Biz Builder Mike

You can't sail Today's boat on Yesterdays wind - Michael Noel

PaMu Quiet Earbuds Raise $550,000 to Rethink Noise Cancelation

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Silence is golden as they say, but much like gold itself, silence has become quite a scarce commodity. Whether it’s blaring car horns, noisy neighbors, or just the sounds of the city, there always seems to be something getting in the way of peace and quiet.

The team at Padmate are trying to change this with PaMu Quiet, their new noise-canceling earbuds that keep the peace wherever you are. With features like a Qualcomm-produced chip, an internal microphone by Knowles, and noise canceling up to 40dB, PaMu Quiet earbuds are worth their weight in gold. The best part? The Quiet’s price tag comes in well under that.

PaMu Quiet earbuds have raised over $550,000 on Indiegogo in just a few weeks, emerging as one of the top crowdfunding campaigns to watch in 2020. 

PaMu: Pushing the Audio Industry Forward

Padmate is no stranger to cutting-edge audio products. Since PaMu (short for Padmate Music) launched in 2016, the brand has been at the forefront of premium audio technology, developing innovations that continue to push the industry forward. 

Blazing trails is central to PaMu’s pedigree. Their PaMu X13 Slide headphones, lauded as the wireless earbuds with the most stable Bluetooth connection, raised over $1 million on Indiegogo in 2018; just a year later, their Scroll headphones rethought the charging game for wireless earbuds, raising $3 million in the process.

Their latest product promises to bring the same innovative design approach to noise cancelation. 

“The story of PaMu Quiet began at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam,” says Edison Sheng, Director. “Cai, our Chief Designer, was standing in front of Van Gogh’s masterpieces but found it difficult to truly focus on them with so many people crowding around the paintings. That moment was the catalyst he used to design earbuds that would help inspire calm and focus in today’s noisy world.”

Two noise-canceling chips for unparalleled calm

The result is the PaMu Quiet, the world’s first earbuds with dual-chip active noise-canceling technology from both Qualcomm and AMS. The Qualcomm 5124 chip and AMS 3460 digital noise-canceling chip work together to allow listeners to cancel low-frequency noise under 400 Hz up to 40dB.

For safety, the Quiet also has “Transparency Mode,” which alerts users of their surroundings when environmental hazards like bikes or passing cars require full attention. “We realize how immersive our headphones are,” says Sheng. “That’s why we included Transparency mode. This means users can listen to music or phone calls without worrying about becoming too immersed.”

The Quiet earbuds also feature a titanium diaphragm with 10-mm drivers, providing treble clarity and strong bass response. And just 90 minutes of charging will maintain the calm for a full day. 

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The Padmate team poses during a conference last year.

$550,000 raised in two weeks

The PaMu Quiet has raised over $550,000 in just a couple of weeks, and with three weeks to go in its campaign, the best is yet to come. 

“Padmate’s mission is ‘Technology, Humanity, Society,’” says Sheng. “We have a vision to create a brand that changes perceptions around the ‘Made in China’ moniker. We proudly create our products in China to demonstrate our vision, superbly executed, to display innovation in motion.”

Crowdfunding has been an instrumental part of realizing this vision, and the Indiegogo backer community has been a central to Padmate’s strategy. “We launched our first Padmate product on Indiegogo in 2018, which has given us unparalleled brand awareness,” Sheng says. “Having more than 400,000 backers from our previous campaigns, we feel that it’s important for us to continue our crowdfunding journey to build relationships with both existing and new backers.” 

“Crowdfunding is a special kind of relationship,” she adds. “Consumers are offering us financial support as a sign they believe in our product. It’s the least we can do to offer a world-class product in return.” 

“PaMu Quiet is a game changer!”

The PaMu Quiet is a chance for the Padmate team to continue their co-creation journey with their community of backers. And perhaps more importantly, it’s also a chance to show that there are alternatives to the status quo.

“With our product, people will see that there is no need to pay $219 for a pair of Apple Airpod Pros, or almost $250 for Sony 1000XM3’s,” Sheng says. “We want to share with our backers and prospective customers that we have a better offer. For less than $100, you can have a better choice that you will love. The classic design, the unbeatable specs, and the overall performance all add up to one thing: PaMu Quiet is a game changer!”

To support the PaMu Quiet, check out the Indiegogo campaign page.

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SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce Comes to the Defense of Unikrn and ICO Settlement

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Earlier today, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a settlement with Unikrn, a digital asset issuer that was deemed to have transgressed securities law in the offering of an unregistered security via an initial coin offering (ICO). Unikrn agreed to pay a $6.1 million penalty while effectively shutting down operations and retiring issued tokens. Unikrn settled without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.

In the aftermath of the announcement, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, a well-known proponent of Fintech innovation, criticized the SECs decision to pursue such a settlement without any allegations of fraud. Commissioner Peirce pointed to the destruction of the company as the outcome of the settlement, stating:

“… the Commission is effectively forcing the company to cease operations because of an allegedly improper offering of supposed securities.”

While recognizing the transgression, Commissioner Peirce warned the SEC was stifling innovation and accompanying  economic growth with its heavy-handed approach to the emerging area of digital assets.

Commissioner Peirce has proposed a regulatory “safe harbor” for digital assets in a move to allow more clarity in the offering of digital assets.

Commissioner Peirce’s Statement is republished below.

Today’s settlement with Unikrn, Inc., is the latest in a growing line of enforcement actions arising from initial coin offerings.[1] While many SEC enforcement actions in this space include allegations of fraud, Unikrn falls within the narrower category of token issuers charged only with violating Section 5 of the Securities Act.[2] In other words, Unikrn is alleged to have offered and sold its tokens in an unregistered offering and in a manner that did not qualify for an exemption; it is not alleged to have engaged in any fraud in doing so. Registration violations, even standing alone, are serious, and our enforcement actions can serve to deter such violations and protect harmed investors. We should strive to avoid enforcement actions and sanctions, however, that enervate innovation and stifle the economic growth that innovation brings. I believe that this action and its accompanying sanctions will have such consequences.

The settlement requires Unikrn to permanently disable its blockchain-based token, which it had integrated into its product offerings, and pay a penalty of $6.1 million, which represents substantially all of the company’s assets. In other words, the Commission is effectively forcing the company to cease operations because of an allegedly improper offering of supposed securities.[3]

While I do not concur in my colleagues’ opinion that Unikrn’s token offering constituted a securities offering, I recognize that the determination of whether an instrument is offered and sold as a security in the form of an investment contract requires a subjective weighing of the facts and circumstances. Such analysis, idiosyncratic by its very nature, does not produce clear guideposts for entrepreneurs and others to follow. The challenge of discerning a clear legal line is especially difficult with respect to new forms of business and novel technologies. Entrepreneurs may be forced to choose between unpalatable options: expending their limited capital on costly legal consultation and compliance or forgoing their pursuit of innovation due to fear of becoming subject to an enforcement action. A regulatory safe harbor could resolve this unhappy dilemma.

As I proposed earlier this year,[4] a well-designed, narrowly tailored regulatory safe harbor would efficiently and effectively combine the Commission’s interest in protecting investors with developers’ ambition to experiment. Affording a company like Unikrn a three-year regulatory window within which to further develop and refine its platform—while still subjecting it to the antifraud laws—would provide benefits to token purchasers, token issuers, and the Commission.

Imagine if such a regulatory safe harbor had been available to Unikrn. Instead of permanently disabling its tokens as a result of today’s settled enforcement action, Unikrn, in concert with its tokenholders, might be devoting its time and resources to identifying new uses for the token and expanding its user base. Although some may not see the loss of the benefits of innovation as large in this specific instance, posterity will feel the cumulative loss to society of innovation forgone because of such actions. Indeed, we will never know the full magnitude of such losses because some would-be entrepreneurs, having seen one too many Unikrns, may decide it wiser to shelve their most transformative ideas.

By failing to challenge ourselves to experiment with new approaches to regulation, we, and those whose interests we are pledged to serve, risk surrendering the fruits of innovation. I respectfully dissent from the Commission’s actions today relating to Unikrn.

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A Day in the Life of Entrepreneur Jacqueline Ngo Mpii, Founder and CEO of Little Africa in Paris

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Running your own business is no easy feat. It takes a healthy dose of passion, discipline, and commitment. Ever wondered what a day in the life of a small business owner and founder is like? We’re here to give you a glimpse!

This week, we’re featuring Jacqueline Ngo Mpii, the owner and driving force behind Little Africa in Paris. Jacqueline is an Afro-French entrepreneur dedicated to elevating all things Afro and African in Paris and beyond.

For the past five years, Jacqueline and her Little Africa Travel has devoted themselves to changing the narrative of what it means to be a person of African descent in the world’s most visited city: Paris.

This has resulted in their widely-read tourist favorite Africa In Paris City Guide book, which compiles over 200 must-see Afro-Parisian boutiques, restaurants, businesses, events, and artists in Paris.

Now Jacqueline and her team want to take their mission to the next level! Her Indiegogo campaign, Little Africa 2.0: A Parisian Village, centers around building a concept store and cultural event space in La Goutte d’Or, a bustling, culturally rich African neighborhood in Paris’s 18th arrondissement near Montmartre. It’s a home for showcasing their gorgeous publishing line, highlighting African cultural heritage, a gathering point for their guided Paris tours, and a hub to connect with locals and tourists from around the world to learn about and participate in African culture abroad.

Jacqueline is a powerhouse who feels Little Africa is more than a business — it’s a calling. Read on to discover how Jacqueline she spends a typical day in her life, running Little Africa’s day-to-day operations, followed by an exclusive interview to get to know her more!

5 A.M.  I wouldn’t survive waking up at this hour.

6 A.M. Sometimes, I have one eye open.

7 A.M. Often I’m up. But I’m still in the bed scrolling on you know what!

8 A.M. I read a book, or some articles on the web.

9 A.M. I climb out of bed, and get ready for work. I am often up late the night prior because it’s the time when I am most creative.  Before a certain hour, I am good for nothing.

10 A.M. I arrive at my office, and have a cup of tea or orange juice. I sometimes grab something at the bakery nearby — not a croissant. Then, I meet with my team, catch up on some emails, take calls, and prepare orders for shipping.

12 P.M. I am still at my desk, working. It’s about this time that I realize I won’t be able to follow my schedule because I need to be available for my team. I have many interns and freelancers in my office, and they need time and attention from me to better perform in their tasks. This is something I learned last year. Since I don’t have a personal assistant or a director to lead the team, I have to wear multiple hats for the good of the company. 

2 P.M. I start to get hungry, so I go out to find food. I rarely bring cooked food from home as getting out of the office has become a ritual. I like to do this to get some air, and take a short walk. It helps me feel refreshed and find inspiration, as well as gather my ideas.

3 P.M. I review the work of my team. We talk about it, and I explain my decision for accepting or rejecting a direction. Sometimes, I leave the office to lead a walking tour. Yes! 

4 P.M. This is usually the time I take to brainstorm with the team on a new idea or project.

6 P.M. The team leaves. From this time onward, I can really delve into my emails, make necessary phone calls, order some materials, pay the bills, check the bank account, and prepare the orders list for tomorrow’s shipments. 

9 P.M. We prepare our commercial proposals into a visual document. We take our time with these, because we have a lot of information to present: client and prospect history, company history, stats, and press coverage. Sometimes, we include a demo of what we offer. These proposals take a lot of effort to prepare.

11 P.M. I leave the office. I try to work as much as possible in the office to avoid bringing work home. Sometimes, I keep working from bed, but it’s usually because I have something urgent to finish in the next 48 hours or some graphic design to work on.

Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of what her day is like, get more inspiration in our exclusive Q&A with her below!

INDIEGOGO: How and why did you become an entrepreneur? Was it something you always intended for yourself? 

JACQUELINE NGO MPII: I wanted to create the opportunity to share with others what I wanted to see in the society I live. It wasn’t my original plan for my life. I was raised to think a diploma defines your profession, and that getting a high-paying job should be one’s main goal in life. If I had been raised in a different environment, I would have become an entrepreneur even earlier. Although many would probably consider age 24 young, I could have started earlier.

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INDIEGOGO: What makes your Indiegogo project unique? 

JACQUELINE: We made a conscious decision to not just showcase one project. Instead, we’ve shown our entire company vision. We’ve showcased our company road map for the next 3 years, and we think our contributors get that, as we have an average participation of $136! It’s huge.

IGG: What’s your biggest piece of advice for women who want to start their own business?

JACQUELINE: Your own intuition is your best asset. We grew up in a world that is primarily controlled by men, I’m sad to say. So as women, we often question our intuition. Men’s approach to business sometimes differs from how we would lead and grow our businesses. I think we tend to be more democratic and inclusive in our leadership style. My final words of advice: you shouldn’t shrink yourself to make others feel more comfortable, and you should try to develop yourself and your business in a way that feels authentic to you. This circles back around to trusting your own feminine intuition.

IGG: What tools would you recommend to anyone starting their own business, crowdfunding campaign, or project? 

JACQUELINE: Social media and crowdfunding platforms are key. You can learn many things by following a crowdfunding campaign and the platform providing those experiences. 

I don’t know if it is a coincidence, but I am reading Michelle Obama’s book Becoming. She describes, in detail, the way a presidential campaign is run. Some things she describes inspired me on our crowdfunding campaign! After all, it’s a campaign too!

To support Little Africa, check out their Indiegogo campaign page.

You can also visit their website, or follow them on Instagram.

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