contact.
In the end the new factoryfiveforum will be great as long as EVERY single decision going forward keeps the simple priority above all else... Build community.
One more thing. This IS about business. We make a living by building cars, however, the greatest most precious and unique thing about Factory Five is the community of people who have come together to build these cars and the stories, friendships and good works that result. This forum exists to BUILD that community. If we benefit as a business from that fellowship and from people helping others... THAT is the way to earn a living.
I've got a tour downstairs. Just wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone!
We have a 40 person club tour this morning and the 818 crew is in and working behind closed doors.
It is 50 degrees and sunny and as I was one of the first cars in the lot this am I was able to finally do some 4 wheel drifting without steering around snow piles or ice patches... The warm weather is so close!
Mostly though I am smiling at the great efforts that launched this forum. 4 weeks ago we put the new factoryfiveforum on-line and with the help of alot of great people, we have gotten off to a great start.
Over 2,000 members (soggybottom called it when we passed 2,000). Great posts and a good start with supportive vendors.
The path ahead for this place has been charted. Community above all else. That means providing a place where people can form friendships, where suplliers are welcomed and recognized for the vital role they play more than as simply a source of revenue (and the early guys are remembered for their belief in the future of this place).
Thanks to everyone who has helped with your posts, photos, blogs and more. I have tried very hard to be a part of this forum, yet Ive been out alot this month with family priorities (and Jen is home, her IV lines are gone, she's gained weight and she is doing great... Thanks for all the support, thoughts and prayers!).
I guess what I'm saying is hold on tight. 4 weeks since launch and gaining speed. I get excited to think what the place will be like in two years! There are so many cool things we are planning on doing with the new forum, from monthly give-aways and on-line contests to bringing real detailed tech and instructions from both the FFR guys and builders in the field. The FFR guys have made a concerted effort to respond quickly and accurately to tech questions, and customers have added to this effort, making builds go faster and building fellowship in the community.
We also have a chance as the forum grows, to bring in large company support in the right way, so that the sponsorship benefits can REDUCE ad rates and provide goodies to customers and members of the FFR community. I have yet to make a single call to any advertisers, and frankly, the vendors who are on now have been very patient as we didn't even have a vendor page done until just last week. Four weeks ago the moderators all said, "drop the hammer" and work on it as we go! That wa sgreat advice as I would still be cobbling away at the structure, forgetting that no plan survives contact.
In the end the new factoryfiveforum will be great as long as EVERY single decision going forward keeps the simple priority above all else... Build community.
One more thing. This IS about business. We make a living by building cars, however, the greatest most precious and unique thing about Factory Five is the community of people who have come together to build these cars and the stories, friendships and good works that result. This forum exists to BUILD that community. If we benefit as a business from that fellowship and from people helping others... THAT is the way to earn a living.
I've got a tour downstairs. Just wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone!