syncro ramblings

11.29.05

As I work feverishly to get this site up … I want to take a minute share what I’m trying to accomplish, and why I think syncrosource is a good idea:

I’ve been a vehicle-nut all of my life … my earliest memories are of trying to ride bicycles WAY too big for me [some nasty crashes!], then later, at 10 years old, lusting after my brother’s cars and motorcycles: [remember ’55 Chevys and Honda 305 Scramblers?] … until I could legally [read: my dad couldn’t stop me] ride and drive, and have since had my own large string of cars and bikes … [another essay, later]. But never have I connected with enthusiasts like I have with the syncro crowd. They seem to be the perfect blend: technically knowledgeable [or at least interested], well traveled, well read, opinionated yet accepting … and delightfully irreverent. So, Reason #1: finally, car nuts that I like.

Reason # 2:

As I deal with my mid-life-career-burnout [yet another essay], and wonder what to do next … I naturally gravitate to what still IS fun in my life: my doka syncro! But, there is so much great out there already: great vendors, great forums, great community … I really don’t want to compete with any of those entities, nor do I want to dilute their success. How can I contribute without taking away? Idea #2: create a cross-road where people pass through while on their syncro journey … attracting people who are curious or just beginning or struggling, then sending them to the best ‘community approved’ resources, and thus increasing vendor’s exposure through increased web traffic.

Reason #3:

Mostly, there are great vendors out there. But a few stink. How to ‘reward’ the great suppliers - if only in a small way? Is there a way to expose the suppliers with bad reputations …?

Reason #4

There are people out there with some great/innovative/wacky syncro ideas. I count myself among these. How about one place where all these ideas show up alongside [already] reputable products and vendors? I maintain the internet has helped create a syncro market that was previously too fragmented for anyone to bother … now all of us entrepreneurs can dream of mass-merchandising!

Further, while there are suppliers that are doing a great job with ‘larger’ markets[ VWs, Westys and Vanagons], no one has specifically addressed the ‘smaller’ Syncro market, except as a sub-set of these other categories, until, in what I hope is a unique way: syncrosource.

Stay tuned … more later …