The vertical slice

In DevOps, a vertical slice involves taking the smallest workable version of an idea and seeing it all the way through to production. In my case, I wanted to test how long it would take to model, produce, and sell an item for a small profit, then iterate on the process.

The Bright Spark Idea

I've been grappling with a tangle of charging cables next to my bed, and to make matters worse, my cat insists on sleeping on my face most nights. Without any market research, I decided to take matters into my own hands and create the ultimate bedside table—a cat house with an integrated charging station.

To kick things off, I spent about three hours modeling my vision using FreeCAD, a free and open-source CAD software. It was three hours filled with fiddling, adjusting, and a fair amount of cussing as I worked to bring my idea to life.

Next, I used FreeCAD's toolpath workbench to create the GRBL G-code file that my CNC machine would use. A quick trip to a local supplier secured a sheet of 15mm birch plywood, pre-cut to sizes that would conveniently fit into my CNC machine.

I spent about three hours cutting out each piece, realizing a few small mistakes along the way and updating my 3D model as I went. After cutting, I dedicated around two hours to finishing and assembling the table. During this process, I discovered that I had forgotten to account for the tolerances on one of the sidewalls, which meant shaving small pieces off until it fit together properly.

The end result? Take a look at the picture below and judge for yourself!

Distribution

This part of the project proved to be a bit trickier as I currently don't have much of an online presence. I decided to invest a little in paid media on Facebook Marketplace. After a week, it looks like I'll have orders for about four of these units, generating a small profit.

So, What Did I Learn?

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will definitely attempt to create more pieces like this around the house. Was it perfect? Not at all. There are at least 10 things I would do differently. However, receiving a few orders will allow me to improve the design and iterate with each new build. The ultimate goal is a final product that can be assembled perfectly without any swearing, glue, or screws. Nonetheless, the project was completed within a short development cycle, which was my initial goal.

Key Takeaways:

• Don't take shortcuts when you're almost finished; you'll regret it later.
• Rectify mistakes as soon as you become aware of them.
• Work from a central document with only one "latest" version to avoid confusion.
• Sales is harder than it looks; you'll get many inquiries but few actual purchases.
• The cat won't use anything you make for it.
• At least my wiring mess is much more organized now.
• Done is better than perfect and you get a sense of accomplishment from having a physical item you can use every day.

In conclusion, this project wasn't just about crafting a bedside table; it was about applying DevOps principles to real-world tasks. Through iterative development, constant learning, and efficient production, I've managed to create a functional and desirable product. Now, on to the next creation!