Chocolate Invader

6 points by kizel 14 years ago | 11 comments

I decided to launch a physical product (chocolate invader) and use “the things” I learned building web apps to make it happen. It’s been challenging to work with atoms instead of bits, but still a gratifying process (and I am just at the beginning). I launched yesterday and would love to get feedback from the hacker news community. I’m approaching this as I would any start-up, so please do share your thoughts.

A little bit about the project:

It started out as an experiment in fabrication at a FabLab. I wanted to learn CAD, CNC machine a few of my own molds, create a negative mold out of silicone resin and have Bryan (my partner and brilliant chocolatier) mold some chocolates. We successfully made a few molds and chocolate bars. They were bad ass, but it was just for fun. Then my obsession with invaders made it’s way into 3D. I thought pixels relate (beautifully) to squares of chocolate. People loved the idea and the experiment began. Fast forward a year, we decided to make it a product.

www.chocolateinvader.com

What do you think?

nicwest 14 years ago |

love the idea!

quick question: isn't this a packaging nightmare?

And along those lines: how cost efficient is your packaging compared with a main stream chocolate bar of the same weight/volume?

edit: assuming that the limited edition box isn't the long term plan.

kizel 14 years ago | |

Thanks! Glad you like it.

For the time being, we are doing a run with the special edition box. The future of the packaging is still to be determined, but we will be trying a few different directions.

But for now, we are really excited to have a box that people can keep & use after the chocolate is eaten.

JoeAltmaier 14 years ago |

Like to make my own mold, online. So many things suggest themselves!

kizel 14 years ago | |

Absolutely! That would be great, and a step we could take the site in the future.

What sort of things would you like to make? Personally, the next logical step is a chocolate pacman :)

JoeAltmaier 14 years ago | | |

Oh, chocolate chessmen for a friend of mine. Chocolate monopoly pieces. Chocolate tetris.

SaintSal 14 years ago |

Awesome! Is this something you could sell on Etsy or Kickstarter?

kizel 14 years ago | |

Thanks!

It might be. I am trying to focus on my own distribution channel at the moment. I was thinking if people like this, and I need to scale, then I will turn to kickstarter!

joshu 14 years ago |

Pictures please.

kizel 14 years ago | |

Do you think there aren't enough pictures on the site?

Did you see the process section?

joshu 14 years ago | | |

Either I missed the link or it wasn't there when I said this :)