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It was the strangest thing. I was walking by union square a few years ago when I saw him going into his pitch. It really was a site to see. His booming voice dr

by jreposa 18y ago

It was the strangest thing. I was walking by union square a few years ago when I saw him going into his pitch. It really was a site to see. His booming voice drew me and about 20+ other people in, where we stood around watching him peel carrots for at least 5 minutes. Not sure why, but I felt like I had to buy one. It was a dance really. The way he used the peeler was mesmerizing. I still have my peeler.

swombat 18y ago
On the good news side, if your peeler ever breaks, it's also sold in most supermarkets in Europe and Asia - and most of the ones you can buy here aren't made of scrap metal, but of ergonomic, comfortable plastic.
- derefr 18y ago
  For some reason, the "if your peeler ever breaks" sentiment feels attached to the "made of ... plastic" one. It would never occur to me to worry about a "scrap metal" peeler breaking.
- potatolicious 18y ago
  Wait, those are the peelers we're talking about? I thought it was some fancy device that's super-exclusive or something. I'm from Asia and those things are a dime a dozen (sometimes literally) there...
  - swombat 18y ago
    I know. I just went to Taiwan and they were everywhere there too.
    - potatolicious 18y ago
      That being said, the ones in Taiwan are generally cheap, made of plastic, and have blades that will dull quickly. For how cheap they are it's not a big deal, but if you can have a quality peeler made of stainless steel with a good blade, I'd pay for it.
- patio11 18y ago
  Its interesting to me on an intellectual level to compare your way of describing the peeler to his way of describing the peeler. You describe breakage as an intrinsic feature of peelers, much like 1970s Ford might describe defects as an intrinsic feature of cars. He describes his peelers as being remarkable accomplishments of Swiss engineering that do not break, period, and repeatedly contrasts it with the peelers you can buy in most supermarkets in Europe and Asia. I can just about quote it from memory: "This isn't a cheap peeler. If you want a cheap peeler you can buy one at any dollar store. This peeler was made in Switzerland and nothing from Switzerland was ever cheap. You don't buy this peeler because it is cheap and you can replace it when it wears out, you buy it because it will be the last peeler you ever buy." Now it might be the case that you and he are still talking about the same peeler. I think that this demonstrates one little technique which makes him a really good salesman for the peeler. I think that this technique is a useful one to stick in the quiver -- it works with positioning software, too. He is so consummately good at selling that I think we could learn a lot from him, including this one little technique, which is why I consider him noteworthy to HN. On being the Last X You Will Every Buy: I use a variation of the same to position my software. Most software in my vertical is licensed in such a way that it requires repurchase every year. There are a bunch of reasons for this -- suffice it to say that most IP in my vertical is treated that way, software is largely produced by the existing IP makers, and they ported their license terms from their existing businesses without much regard to how software changes the game. I think my customers hate that business model with a burning passion, largely because my customers tell me they hate that business model with a burning passion. I licensed my software perpetually and position it, very explicitly, as The Last X You Will Ever Buy. I think this is one reason why I can get away with charging more than almost any of my competitors, announce a price increase, and have customers send me mail telling me how cheap I am.
  - swombat 18y ago
    I'm from Switzerland. Those peelers are available in all supermarkets here - both the plain metal ones and more advanced ones with moulded plastic handles. Typically the plastic ones are more reliable. I was not suggesting that it will necessarily break, but there are many ways to find yourself needing a new peeler. You could lose it. You could lend it to someone who doesn't give it back. Your girlfriend could borrow it and then break up with you before having given it back (though hopefully it won't be because of the peeler). Or it could just break - the handle won't break, of course, but the blade might eventually get dull, or the joint between the blade and the handle might get loose. I agree that this guy was a good salesman, by the way, and that we can learn from that.

by jreposa 18y ago

swombat 18y ago

On the good news side, if your peeler ever breaks, it's also sold in most supermarkets in Europe and Asia - and most of the ones you can buy here aren't made of scrap metal, but of ergonomic, comfortable plastic.

derefr 18y ago
For some reason, the "if your peeler ever breaks" sentiment feels attached to the "made of ... plastic" one. It would never occur to me to worry about a "scrap metal" peeler breaking.
potatolicious 18y ago
Wait, those are the peelers we're talking about? I thought it was some fancy device that's super-exclusive or something. I'm from Asia and those things are a dime a dozen (sometimes literally) there...
- swombat 18y ago
  I know. I just went to Taiwan and they were everywhere there too.
  - potatolicious 18y ago
    That being said, the ones in Taiwan are generally cheap, made of plastic, and have blades that will dull quickly. For how cheap they are it's not a big deal, but if you can have a quality peeler made of stainless steel with a good blade, I'd pay for it.
patio11 18y ago
Its interesting to me on an intellectual level to compare your way of describing the peeler to his way of describing the peeler. You describe breakage as an intrinsic feature of peelers, much like 1970s Ford might describe defects as an intrinsic feature of cars. He describes his peelers as being remarkable accomplishments of Swiss engineering that do not break, period, and repeatedly contrasts it with the peelers you can buy in most supermarkets in Europe and Asia. I can just about quote it from memory: "This isn't a cheap peeler. If you want a cheap peeler you can buy one at any dollar store. This peeler was made in Switzerland and nothing from Switzerland was ever cheap. You don't buy this peeler because it is cheap and you can replace it when it wears out, you buy it because it will be the last peeler you ever buy." Now it might be the case that you and he are still talking about the same peeler. I think that this demonstrates one little technique which makes him a really good salesman for the peeler. I think that this technique is a useful one to stick in the quiver -- it works with positioning software, too. He is so consummately good at selling that I think we could learn a lot from him, including this one little technique, which is why I consider him noteworthy to HN. On being the Last X You Will Every Buy: I use a variation of the same to position my software. Most software in my vertical is licensed in such a way that it requires repurchase every year. There are a bunch of reasons for this -- suffice it to say that most IP in my vertical is treated that way, software is largely produced by the existing IP makers, and they ported their license terms from their existing businesses without much regard to how software changes the game. I think my customers hate that business model with a burning passion, largely because my customers tell me they hate that business model with a burning passion. I licensed my software perpetually and position it, very explicitly, as The Last X You Will Ever Buy. I think this is one reason why I can get away with charging more than almost any of my competitors, announce a price increase, and have customers send me mail telling me how cheap I am.
- swombat 18y ago
  I'm from Switzerland. Those peelers are available in all supermarkets here - both the plain metal ones and more advanced ones with moulded plastic handles. Typically the plastic ones are more reliable. I was not suggesting that it will necessarily break, but there are many ways to find yourself needing a new peeler. You could lose it. You could lend it to someone who doesn't give it back. Your girlfriend could borrow it and then break up with you before having given it back (though hopefully it won't be because of the peeler). Or it could just break - the handle won't break, of course, but the blade might eventually get dull, or the joint between the blade and the handle might get loose. I agree that this guy was a good salesman, by the way, and that we can learn from that.