Icosa’s 5-Year Journey

1. Icosa’s 5-Year Journey Technology & Business:Concurrent Development Challenges Icosa Village, Inc. Markus Robinson markus@icosavillage.net Sustainable Shelter Symposium -OMSI - March 25, 2006

2. Lessons learned developing a new shelter technology while concurrently trying to build a small business.

3. “If we must live in a world in which people are forced to live in cardboard boxes, then someone should at least invent a better box” - Sanford Ponder Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

4. From Idea to Solution Learning what problems to solve! Design Materials Manufacturing Utilization ‘best practices’ Survival (a.k.a. Funding) VCs, Angel Investors Boot-strapping Building the Business Realities A ‘crisis a day’ Progress has to happen Drivers The Pods Ethics Risk & Risk Analysis Entrepreneurial disposition ‘Buzz’ Creation The right technology for each problem The Internet Challenges Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

5. Pods start & ship as flat panels The Pods The Pods Assembling an IcoPod Assembling a DecaPod Base-Ring rests on ground or platform Base-Saddle synchronizes the icosahedron Panel-Beams are the basic building block 6-inches thick, Panel-Beams can be insulated 3 Panel-Beams create a Wall-Triangle Wall-Triangles group into sub-assemblies The sub-assemblies sit on the Base-Saddle A pentagonal sub-assembly caps the IcoPod IcoPod as desert field office The Door-Portal replaces a Wall-Triangle DecaPod at night Door and interior window panes installed Folding a translucent Outer-Window pane Standard Outer-Window panes installed Cowled vents fit over the windows Pull strings to open and close the vents Clear window panes can be easily installed Two vents and clear windows installed Pod seams are taped to make them watertight 2004 Forum Barcelona ‘Peace Camp’ Upper Fill-Triangles installed, more taping Pod shell ready for door, windows & vents Very bright translucent Ico GrowPod IcoPods at Forum Barcelona (Spain 2004) (Identical technology, most parts the same) DecaPod Base-Ring on wood foundation 1st wall pentagon braced by 2 Fill-Triangles 2nd wall pentagon and 3rd Fill-Triangle added 3rd wall pentagon with 4th Fill-Triangle brace 4 pentagonal wall sub-assemblies installed 108 sq. ft. IcoPod fits 3 refugees (UNHCR) 5th Wall-Pentagonal temporarily blocks entry Ico GrowPod glowing at night Slot-and-tab connections between triangles Ladders & Muscle (no power tools) Entire DecaPod surface within arm’s reach Laying down a 472 sq. ft. fabric floor Pod Door-Ports can be wheelchair accessible 16’ ceiling makes space for bunk beds or loft Cathedral-like “dignified shelter” Preparing to install the Capping-Pentagon Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

6. Pod Technology • True 4-Season “Dignified Shelter” • aesthetically pleasing, psychologically soothing • 6”-thick rigid double-walls: leverage passive ventilation or insulation • Extruded-plastic impervious to water damage • Unique Technology • ‘Origami’ Architecture: folded, taped, slot & tab panels • Simple assembly with no power tools • Cookie-cutter manufacture: standard stamped parts Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

7. Getting from there… ‘Novel Technology’ Axiom: Experience teaches you what problems need to be solved …to Here Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

8. Key Evolutions Design • 24% volume increase (assembly constrained) • Opening vents, clear windows, chimney heat sink • Structural Channel-Beams, snow-load post, gluing Materials • Migration from cardboard to extruded plastic • Optimized 3mm panel thickness Manufacturing • Large-panel stamping expertise Utilization ‘best practices’ • 8 major revisions to the manual, 126 FAQs All Primarily deployment driven! Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

9. ‘Novel Technology’ Axiom:You’ve got to drive, but you have to go where the technology leads. • Materials Behavior • GrowPod Implications • Geometry Limitations • Pseudo-2Freq. Decas • Physical Limitations • Snow-load Redesign • Human Error • Deployment Success • Warranty Implications • Which Technology, Which Market? Carton degradation 220 days out Flute Delamination 400+ day plastic UV degradation UV-instigated brittleness Early fill-triangle problem … a meter of snow & collapse Miss-assembly doesn’t help … DecaPod assembly in Kashmir Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

10. ‘Novel Technology’ Axiom:The technology will teach you, if you listen. • Loading performance • Identifying technology limits • Platform options • Proposed version • Field-imposed version • Assembly economics • Field-developed version Inexpensive stress testing Very nice, but expensive Quick, effective, cheap $5/day (a good salary) Crushed rock, a layer of cement… A very nice floor Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

11. Survival (a.k.a. Funding) • VCs(it’s the money stupid) • Difficult value-equation sell • Angel Investors(money + ?) • What’s the hook and how do you pitch it? • Boot-strapping(when all else fails…) • Business has to be opportunity driven • IcoPods, DecaPods, PlayPods, GrowPods, ShadePods, ShowPods, ReliefPods • Barcelona, Pakistan, the next disaster • Out of left field Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

12. Start-up Reality • A ‘crisis a day’ – If it can go wrong, it will. Until there is a sustainable revenue stream, the future of a boot-strapped start-up is at risk every single day. • Progress has to happen If you aren’t moving forward, you’re dying. Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

13. Building Icosa Village Inc. • Entrepreneurial spirit: essential to sustain the effort • Optimistic in the face of bad odds • Emotionally detached from success or failure • Capable of decision making when only 40% of the facts are known • Must to be self-motivating • The Pods “have a life of their own” • If you only see what’s planned, you will miss opportunities • Boot-strapping you are opportunity driven • Risk & Risk Analysis • Ethics constrain your options • Creating a ‘Buzz’: Marketing “with no budget” • Leverage the Internet & third-parties • Apply the right technology to each problem Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges

14. Icosa’s Five-Year Journey Pod Technology & Business - Concurrent Development Challenges