We Built Our Own Platform, and Now We’re Opening the Doors
The new Gizmo Grotto platform is officially live at shop.thegizmogrotto.com !!!
But the storefront is only the small, public-facing piece of what we’ve been building.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been developing our own software to run the shop: customer requests, orders, design and production queues, due dates, payments, communication, staff tasks, order history, and daily operations. The storefront connects into that same system.
Why build it ourselves? Like many small businesses, we found ourselves paying for separate services that don’t always communicate. So when it makes sense, we’re replacing disconnected pieces with tools we own and control. The bigger advantage is being able to build around how we work. When our process changes, we can change the software. When we need a tool, we can build it.
And this is just the beginning. We’re preparing an Android app, expanding the system, adding tools, and connecting more pieces together. A lot of what’s coming is happening where you can’t see it yet.
We believe in building something, putting it to work, learning from it, and improving it.
Go explore the new platform, try things, and tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better.
This week, that system stopped being something that only existed behind the scenes. It’s live.
We’re also continuing our e-waste initiative, keeping electronics out of local landfills and giving usable components a second life in projects and future educational programs.
But the storefront is only the small, public-facing piece of what we’ve been building.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been developing our own software to run the shop: customer requests, orders, design and production queues, due dates, payments, communication, staff tasks, order history, and daily operations. The storefront connects into that same system.
Why build it ourselves? Like many small businesses, we found ourselves paying for separate services that don’t always communicate. So when it makes sense, we’re replacing disconnected pieces with tools we own and control. The bigger advantage is being able to build around how we work. When our process changes, we can change the software. When we need a tool, we can build it.
And this is just the beginning. We’re preparing an Android app, expanding the system, adding tools, and connecting more pieces together. A lot of what’s coming is happening where you can’t see it yet.
We believe in building something, putting it to work, learning from it, and improving it.
Go explore the new platform, try things, and tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what could be better.
This week, that system stopped being something that only existed behind the scenes. It’s live.
We’re also continuing our e-waste initiative, keeping electronics out of local landfills and giving usable components a second life in projects and future educational programs.