#008 (24/7/2022)

It's that time of week again to write a journal entry! Tell me, what progress has been made this week?

This week's update #1: Added several online payment methods

This week, we added several payment methods to our website, including Faster Payment System (FPS), Alipay HK, WeChat Pay (Hong Kong and Mainland China versions), and UnionPay. Customers can choose one of these methods to pay at checkout. After selecting a payment method, the website will display a QR code. Customers can simply scan the QR code with the corresponding mobile app to make the payment.

In addition, we have applied for HSBC's PayMe and hope it can be launched in the next few weeks.

This week's update #2: Re Pillow 2 XL launched (+Why was it launched?)

A while ago, about a year ago, someone asked me if we could make long pillows. The reason that stuck with me was that two people (usually young couples) needed to share a 3-foot wide bed, so there wasn't enough room for two normal adult pillows, and one person needed to sleep on a children's pillow/cushion/plush toy. Although I said "No, we can't do it" at the time, I was actually still thinking about how to make it happen. I don't like to make promises to others easily, because if I can't keep them in the end, I've given them false hope, and failing to keep them will only make them more disappointed.

However, the longer the pillow-making process continues, the more inquiries are naturally received.

Every time, I could only harden my heart and reply, "No, I can't do it," and every time I could feel the disappointment of the customer on the other side of the screen, which hurt me deeply. I know I need to wait until I'm really confident before I can answer, "Actually, I'm already preparing, I understand completely. I know no one else in the market does this, give me some time. I will definitely help you."

I know that not many people really need the Re Pillow 2 XL, but I totally understand when two people are crammed into a single bed and can't find the right pillow to share. When you're young, of course you want to live with the person you love and sleep in each other's arms every night.

You and he may not have much income, but you work hard and save every penny, taking part-time jobs, all so you can live together. You could go home, but you choose to share a tiny apartment with him, where there's only a single bed about 3 feet wide, and the two of you sleep like that. Holding him as you sleep, you feel so happy, as if you already have the whole world.

The Re Pillow 2 XL is actually designed for this kind of situation. People talk about queen-size and king-size beds, but they might not be happy sleeping in them. You and your partner, sleeping together in a single bed, sharing a long pillow and cuddling tightly, is the happiest thing. No matter how big the bed is, it's useless to you, because you'll be holding each other and sleeping together.

If you're really reading this, and you're actually buying a long pillow so you can cuddle up and sleep together, I urge you to cherish your partner. I'm still young, but some of my older friends have told me that we must cherish these days, because when you're older, you might not have the chance to experience this simple and happy life again. It's not that anyone has changed, but everyone is getting older, and our expectations are higher. Even if we've both made more money, it's hard to be as happy as we used to be with the little things. Right now, you and your partner might be happy just spending a night in Cheung Chau, eating big fish balls and rice noodle rolls. Or maybe one day, you both take a day off to stay at Four Seasons and then go down to IFC to buy designer handbags, but that won't make you particularly happy.

Of course, I only heard it from others, but I believe it. The older you get, the harder it is to find satisfaction and happiness.

Come back to the point, the Re Pillow 2 XL was actually designed for two people to huddle together and share a pillow. So that's one of the reasons why we didn't make it any longer. A longer pillow is really pointless.

This week's reflection: Why we at Re Pillow Co. must be careful with every decision.

This week I also want to share something else, something more practical. Lately I've been thinking about one thing: I'm very careful and want to do a good job with every decision I make for Re Pillow Co., especially those involving money.

Large companies have decades of advantages and substantial shareholder capital. They can afford to make mistakes because, even if they do, their size allows them to absorb the losses. They can also spend large sums hiring celebrities for advertisements or undertaking large-scale, long-term corporate image promotions. But we can't do that. Every decision we make has to be extremely careful, and the money we invest must genuinely bring short-term positive effects to the company. Otherwise, we won't survive and will have to go bankrupt. It's very realistic, but it's true.

Conclusion

Okay, that's all for this week. I really want Re Pillow Co. to become a brand that truly belongs to you and me, so even if no one reads this journal, I'll keep writing because I know you're reading it somewhere in Hong Kong. Maybe I haven't met you, maybe you haven't met me, but we all need to keep going in our own lives. Life is tough, but we all have to try. I firmly believe that what we do will be rewarded; hard work pays off. This moment of hard work will definitely not be in vain. Thank you for reading my journal, and thank you for being a part of the Re Pillow Co. journey.