On February 24th, we will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the day we delivered a brand new ElliptiGO 8S
to our very first customer. The delivery of that bike was the culmination of almost five years of hard work where a small group of us, backed by a handful of investors, were able to take the ElliptiGO from a crazy idea to a deliverable product.
So many amazing and unexpected things happened throughout the journey from idea to product that it’s hard to believe we were able to pull it off. We definitely rode the roller-coaster ride that is launching a new product. I don’t think we’ll ever recapture the excitement and anticipation of the arrival of that first container a decade ago. Product launches are exciting, but there’s only one first product launch, and that one has proven to be the most exciting of all.
As I look back across ten years of selling ElliptiGOs, so many things stand out in my mind as worthy of mention that to address them all would turn this blog post into a book. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to write a book. But I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize here the three main groups of people that stand out to me when I consider ElliptiGO’s last decade – customers, investors and employees.
When I reflect back on my ElliptiGO experience, most of the great moments that pop into my head involve our customers. As these memories flash through my brain, I can say with glee that our customers really are the best. The community they have built is such a great thing that it really makes me proud to be a part of it. In fact, the ElliptiGO community is the primary reason ElliptiGO has been able to achieve so much in the past 10 years. Not only because our customers are the ones who purchase our products, but because they are fantastic advocates for our brand and this industry. They have always been and will continue to be our best source of awareness.
But the community is so much more than the direct contributions to making our company what it is today. I can think of so many inspirational stories, heroic efforts, memorable moments and beautiful friendships that this community has created over the years. That’s why I’m proud to be a member of it. So many people in this community have inspired me personally, shown themselves time and again as true friends, and given me lifelong memories that I will always cherish. For that, I will always be thankful, and I am looking forward to the next ten years of inspiration, friendship and memory making with the ElliptiGO community across the country and around the world.
After the community, I’d like to say a special thank you to our investors. Without their faith and support we simply would not have been able to hand that 8S over to our first customer 10 years ago. It takes more than an idea and energy to create a business – investors play a critical role in that process. I realize that many companies view investors as a “necessary evil.” Not here. They are a source of energy, access to resources, and valuable support. Our investor group has been delivering value for us since well before we had a product or even hired our first employee. From donating expertise, to raising awareness, to selling bikes, this group has contributed in a variety of ways to the success of our ElliptiGO. It has truly been a pleasure to work with them and they are a great part of what made the last ten years possible.
The ElliptiGO employee family is the third pillar upon which ElliptiGO stands. They are ElliptiGO. Without them, there is no company. ElliptiGO is entirely comprised of a small group of people doing their best every day to create and support these products and experiences we all enjoy so much. Many of us have been here so long that it truly feels like a family. In fact, more than half of the people who were with the company when we handed over that first 8S on February 24th, 2010 have been employed by ElliptiGO every day since. Three more employees will hit their own 10-year anniversary within the next 12 months. For a company our size, our employee tenure is remarkable. It’s also worth noting that these employees are not clustered in one part of the company. They are in sales, operations, engineering and customer service as well as on the management team. It really is their energy and efforts that push this industry forward every day.
There is a lot more I could say and stories I could tell about all of these groups and the people within each of them who have touched me personally over the past 10 years. Maybe someday I will write that book. Until then, I’ll have to be satisfied by saying thank you to all of the customers, investors and employees who have made the last ten years possible. It has been a fantastic ride so far and I’m excited for the next ten!
In honor of our 10-year anniversary we are going to go for a 10-mile ElliptiGO ride on February 24th, and would love for you to do the same.
-Bryan Pate, CEO