Editing The Pen Addict 606/transcript (section)

== Email newsletter "Refill" and its updates ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well, we have other good surprises. I have another big surprise this show, and I think it's the first topic we're going to hit here. I think it really caught you off guard.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yes, I refer our listeners to Brad's wonderful email newsletter, Refill, which is available for members of penaddict.com. And Brad was doing a hot or not of different things. And this one caught my eye specifically. Hot, unique paper sizes. So talking about things like plotter, travelers, field notes. Theme system. The theme system. You didn't put that, though, in your refill, did you? Just note that for the record. Also, Sidekick notepad is its own paper size. And Brad says they all skirt the standards and lean into their own thing. We are better for it, apparently. And not paper standards. While I appreciate a solid commitment to standards, it's no longer a deal breaker when thinking about paper. Oh, so what's happened here, then?

'''Brad Dowdy:''' I've changed my tune over the last, I don't know, 12 months or so. I've mentioned that I've softened my stance on standards only or GTFO, right? And I just think that the preponderance of new paper makers or even some older, more established thinking of travelers notebooks have leaned into their own thing for their own reasons. And I'm glad they do because they're taking these changes. They're experimenting. They're planting their flag in the ground saying, this is what we believe in and who am I to say that they're doing it wrong? And I'm willing to change my stance on these things, right?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I mean, I agree, obviously. Because I think that non-standard paper sizes allow for creativity in product design.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, I do. I do, too. And so one of my old standard stances was actually a very American issue. When we were manufacturing notebooks for Nock, you used to, it cost more to make a standard size because, again, these are international standards and not really seen in the U.S. Because, well, I was adamant that we were going to make an A5 notebook and we'd go to our printer and they were like, well, this is going to cost more because we can only get the paper in this other size. I don't even know what other size it would be. But it wouldn't be like an A1 palette of paper, right, where they could just, you know, efficiently cut it down to size. They were like, there's going to be a lot more waste and we're going to have to cut it. And I'm like, yes, that's what we're going to do because it has to be A5. And in retrospect, I'm completely happy with that decision at the time and I wouldn't change a thing. But the more I look at the things I'm using today, that was, you know, six, seven, eight years ago that we made that notebook. As I sit here at my desk and use things, I'm not using, I'm using one A5 notebook and everything else that's sitting around is kind of, you know, just a different size, like a non-standard size. And I really enjoy these products. So, you know, what's the harm in making your own size?

'''Myke Hurley:''' I think standards are a good guide, right? I think you can kind of work towards the standard, but you should be able to be flexible on it if it's in service of making the product better.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. One of my core stances in the past was, well, what about accessories, right? And it's just, you know, whatever. It's like you can't, you know, if you're buying into like an A5 notebook system and you're buying a cover and you're buying these different things that fit that system. And then, you know, you find another notebook you like and you can't, you know, you have to rebuy accessories if that's your thing.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah, but standards don't solve that problem because you can use varying thicknesses of notebook, right? So if you have a notebook cover that takes a 200-page notebook, but you've now bought a 400-page notebook, it's not going to fit anymore, even though they're both A5.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Exactly. So, yeah, I am very much pro the experimentation and the discussion and the design of all these notebooks.

'''Myke Hurley:''' Yeah. I'm proud of your growth.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yep. Yep. Like I said, I think we're better off for the experimentation, which I think is probably, in general, a good way to think about it instead of being forced down one path, if you will.

'''Myke Hurley:''' All right.