Sorry for the delay since my last post – I've been rather busy trying to make sure JellyTelly doesn't die before it even gets to launch. The good news is that we now have a commitment to be funded by October 10th! Awesome! We have just one more legal document that needs to be agreed upon between now and then, so pray that this happens without a hitch and that the money really does show up on October 10th.
We've had a number of you write in to say "How can we donate money to help JellyTelly?" First of all, thanks for the enthusiasm! We love it! (And desperately need it if this ministry is to succeed.) Since we've decided, at this point anyway, not to set up JellyTelly as a 501c3 charity (like a church or a World Relief-type ministry), we can't really accept donations, per se. But we're trying to see if we can set up a 'beta' version of JellyTelly in the next few weeks so fans can go ahead and start subscribing. It won't be the full, final site, but it will be a good way to start getting our content in front of people, build an audience and get some good fan feedback on what we're doing.
We've got about 95% of our 3rd party content in now, and enough of our own original content done to get the beta site up and running. Tim Johnson (our Jelly web/business guy) is slaving away on the beta site as I write this. Everyone cheer him on together so we can get this party started. (Go ahead… say, "Go Tim!" Great. That helped.)
So stay tuned. We're going to get something in front of you as quick as we can!
Phil, that must be really exciting news for you and your team. I hope those final details get tied up soon!
So what does this mean for the launch? Will you be “launching” in October?
I’m also interested to know what kind of marketing you’ll be doing for Jelly Telly. Here’s an idea to get the discussion started:
Idea: A “Christmas package” – some sort of tangible packaging that can be gifted to kids; like an elaborate “gift card” that gets kids excited to use the site (maybe with a 15-20 minute “teaser” DVD?)
go Tim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Tim!
I look forward to the beta site.
Go Tim!
That’s a great idea. Packaging a years subscription and a demo DVD would make a great Christmas idea. I have nephews that we would probably buy this for.
GO TIM!!!!!!! Stay strong!!! Pray hard!!!
GO TIM!
GO TIM!
Type like the wind!
Mouse like lightning!
Configure like a gazelle!
Install like a race horse!
Pray like God is pair programming right there with you! (He is.)
PTL! The gang at jellyfishlabs.ning.com have been keeping you and your all you jellies all in our prayers! That’s great news. Go Tim!!
Go Tim! (And Tim’s family as well, who is probably wondering why Tim has been working so late.)
That’s great!
I’ll keep praying. Can’t wait to see your stuff!
Hey Phil,
Glad to hear things are moving right along.
Tim, what are you doing reading blog comments when there’s so much work to be done! 😉
Keep up the good work guys.
Sabrina
Go Tim, go!
Heard you today on Homeword with Jim Burns and I thought this idea is GREAT! So here I am surfing around! I can’t wait to subscribe! Thank you for loving our Lord enough to make new ways to teach our kids about Him!
~Michele
Go Tim!!!
Phil. That’s awesome. Any version you put up there will be cool. The kids will love it, the parents will love it.
Everything you guys do is magic.
It all has that quirky-twisted-genius-humor. Like, if-Mel-Brooks-was-a-Christian this is what he would do kind of humor. If-Jerry-Seinfeld-was-a-Christian this is what he would do kind of humor.
I think the video as giftcard idea sounds fun for us, but it is the opposite direction in which Phil wants to take this. Direct video vs internet .. kind of like setting up a picknick table in the McDonalds drive through lane … or perhaps driving your car into the dining room … You know?
This is great news, Phil! I don’t speak computerese; Alpha~ Beta~ Gamma whatever it is….We’re ready to hop on board! 🙂
Go Tim! Go Phil! Go JellyTelly!
Everyone in our household is very excited, especially our seven year old son!
Go, Tim! This is so exciting, Phil! I’ll be praying everything goes smoothly with the funding. God Bless You (and your team/family)!
Tim has shot from more or less an inconspicuous figure to an instant celebrity. Rock on dude. ;D
Go Tim go!!!! You can do those computer…modem…firewall…things…Go Tim!
RD,
Everyone that’s doing online delivery right now (iTunes, Club Penguin, Webkinz) has some sort of tangible “gifting” option. Most often it’s a gift card; but in the case of Webkinz it’s an actual toy.
The truth is, most 5 year olds don’t want to receive a piece of paper for Christmas that says: “You have a Jelly Telly subscription!” Culturally, they want something tangible.
I think there’s a great opportunity with Christmas to allow people to order a “Jelly Telly gift package.” It’s got to be something that when a kid opens it, they go “Wow!”
Remember, a lot of kids are playing online Flash games for free right now; they need to understand why this is different; why this is a “gift.”
Go TIM!! GO TIM GO TIM!!!
Justin,
Dude, I totally agree it would be cool for us, the consumers. You are right, and I would love it. However, those companies you mentioned are all uber-companies (with uber-money) aren’t they? I’m just saying for Phil to go big with a small budget, you know. Producing and mailing a video may just blow the opening seed budget out the window before it has time to sprout. Trying to keep it really cool content and yet reasonable enough for everybody of any or no means to have access to. Sending out a zillion videos maybe a little steep for a teeny weeny start up trying to break through with a God thing.
Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes…… I could go on for HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! GO TIM! AND ALL OTHERS THAT WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE!
Yes! So glad to hear!
By the way Phil, a friend of mine saw you speak in Illinois. She had you sign one of the bulletins “Happy Birthday Brian.” Thanks! 🙂
Go Tim!!!! Oh, I’m so excited!!!! I just shooed my boys off a video game website that seemed so tame. That is, until I noticed that if they lost, their heads were chopped off.
I didn’t know how much you needed, but I had been thinking that maybe we could come up with a JellyTelly EAC (economic action cooperative) and let all us small guys form an investment group or something to get this thing moving!
Will certainly be praying it all works out for sure. Can’t wait to see it. 🙂
AWESOME! Go Tim!
That is great news, Phil. This has been such a long an winding road to go down, but it seems like the end is in sight and we are excited to see the finished product!
Kim
Great news! Can’t wait to show my kids more of Jelly Telly. 🙂
Phil –
Saw you at Christ Community in Illinois, and was inspired, along with all your fans. We are so looking forward to anything you put out there!
And you know, even if you offered a virtual “Christmas Card” that would serve as an intro to the site, (hey, the first mo. is free anyway, right?) folks could forward it on to all their contacts. It’s a thought…
Sending you virtual hugs and much encouragement – God is.
🙂
Casey
Maybe to handle the funding issue, you could set up a special video piece the only new subscribers would have access to. Sort of a “Welcome to Jelly Telly, we hope you enjoy your new gift” piece. Then, when someone bought the “gift package” they would go to that spot, download the piece and burn it to disc. It could maybe have graphics for those of us with Lightscribe or Labelflash DVD burners. That way the kids have something tangible, and The Jellies don’t have to spend a ton of dough. I know Phil has been burned with merchandising, but I could see a future where merchandise is sold with special access codes for games and extra content. My two sons are insane over Webkinz and maybe the is causing me to think way too capitalisticly. I really like the gift package idea because I would love to give it to my sons for Christmas.
If you want to produce something tangible to give kids as a JellyTelly subscription, it has to:
1. Be only available online
2. Be produced on demand
Anything else would be capital intensive for something that is a side business at best. There are companies that do it, so the cost will be only the cost of the initial design.
I’m still not sure if it’s worth doing, but at least this way it doesn’t endanger the entire enterprise.
Looks like there’s no more thoughts on this….