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I'm just learning that they're renting a billboard along 101 in San Francisco: http://www.businessinsider.com/pebble-buys-san-francisco-billboard-2012-5#comment

I'm just learning that they're renting a billboard along 101 in San Francisco: http://www.businessinsider.com/pebble-buys-san-francisco-billboard-2012-5#comments http://www.businessinsider.com/pebble-buys-san-francisco-bil... According to some comments on Business Insider, such a billboard is… well, pricey, and they would get the KickStarter money only after May 18th. (I haven't confirmed that part) Could one speculate from there that they have been raising money from yet-to-be-announced traditional investors? Considering their new position (i.e. demonstrated demand), it wouldn't be that surprising.

OzzyB 14y ago
Sure, I can speculate: They could very well be Factoring[1]. Since the Kickstarter payout is pretty much guaranteed at such-and-such date, they could quite easily "unlock" (factor) some of their future Accounts Receivable for a small percentage discount. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factoring_(finance) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factoring_(finance)
- joejohnson 14y ago
  One thing I hate about finance is how every little trick is named by borrowing the name from an existing concept in mathematics which only barely relates to the financial trickery.
  - ojbyrne 14y ago
    That Wikipedia page says the practice originated before 1400, so it could be that mathematics stole the word from finance.
    - razzaj 14y ago
      Are you saying Mathematicians did not know how to factor before 1400? hmmm ;)
      - ojbyrne 14y ago
        No, but I bet they used a different word.
  - gaius 14y ago
    A factor, from the Latin "he who does" (from Latin facit, to do, parallel to agent, from Latin agens), is a person who professionally acts as the representative of another individual -- also from Wikipaedia. Looks like it was (English-speaking) mathematicians that borrowed the term.
yurisagalov 14y ago
Pebble is not their first watch. They've already sold a first generation of watches (http://www.getinpulse.com/ http://www.getinpulse.com/) and I would speculate they are likely using the proceeds from these sales.
drusenko 14y ago
That comment is inaccurate. A billboard on 101 costs something like $10k-20k/month. If it was remnant inventory, it could be even less than $10k for that month.
tlrobinson 14y ago
Not to mention the million dollar check they wrote for components... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android/posts/221074 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper...

OzzyB 14y ago

Sure, I can speculate: They could very well be Factoring[1]. Since the Kickstarter payout is pretty much guaranteed at such-and-such date, they could quite easily "unlock" (factor) some of their future Accounts Receivable for a small percentage discount. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factoring_(finance) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factoring_(finance)

joejohnson 14y ago
One thing I hate about finance is how every little trick is named by borrowing the name from an existing concept in mathematics which only barely relates to the financial trickery.
- ojbyrne 14y ago
  That Wikipedia page says the practice originated before 1400, so it could be that mathematics stole the word from finance.
  - razzaj 14y ago
    Are you saying Mathematicians did not know how to factor before 1400? hmmm ;)
    - ojbyrne 14y ago
      No, but I bet they used a different word.
- gaius 14y ago
  A factor, from the Latin "he who does" (from Latin facit, to do, parallel to agent, from Latin agens), is a person who professionally acts as the representative of another individual -- also from Wikipaedia. Looks like it was (English-speaking) mathematicians that borrowed the term.

yurisagalov 14y ago

Pebble is not their first watch. They've already sold a first generation of watches (http://www.getinpulse.com/ http://www.getinpulse.com/) and I would speculate they are likely using the proceeds from these sales.

drusenko 14y ago

That comment is inaccurate. A billboard on 101 costs something like $10k-20k/month. If it was remnant inventory, it could be even less than $10k for that month.

tlrobinson 14y ago

Not to mention the million dollar check they wrote for components... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android/posts/221074 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper...