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It's unbelievable how wakemate blew all the goodwill they had. The product they promised at just $50 was so compelling that I couldn't NOT preorder it. But a mo

It's unbelievable how wakemate blew all the goodwill they had. The product they promised at just $50 was so compelling that I couldn't NOT preorder it. But a month ago I gave up on them and ordered the zeo (for $200 more). This should be a lesson to other YC companies on how not to launch your product.

covercash 16y ago
Care to write a review of the Zeo? I'm thinking about getting one if I still don't have a WakeMate by my birthday (in June).
- johnswamps 16y ago
  There's probably a lot of them on-line, but I can give you my experience with it. I'm in class right now but I'll edit this post later (30-60 mins) with a review. Edit: I agree with everything jrockway said. I've seen improvements in my sleep, but it's not a miracle device: you get what you put into it. My problem was that I was sleeping a lot (10-11 hours wasn't unusual) and still felt tired in the morning and often went back to sleep. Since using the zeo, I've been able to reduce the amount of sleep I get to a more reasonable level (7-8 hours) and I feel pretty good in the morning. I've also been waking up earlier in the morning, giving me more time to do things I want to do before going to sleep. Sometimes I was too optimistic and set the alarm too early, though, and went back to sleep anyway. That rarely happens now, however. That said, I can't way whether my improvements in sleeping are due to the zeo or just a placebo effect. Having hard quantitative data lets you analyze how your habits affect your sleep. For example, it's completely obvious to me now how drinking alcohol before sleeping negatively affects your sleep. The quality of my sleep went down and I'd wake up several times during the night. I'm hoping I can figure out more things like this like jrockway talked about (it's not perfect since you can't do something like a double-blind study, but you can try to emulate the scientific method). The headband is fine. The alarm clock has a similar interface to any other alarm clock. The alarm sounds are really pleasant to wake up to (no beeping). I would recommend this to more people if it weren't $200, though to me it's a bargain for sleeping better.
- jrockway 16y ago
  I have a Zeo. The headband is comfortable to wear, and the data it collects is pretty interesting. (The question I wanted the Zeo to answer was, "is it useful to go back to bed for an hour after getting up to write an email and check on work". The answer is yes; I get right back into the REM sleep I was in when I got up. It's like I never woke up at all. I have also learned that I sleep better on my back than on my side. When I sleep on my side, I usually wake up after a few minutes of deep sleep. On my back, the deep sleep lasts for an hour a night or so.) It's not all good, though. Their web interface is a PITA to use (the textfields are their custom javascript code instead of textfields, and this completely breaks conkeror), and the data the device collects is encrypted so that you can't access it without their website. The Zeo is worth $200, but it's not a perfect product. I would have liked a VFD instead of a LCD for that kind of money, for example. And hiding my own data from me is pretty evil. If someone made a competing device, I would buy it instead of the Zeo. Probably.
rradu 16y ago
I agree. If they had trouble getting their product made then they should have blogged about their experience and been a lot more open about their troubles. This would have won them a lot of sympathy and trust.
wakematepro 16y ago
As we have said several times, we underestimated demand for our product. PG has always said to build something people want. We did that, albeit a tad too well. Rest assured, this is not a conspiracy organized by the caffeinated beverage industry to keep these units out of your hands! Several units have already shipped and have received overwhelmingly positive responses. While the vast majority of backorder customers understand our difficulties, it's clear that a subset have grown increasingly frustrated, and understandably so. We think this reflects on the great enthusiasm for our product. However, these concerns must be addressed, and we intend to address them. To alleviate the frustrations of our most eager customers, we are offering to expedite orders for those who upgrade to our Pro Package offering. For a minor fee, you will be bumped to the front of the queue and enjoy also all the benefits provided for by the Pro Package. We feel this is the best solution for all. Details will be forthcoming on our website.

covercash 16y ago

Care to write a review of the Zeo? I'm thinking about getting one if I still don't have a WakeMate by my birthday (in June).

johnswamps 16y ago
There's probably a lot of them on-line, but I can give you my experience with it. I'm in class right now but I'll edit this post later (30-60 mins) with a review. Edit: I agree with everything jrockway said. I've seen improvements in my sleep, but it's not a miracle device: you get what you put into it. My problem was that I was sleeping a lot (10-11 hours wasn't unusual) and still felt tired in the morning and often went back to sleep. Since using the zeo, I've been able to reduce the amount of sleep I get to a more reasonable level (7-8 hours) and I feel pretty good in the morning. I've also been waking up earlier in the morning, giving me more time to do things I want to do before going to sleep. Sometimes I was too optimistic and set the alarm too early, though, and went back to sleep anyway. That rarely happens now, however. That said, I can't way whether my improvements in sleeping are due to the zeo or just a placebo effect. Having hard quantitative data lets you analyze how your habits affect your sleep. For example, it's completely obvious to me now how drinking alcohol before sleeping negatively affects your sleep. The quality of my sleep went down and I'd wake up several times during the night. I'm hoping I can figure out more things like this like jrockway talked about (it's not perfect since you can't do something like a double-blind study, but you can try to emulate the scientific method). The headband is fine. The alarm clock has a similar interface to any other alarm clock. The alarm sounds are really pleasant to wake up to (no beeping). I would recommend this to more people if it weren't $200, though to me it's a bargain for sleeping better.
jrockway 16y ago
I have a Zeo. The headband is comfortable to wear, and the data it collects is pretty interesting. (The question I wanted the Zeo to answer was, "is it useful to go back to bed for an hour after getting up to write an email and check on work". The answer is yes; I get right back into the REM sleep I was in when I got up. It's like I never woke up at all. I have also learned that I sleep better on my back than on my side. When I sleep on my side, I usually wake up after a few minutes of deep sleep. On my back, the deep sleep lasts for an hour a night or so.) It's not all good, though. Their web interface is a PITA to use (the textfields are their custom javascript code instead of textfields, and this completely breaks conkeror), and the data the device collects is encrypted so that you can't access it without their website. The Zeo is worth $200, but it's not a perfect product. I would have liked a VFD instead of a LCD for that kind of money, for example. And hiding my own data from me is pretty evil. If someone made a competing device, I would buy it instead of the Zeo. Probably.

rradu 16y ago

I agree. If they had trouble getting their product made then they should have blogged about their experience and been a lot more open about their troubles. This would have won them a lot of sympathy and trust.

wakematepro 16y ago

As we have said several times, we underestimated demand for our product. PG has always said to build something people want. We did that, albeit a tad too well. Rest assured, this is not a conspiracy organized by the caffeinated beverage industry to keep these units out of your hands! Several units have already shipped and have received overwhelmingly positive responses. While the vast majority of backorder customers understand our difficulties, it's clear that a subset have grown increasingly frustrated, and understandably so. We think this reflects on the great enthusiasm for our product. However, these concerns must be addressed, and we intend to address them. To alleviate the frustrations of our most eager customers, we are offering to expedite orders for those who upgrade to our Pro Package offering. For a minor fee, you will be bumped to the front of the queue and enjoy also all the benefits provided for by the Pro Package. We feel this is the best solution for all. Details will be forthcoming on our website.