Created by monkii.co - the makers of pocket monkii
The World's Most Portable Fitness Device — for Travelers, Busy People, and Gym Haters.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
over 7 years ago
– Tue, Aug 21, 2018 at 10:39:24 PM
Hey monkiis,
As many of you already know, we’ve been knocked off! What started as a blatant copy of our content (literally pictures of monkii Dan and pocket monkii with the logo removed), has now turned into their own brand and imitation of our product - a cheaply made and low quality one at best.
In late July, a Kickstarter backer alerted us to what was happening. Since then, dozens of you have helped us by reporting the copyright infringement and reporting their ads on Facebook and Instagram.
The knockoff’s website has been taken down several times, but it keeps popping up under different names. Facebook has ignored our requests to take down our copyrighted material in their ads – some of which have millions of views.
Our stolen images used to advertise a knock-off on Instagram.
So what now? Well, let’s take a moment to have a good laugh:
1. They keep switching the product name, and it just keeps getting worse and worse… From “Fitness Pocket”, it has now morphed into “Body Pocket” – We don’t know about you, but that just doesn’t sound right to us.
2. For some reason, they think that their product looks better upside down.
Upside down on their web page!
3. They used our old design that doesn’t work very well.
Wait, what? An old design that doesn’t work very well? But that’s the design I see on your Kickstarter page and in the video.
Here’s the thing – we always take beta-monkiis’ feedback into account and improve the design up until the last possible moment.
The problem with the old design was that it was annoyingly difficult to close the case, and if you could actually manage to close it, it looked completely “wonky." Through beta-monkii feedback, we realized that we were stuck in our old ways – trying to apply the existing kit design for MB2 to pocket monkii – when the best path forward was to take a fresh look at our new product and design a case built from scratch specifically for it.
That’s exactly what we did – we’re proud to say it’s a much better design and we know you’ll love it. Don’t worry – it still has the same look, feel, and form-factor. We even stepped up the quality a notch. Oh, if you added the Outdoor Anchor Accessory, you'll be pleased to know it features a sleek way to carry that in the case too.
Our plan was to reveal the design updates to you backers via a Kickstarter Update (much like we did in our MB2 campaign), but in order to protect our design until we can get to market, we’ve decided to hold off on that.
But don’t worry – you don’t have long to wait. We’re in production now and we will be sending out official backer surveys in early September.
Thanks for being true monkiis and having our backs.
-monkii Dan, David and Kim
PS: If you do see knockoff ads, please report them to Facebook and/or Instagram.
PPS: We aren’t completely surprised this happened, and we’re not the first Kickstarter campaign its happened to. Here are some articles giving more context to the problem:
PPPS: The only place to currently pre-order legit pocket monkiis is on Indiegogo.
Chapter 1: Journey Into the Known
over 7 years ago
– Tue, Aug 07, 2018 at 11:44:59 PM
Greetings monkiis and monkii Initiates,
For those who have already entered into the wild ranks of monkiis, we trust that you are preparing mind and body for our best monkii devices and training programs yet.
For those who are new, we are excited to introduce you to the world of monkii - your journey will start with the stark realization that monkii Dan may seem nice, but he’s anything but when it comes to training. But don’t worry, for those who are completely new we’ve created the 21-Day Habit. After that, the 2-Week Commitment will complete your initial training. Then, you’ll begin the 35-Day Challenge.
This is over 2 month’s worth of training programs made specifically to help you transition into a monkii with suffering kept to a minimum. From there, you’ll get to choose your own adventure according to your skill level and thirst for wildness.
mD is filming all of the training programs for the monkii App this week! This is from yesterday's Tactical Training Program.
As monkii Dan is busy filming all training content this week, multi-generational craftsmen in Wisconsin are making our aluminum grips. They’ve shared a small glimpse into their world:
Step 1: Semi-Truck arrives with the raw aluminum straight from the forge (they literally turn minerals into metals). Since our order quantity was so large, our only choice was to go straight to the source - no supplier had enough in stock! Unload it with a forklift.
Step 2: Begin the Sawing Operation
Step 3: Deburring
Step 4: Ready for the Powder Coater
In short, all is going according to plan. We’ll update you as the parts move through their processes to become pocket monkiis - all the way to shipment planned for this November.
We plan to send out the Backer Survey via BackerKit around the first week of September - this is when you’ll have the chance to choose your color/style and add-ons, along with giving us your current mailing address so we know where to ship your rewards.
Be Wild,
monkii Dan, David and Kim
(Optional Read) Post-Campaign Debrief:
WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Hitting that million dollar mark at the buzzer sure was fun. It also means that fun is in store - monkii Camp is on! Thank you for supporting us - we’re a small, bootstrapped team that only exists because of the Kickstarter platform and you backers.
One of the reasons we were able to suprass the $1 million mark is because of a company called Jellop. They are not only very smart and cool people, but they are considered the best at driving traffic and conversions to Kickstarter campaigns. It’s been a pleasure to work with them on our past two campaigns and we’re thankful that there are tools that can help Kickstarter projects grow to their full potential. Even if you’re not going to launch a Kickstarter project, you can also leverage Jellop as a Backer by signing up for their First Backer Newsletter. Here’s what they have to say:
Don't Miss New Projects
Our project was featured on First Backer Newsletter and we’d like to invite you to join its growing community of Kickstarter backers - You'll receive fresh Kickstarter amazing early bird offers and awesome freebies delivered right to your inbox. Click here to subscribe.
Another reason that we were successful is that Peak Design shared our campaign via their social channels. For those who don’t know, they are one of the most successful serial Kickstarter creators ever. We’ve used their bags in our last two Kickstarter videos because we like to pay homage to other Kickstarter projects. They were nice enough to share us, so we’re returning the favor here:
The final push (over a million?) to stretch goals.
almost 8 years ago
– Tue, Jun 26, 2018 at 10:54:07 PM
Hey monkiis,
We only have hours to go for this campaign, but our real work will continue until delivery in November. We will update you on our progress even after the campaign clock runs out so this isn't really the end.
We want to reveal the million dollar stretch goal along with the plan on how to unlock it! For the remainder of this campaign (~56 hours) you can add-on either an MB2 Ultralight Kit or MB2 Adventure Kit for the original Early Bird Kickstarter pricing. This is a great opportunity to cover all of your training needs: pocket monkii for travel, MB2 Adventure Kit for home, and Ultralight Kit for outside (You don't need an add-on because pocket monkii will work well anywhere - but for ultimate versatility having all three would be ideal.)
You can learn the details about these options on our website by clicking here.
Instructions to add-on: Just add the additional dollar amount on to your current pledge without changing your reward selection. You will be able to choose your color during the backer survey. Example: You are currently backing for the $99 pocket monkii reward level and want to add an Adventure Kit. Add $149 to your current pledge ($99) for a total pledge of $248. Your reward selection will still be for $99 pocket monkii, but you'll have a credit to add the Adventure Kit in the backer survey.
This exclusive deal should help push us over $1 million so we can unlock the next stretch goal:
monkii CAMP 2019 will be the first-ever gathering of all monkiis in the wild. You can expect a variety of wild challenges, competitions, and adventures - think of it as a mini monkiiVenture. It will be held in a secret location next summer. The monkii Elders will share more details after unlocking the stretch goal. We promise you won't be disappointed.
Thanks for making this campaign such a huge success, we can't wait to get pocket monkii into your hands.
Be Wild,
monkii Dan, David, and Kim
Made by Craftsmen using the Best Materials right here in the USA
almost 8 years ago
– Wed, Jun 20, 2018 at 01:36:49 AM
Hey monkiis,
This campaign we took a different approach compared to our previous two campaigns - as soon as we hit our funding goal we started placing orders with our suppliers (as opposed to waiting until after the campaign was finished). The downside to this was that we had to rely on non-official surveys of around 1,000 backers to project the order quantities (colors and styles) for around 6-8,000 backers. We made initial orders with enough buffer to account for variances, and feel confident that the sample size was large enough to accurately project real backer survey results for all backers.
A benefit of this strategy was that it allows us to make real-time updates to the campaign as our suppliers update us on their progress. Our kit material supplier informed us that they ran out of Charcoal Grey fabric and it would take 8-12 weeks to get it back in stock. We don’t want to wait that long.
The good news is that they ran out after already providing us enough material to make 4,680 kits in that style. So here’s the gameplan - everyone who backed prior to last Friday will still have the option for Charcoal Grey. As of Friday, we removed the Charcoal Grey images and references from the Kickstarter page and created new reward categories that don’t have the option for 2 styles. That means backers who back between last Friday and the end of the campaign will get the Heather Grey style. We thought this was a win-win as it didn’t impact those who already backed, and those who back in the future won’t even be aware that Charcoal Grey was ever an option - all while ensuring that we aren’t delayed in the manufacturing process. For those who have backed over the weekend, don’t worry - the Heather Grey style is our flagship style and it’s what is shown all over the video and page! You’ll love it.
Our first stretch goal unlocked "Made in the USA" for Kickstarter backers - this means that we'll both manufacture some of the key components and do all of the assembly of the final product here in America. We wanted to provide more details on our manufacturers:
The aluminum grips are machined in Wisconsin, USA by a family-owned machine shop that we’ve been working with since our beginnings.
The kit is made in Colorado, USA which is also where the sewing, assembly, quality control, and packaging happens.
Our webbing is sourced from the premiere manufacturer of webbing based in France. We have used them in the past, and their quality is unmatched. We pay a premium for it, but it’s so worth it.
Our custom cam buckles are produced in Asia - we couldn’t find any US manufacturers who could make what we wanted. We can promise top quality as we have been using this manufacturer for our cam buckles used with monkii bars 2.
Our focus continues to be on working with manufacturers to ensure that pocket monkii production is moving forward smoothly.
We’re excited for these last 9 days of this Kickstarter campaign, and will be in touch with more very soon.
Be Wild,
monkii Dan, David and Kim
PS. MonkiiVENTURE spots still available to experience things like this:
Curated Kickstarter Campaigns
Finally, we have some curated Kickstarter campaigns we'd like to share with you (they're also going to share our campaign - remember, the bigger our campaign, the more stretch goals we'll be able to announce).
With an INDESTRUCTIBLE KEVLAR CORE, a 32 Step Continuous Adjustment System for PERFECT COMFORT and ITALIAN LEATHER the SMART BELT 2.0 is the most comfortable belt you will ever own and the last belt you will ever need. Early Birds still ON. See the Project HERE
Atom features 2.45 inch TFT LCD display, it also comes with IP 68 certification for Waterproof, dustproof and shockproof. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and powered by Octa-core CPU, combined with fingerprint scanner, NFC supported and Dual Active 4G SIM cards, perfect for your outdoor adventures, long biz trip and daily use. Click HERE to get the discount NOW!
EQUA Smart Water Bottle is a healthy lifestyle reminder and hydration habit builder with motion sensor tech that knows when it's time for your next sip of water.
Check out the ultimate hydration coach by EQUA and be ready to take your water intake - and overall wellbeing - to the next level.
No matter if you are a pro or an amateur, MUWI makes professional videography available for anyone, anywhere and at any time.
Shooting cinematic footage is no longer about image quality, but motion. Want to show everyone your epic monkii moves? With Muwi, you can create awesome and unique videos for your blog or even just to up your Instagram game! It is just starting from $39 so do yourself a favor and grab a MUWI now!
Join me on a MONKIIVENTURE - Start Living Wild
almost 8 years ago
– Thu, Jun 07, 2018 at 07:07:45 PM
The crucial elements of travel are: get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, eat like a local, and overcome challenges with a good sense of humour. I can promise you that on our two available trips we will do just that (and more).
I wanted to write a quick update to personally invite you to join me, monkii Dan, on one of our two monkiiVenture trips planned for early 2019. These trips will be amazing experiences - yes they will be challenging, yes you will be scared, and yes you will do things you never thought possible. But you won't be doing it alone - I'll be there along every step of the way, and so will 9 other adventure-minded monkiis from around the world.
Last summer, I led a group of 10 monkiis on the very first monkiiVenture to Lofoten, Norway. Our group was about as diverse as you can imagine, with all degrees of experience, fitness, and risk tolerance. That being said, we banded together and had the experience of a lifetime. Here's what the group had to say:
Here's a badass video we put together giving you a glimpse into what the trip was like:
I want more details...how much...when...how do I join?
For all the details about our upcoming trips, scroll to the bottom of our Kickstarter campaign page. If you are serious about going, and have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out directly to me at [email protected]
Travel Wild,
monkii Dan
Curated Kickstarter Campaigns
Finally, we have some curated Kickstarter campaigns we'd like to share with you (they're also going to share our campaign - remember, the bigger our campaign, the more stretch goals we'll be able to announce).
Amazingly small yet powerful, Max Pump 2 is a super portable air pump that can quickly inflate/deflate air mattresses, pool floats, rubber rafts, air beds, and any kind of inflatable. Check it out HERE.
Our friends over at LIV Watches are back with four new incredible designs, including a Diver's, Pilot's and Alarm watch. Their project was fully funded in 10 minutes and at $400,000 in 24 hours. You don't want to miss out on these Limited Edition pieces. Check them out here.
Alright we just found this super rad project on Kickstarter. This is simply the most functional toiletry bag in the world! This bag carries tons of toiletries while staying organized & compact. There's even a removable pouch that fits liquids for quick airport security scans + preventing shampoo explosions. Check it out HERE.
