It kills me I don't have the time and resources to create an application that address the needs of the "middle market". Mid-sized wholesales, processors and producers just don't have access to the solutions they need.
To illustrate, here are some excerpts from messages I've received recently:
We need a robust inventory management system and I don't love any of the existing software providers
we switched from (company one) to (company two) with the rec flip, but so far (company two) is leaving a lot to be desired
I have talked to several of the software companies out there in the industry and I find that they are REALLY expensive and often are relying on the customers to test their beta software at a huge cost
The worst part about getting message like this has nothing to do with not being in a position to capitalize on the opportunity. It's knowing these businesses are in pain, and I don't have the ability to help. I'm hoping that some of the tools I've developed will reduce this pain, but there's so much more that needs to be done.
I'm starting to realize the market has 3 distinct types of players. There are companies small enough that spreadsheets and text files can provide all the tracking needed. There are the big players who can afford $50K - $100K per year ERP systems. But the companies in the middle are the ones who are most in need of help. These are companies that produce enough product each month that spreadsheets alone don't cut the mustard, but thousands of dollars per month cut too deep into their profit margins to be sustainable.
I still can't quit my day job. But clearly, spending my spare time trying to produce tools for a vastly underserved clientele will eventually result in a win-win situation!
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Sometimes, starting over is the best thing to do.
I love that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you've been working on a feature and the code feels smooth and natural. With fewer lines than you expected, without being overly terse, and without resorting to complexity, you just know the code is "right".
But sometimes you struggle. Ideas in your mind don't translating into clean structures. And the more you forge ahead, the less you like what you're producing.
It's never fun to throw out work, especially when it represents weeks worth of effort. However, sometimes you can't refactor your way to quality. At times like this, starting over is the way to go.
But sometimes you struggle. Ideas in your mind don't translating into clean structures. And the more you forge ahead, the less you like what you're producing.
It's never fun to throw out work, especially when it represents weeks worth of effort. However, sometimes you can't refactor your way to quality. At times like this, starting over is the way to go.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Customer Driven Development for Cannabis Companies
When I decided to dedicate my spare time to building things for the cannabis industry, I had no idea what to build. I wanted to make something businesses would want to use. I had plenty of ideas, but no clue which of those ideas, if any, had any merit.
Now, I have a better idea of something that's wanted. I'm still far from knowing all the details of what it is I'm building1, but it's becoming clearer. I've been asked to provide several custom solutions, but I'd rather not treat each as a separate side project. I'm sure I could make a good chunk of change doing that2, but I'd rather build something . . . well . . . bigger. I'm shooting for a simple to use, robust and fast application that's able to address specific scenarios in a flexible way. How hard can that be ;)
The only way to do this is with customer input. So far, I've been able to provide demos, but that's it. Soon, I should be able to get a few early adopters up and running. It's bound to still be extremely rough, a bit buggy, and not so pretty. But people using it means even more feedback!!! I can't wait!
1 Since software evolves, details are often elusive, but this is especially true at the beginning. Many software projects have failed from people thinking they understood all the details, and later discovering their assumptions were wrong.
2 Lest my employer sees this: I'm not changing for any work I've done so far. However, I do owe a debt of gratitude for donations that will cover initial hosting costs! THANK YOU!!!!
Now, I have a better idea of something that's wanted. I'm still far from knowing all the details of what it is I'm building1, but it's becoming clearer. I've been asked to provide several custom solutions, but I'd rather not treat each as a separate side project. I'm sure I could make a good chunk of change doing that2, but I'd rather build something . . . well . . . bigger. I'm shooting for a simple to use, robust and fast application that's able to address specific scenarios in a flexible way. How hard can that be ;)
The only way to do this is with customer input. So far, I've been able to provide demos, but that's it. Soon, I should be able to get a few early adopters up and running. It's bound to still be extremely rough, a bit buggy, and not so pretty. But people using it means even more feedback!!! I can't wait!
1 Since software evolves, details are often elusive, but this is especially true at the beginning. Many software projects have failed from people thinking they understood all the details, and later discovering their assumptions were wrong.
2 Lest my employer sees this: I'm not changing for any work I've done so far. However, I do owe a debt of gratitude for donations that will cover initial hosting costs! THANK YOU!!!!
Saturday, December 3, 2016
From Problem to Prototype
Growers and retailers in the Cannabis industry have a wide range of software products from which to choose. Wholesalers and processors have much fewer options!
I've had numerous requests for a Quickbooks to Metrc connector. All of these requests have come from wholesalers and/or processors. Many of these same companies expressed an interest in syncing an eCommerce system to Metrc. Some shared concerns and struggles in terms of inventory tracking. Concepts from enterprise resource planning came up in conversations as well. The bottom line is, wholesalers and processors are experiencing pain that software can likely solve. Why shouldn't I be the one to solve it?
The big question is . . . HOW should it be solved? I've explored a wide variety of approaches. Hidden agent processes running on a back room server could continually probe existing systems and ensure the various data sources stay in sync. A POS approach works for retailers, and how cool would it be to build manufacturing control and monitoring systems with Raspberry Pi's?!?!
In the end, I can't see any reason why a good ol' web app isn't the right way to go.3 Obviously it will need to provide a better experience than using the various other systems individually. So, though I'm more of a back end engineer than a user experience artist, I'm working on a front end prototype to demonstrate how a wholesaling and processing solution might work. I'll look for feedback to determine where to go from there.
If you're interested in getting a look at what I'm working on, let me know you'd like to review the prototype. I'd also love to hear any suggestions or ideas you have on what should be included in a software offering for marijuana wholesalers or processors!
1. I guess this is a good learning opportunity?!?
2. There are many other challenges for wholesalers and processors when it comes to ecommerce. Access must be restricted to other licensees (and possibly only to retailers, especially in competitive markets). You can't just leverage the postal service's api to calculate delivery charges. And though banking options are becoming more available, capturing credit card payments can still be problematic.
3. At least to get started. Even though I'm starting out with a web solution, I'd still love to put together hardware for processing stations. I initially though growing was the only place where Pi's would be useful (http://icodeforfun.com/cannabis), but since processing is essentially manufacturing, there's a lot of potential there too. Give me a Pi, a label printer and a handheld barcode scanner, and I'll show you a packaging station any operator would be happy to oversee.
I've had numerous requests for a Quickbooks to Metrc connector. All of these requests have come from wholesalers and/or processors. Many of these same companies expressed an interest in syncing an eCommerce system to Metrc. Some shared concerns and struggles in terms of inventory tracking. Concepts from enterprise resource planning came up in conversations as well. The bottom line is, wholesalers and processors are experiencing pain that software can likely solve. Why shouldn't I be the one to solve it?
The big question is . . . HOW should it be solved? I've explored a wide variety of approaches. Hidden agent processes running on a back room server could continually probe existing systems and ensure the various data sources stay in sync. A POS approach works for retailers, and how cool would it be to build manufacturing control and monitoring systems with Raspberry Pi's?!?!
In the end, I can't see any reason why a good ol' web app isn't the right way to go.3 Obviously it will need to provide a better experience than using the various other systems individually. So, though I'm more of a back end engineer than a user experience artist, I'm working on a front end prototype to demonstrate how a wholesaling and processing solution might work. I'll look for feedback to determine where to go from there.
If you're interested in getting a look at what I'm working on, let me know you'd like to review the prototype. I'd also love to hear any suggestions or ideas you have on what should be included in a software offering for marijuana wholesalers or processors!
1. I guess this is a good learning opportunity?!?
2. There are many other challenges for wholesalers and processors when it comes to ecommerce. Access must be restricted to other licensees (and possibly only to retailers, especially in competitive markets). You can't just leverage the postal service's api to calculate delivery charges. And though banking options are becoming more available, capturing credit card payments can still be problematic.
3. At least to get started. Even though I'm starting out with a web solution, I'd still love to put together hardware for processing stations. I initially though growing was the only place where Pi's would be useful (http://icodeforfun.com/cannabis), but since processing is essentially manufacturing, there's a lot of potential there too. Give me a Pi, a label printer and a handheld barcode scanner, and I'll show you a packaging station any operator would be happy to oversee.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Solving my own pain first
When I started this adventure, I hoped to find problems faced by Marijuana and Hemp businesses. Any pain point represents an opportunity. However, since getting listed as a verified Metrc API integrator, the primary problem I'm hearing about is the amount of work required to perform all the data input requirements. I didn't find this problem . . . it's finding me! So this is likely something I'm going to spend some time addressing.
During my evaluation, I found myself wishing I had a way to "bootstrap a scenario". For example, repackaging exercises require a starting package. I admit to pillaging packages made by other sandbox users, but remember how cool it would be to have a tool that could create a plant or package at any stage in it's lifecycle. Need a plant ready for harvest? Need multiple plants ready for packaging? Need a package ready to be repackaged? Yes, yes and yes please!
For many of these steps, you'll need to provide tags. While in production, you'll know which tags have not been used (or else you've got really big problems), but in a sandbox or test environment, finding unused tags is kind of like throwing darts in the dark. So step one is to make a tag checker. Nothing pretty, but an easy to use "give me a tag and I'll tell you if it's used" kind of thing.
Next, I'll come up with some common scenarios that might be useful. Creating packages with flower fresh from harvest seems a good start. You'd pass in a plant tag, a package tag and perhaps the amount of product you want. It will create entries starting at planting, through flowering, to harvest and finally into a package. Items, rooms and any other needed data will be picked randomly from existing data. Did I mention this is meant for a sandbox or test environment only?!?
So, this isn't really going to solve any of the problems Cannabis companies are facing. But, it will sure make my life easier. By being able to set up scenarios in a repeatable and reliable way, it will save me time, allow me to concentrate on coming up with solutions for real problems.
During my evaluation, I found myself wishing I had a way to "bootstrap a scenario". For example, repackaging exercises require a starting package. I admit to pillaging packages made by other sandbox users, but remember how cool it would be to have a tool that could create a plant or package at any stage in it's lifecycle. Need a plant ready for harvest? Need multiple plants ready for packaging? Need a package ready to be repackaged? Yes, yes and yes please!
For many of these steps, you'll need to provide tags. While in production, you'll know which tags have not been used (or else you've got really big problems), but in a sandbox or test environment, finding unused tags is kind of like throwing darts in the dark. So step one is to make a tag checker. Nothing pretty, but an easy to use "give me a tag and I'll tell you if it's used" kind of thing.
Next, I'll come up with some common scenarios that might be useful. Creating packages with flower fresh from harvest seems a good start. You'd pass in a plant tag, a package tag and perhaps the amount of product you want. It will create entries starting at planting, through flowering, to harvest and finally into a package. Items, rooms and any other needed data will be picked randomly from existing data. Did I mention this is meant for a sandbox or test environment only?!?
So, this isn't really going to solve any of the problems Cannabis companies are facing. But, it will sure make my life easier. By being able to set up scenarios in a repeatable and reliable way, it will save me time, allow me to concentrate on coming up with solutions for real problems.
Friday, November 11, 2016
The trouble with wholesalers
I've had conversations with several soon-to-be wholesalers lately. They are either still building out their infrastructure, or reworking a previous business to accommodate Cannabis products. All of them plan on being more than simple conduits between growers and processors or retailers, though their visions and approaches all differ.
From a software perspective, it's pretty clear wholesalers are underserved. There are lots of programs for growers and retailers, but few options for wholesalers. Even Metrc's API is missing endpoints for transfer functionality, the main feature needed by these businesses.
Though I've yet to really explore it, I'm sure there is existing software to help manage wholesaling operations. I would even bet there are service providers who can modify the software for Marijuana's unique requirements. However, I would not assume these are user friendly, modern or affordable solutions.
Wholesaling is a natural and necessary service in the Cannabis industry. Once interstate commerce becomes a reality, these companies will become even more vital. I look forward to watching how wholesalers leverage technology within their businesses, and to see whether offerings targeting this niche market start to appear.
From a software perspective, it's pretty clear wholesalers are underserved. There are lots of programs for growers and retailers, but few options for wholesalers. Even Metrc's API is missing endpoints for transfer functionality, the main feature needed by these businesses.
Though I've yet to really explore it, I'm sure there is existing software to help manage wholesaling operations. I would even bet there are service providers who can modify the software for Marijuana's unique requirements. However, I would not assume these are user friendly, modern or affordable solutions.
Wholesaling is a natural and necessary service in the Cannabis industry. Once interstate commerce becomes a reality, these companies will become even more vital. I look forward to watching how wholesalers leverage technology within their businesses, and to see whether offerings targeting this niche market start to appear.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Women Grow Rocks!
Wow! Just Wow!
I learned about Women Grow during an initial meeting with a grower. I was assured, despite the name, men were welcome. So, I attended my first networking event, and I'm so glad I did!
The variety of people I met was very interesting. Some were just investigating the industry, trying to find a suitable role. Others had years of experience (despite a "13 year forced sabbatical" in one case). Conversations ranged from small talk to hard core business. The cost of Oregon's new testing requirements and limited growing space discussions reaffirmed and expanded my understanding of some of the challenges faced by producers and processors.
The event included a panel who discussed medical uses of cannabis. Dr. Rachel Knox introduced me to the endocannabinoid system and made me realize how little the medical community as a whole understands how to use marijuana as medicine, and how real and profound a properly prescribed regiment can benefit patients. "Professor P" dispelled the importance of THC and CBD as indicators of a strains profile, opening my eyes to the variety of cannabinoids and terpenes that give each marijuana strain it's unique characteristics. And of course, the panel discussed the importance of keeping pesticides, poisons and big pharma out of Cannabis.
I'm looking forward to the next Women Grow networking event. If you're in the industry, or want to get involved, I highly recommend attending the next event too! I hope to meet you there.
I learned about Women Grow during an initial meeting with a grower. I was assured, despite the name, men were welcome. So, I attended my first networking event, and I'm so glad I did!
The variety of people I met was very interesting. Some were just investigating the industry, trying to find a suitable role. Others had years of experience (despite a "13 year forced sabbatical" in one case). Conversations ranged from small talk to hard core business. The cost of Oregon's new testing requirements and limited growing space discussions reaffirmed and expanded my understanding of some of the challenges faced by producers and processors.
The event included a panel who discussed medical uses of cannabis. Dr. Rachel Knox introduced me to the endocannabinoid system and made me realize how little the medical community as a whole understands how to use marijuana as medicine, and how real and profound a properly prescribed regiment can benefit patients. "Professor P" dispelled the importance of THC and CBD as indicators of a strains profile, opening my eyes to the variety of cannabinoids and terpenes that give each marijuana strain it's unique characteristics. And of course, the panel discussed the importance of keeping pesticides, poisons and big pharma out of Cannabis.
I'm looking forward to the next Women Grow networking event. If you're in the industry, or want to get involved, I highly recommend attending the next event too! I hope to meet you there.
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