Updates
Check out the latest news and keep up with progress
PROJECT UPDATE
Soupy
CREATOR
5 days ago
Project Update: April Check In (2 of 2)
Hi everyone! I’m back for another biweekly update.
Just cutting right to the chase… Unfortunately, I honestly made very little progress since my last update. I had a lot going on in my personal life and had a bit of a rough time mentally for a moment. I don’t think these excuse the lack of progress because despite these things I know I could have done more and I apologize. I share this because I know it is better to be upfront and honest about where I am at and why.
Last update I mentioned that 12 orders had been packed and not yet labeled, those were all shipped out - 7 of them have been delivered and the remaining 5 are still in transit.
I don’t feel satisfied with the number of orders fulfilled between this update and my last so I will aim for more progress in my next one to the best of my ability. Thank you all for bearing with me. I know it’s a little slow but I’m trying to get a better balance between school and fulfillment. I’m happy to hear when the items are make it to you guys safely and I hope it won’t be too long before everyone has theirs.
Last update I mentioned that 12 orders had been packed and not yet labeled, those were all shipped out - 7 of them have been delivered and the remaining 5 are still in transit.
I don’t feel satisfied with the number of orders fulfilled between this update and my last so I will aim for more progress in my next one to the best of my ability. Thank you all for bearing with me. I know it’s a little slow but I’m trying to get a better balance between school and fulfillment. I’m happy to hear when the items are make it to you guys safely and I hope it won’t be too long before everyone has theirs.
PROJECT UPDATE
Soupy
CREATOR
20 days ago
Project Update: April Check-In (1 of 2)
Hi everyone,
I want to thank you all again for your patience as I continue to tackle the rest of the Tiny Warriors fulfillment. Under the replies section of my previous update post from March, I stated that in the interest of keeping my backers better informed, I would commit to sharing an update every two weeks. Regardless of how much progress has been made in that time, even if there isn't any to share, I will adhere to this update schedule. I'm hoping this improvement in communication will help me stay focused, keep everybody in the loop, and prevent long periods of silence on my end from ever repeating. You all deserve to stay informed.
I has been two weeks since I made that promise, so here's what's new since my last update:
I has been two weeks since I made that promise, so here's what's new since my last update:
- Locked 4 orders that were left unlocked . . . These were probably caused by late survey submissions. It's not an issue, I just realized that they weren't contributing to the "unshipped" order count until they were locked. In my last update I stated there were 43 orders marked unshipped, this bounced the number back up to 47 (before the order counts in the next bullet points below.) I'm sharing this part for transparency as it causes a slight number discrepancy.
- 5 orders have been shipped and delivered
- 12 orders packed with requested freebie pins . . . to be shipped Thursday or Friday this week
- 14 orders packed without freebies . . . I wanted to give everybody time to see and reply to this update post in which I offered 5 additional pin sets free of charge to anybody who hadn't received their order to that point - I held off on shipping some orders which were packed, but that those backers hadn't yet requested pins for, in case those backers reached out. However, I will be considering this update post a last call for additional freebies so that I can move on with fulfillment on those orders. If you already commented on this post before today, I have seen and taken note of your selections. If you still haven commented, please do! If I receive your comment before your order is labeled and shipped then I will still include those extra items for you. You can also let me know if you choose not to receive any extras. If I don't receive a comment from you then your pledge will ship as-is. I hope I have given a fair time window.
Admittedly it's slower progress than I hoped to share in this update, I started school again last week and I think getting adjusted to my new schedule and classes slowed me a bit. However I'll be continuing to ship orders and work on school at the same time, and doing my best to give adequate attention to both. I want everybody to have their items in hand as soon as possible, it's the least that I can do now.
Also, I'm only human, so if you receive your items and there are any issues - please don't hesitate to reach out (I recommend just commenting on this post - it's easiest for me to keep track of inquiries this way) and I will correct them as quickly as possible!
Thank you all so much again for your support and feedback, it has been invaluable to me beyond words. I have taken it to heart and will use it to improve as much as I can going forward. I will be back in two weeks for another update!
Soupy
PROJECT UPDATE
Soupy
CREATOR
about 1 month ago
Project Update: March Check-In
Hi everyone,
I felt I was overdue for another proper check-in post to let you all know how the remaining fulfillment is going. I apologize in advance for the word dump, there's a lot I wanted to cover so I'm going to jump right into it - there will be a shorter TL;DR section at the end so scroll down if you'd just like the cliffnotes!
_
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
In a previous update post, I offered 5 additional pin sets free of charge as a compensatory addition to pledges unshipped up to that point. Each person up to the time of writing this update who has commented with their pin selections has been accounted for - even if I didn't reply or like the comment. I created a comprehensive list of all remaining orders including everybody's requested pin selections
If you missed the post, or forgot to select extra freebies but would still like to: please do so on that same update post (just so everything is in one place) and I will add your selections to your order! You can also make a note if you specifically prefer to receive your order as-is. For those who prefer a refund instead I made note of this as well and will work to get your pledge refunded as soon as I am able.
To briefly restate my last post, my most recent college term was a lot more difficult and time consuming than expected, the short story is that I got really sick for a while right at the beginning and had to fight to catch up again for the whole rest of the term. Basically I was in survival mode and didn't get to work on fulfillment as much as I hoped to causing significant delays. I apologize for making you guys wait even longer - it was terrible timing. However since I'm on spring break right now, I've resumed the process of making my way down this list, adding freebie items to each applicable order, labeling and shipping orders. If for any reason your order is especially time sensitive (i.e. you are moving, traveling, etc) please let me know and I will prioritize your order. My goal is to ship out all remaining orders by the end of spring. If it looks like it fulfillment might continue into summer then I will let you guys know but I'm also going to make a better effort to balance remaining fulfillment and school work, once school resumes again for me on April 6th.
_
ITEM QUALITY CLARIFICATION
I wanted to address a concern that somebody voiced in a private message, in case others had the same concern as well. Each pledge that is locked has had its items set aside already, and freebie pins are being quality checked as well - in other words, please don't think that any promised campaign rewards were sold (either online or at conventions) - leaving behind lower quality pins for the remaining pledges. This is not the case.
It was wrong of me to sell any more tiny warriors before adressing a large chunk of unfulfilled backerkit rewards. I apologize for this. All shop orders have been PAUSED for now until ALL backerkit rewards are shipped. Having said that, I'd like to clarify that those sold were extra stock intended specifically to sell.
The short version of what I'm saying is that 1. You don't have to worry about me running out of your promised pins and 2. I will only be giving backers quality checked pins and won't intentionally give B grades unless otherwise specified. Any unexpected B grades are simply a result of human error as I quality check each pin by eye myself and it isn't impossible that a small error would slip by unnoticed - but I do try my best to catch these even if it's just a scratch. Please know I really do care that the items you recieve are good quality!
The short version of what I'm saying is that 1. You don't have to worry about me running out of your promised pins and 2. I will only be giving backers quality checked pins and won't intentionally give B grades unless otherwise specified. Any unexpected B grades are simply a result of human error as I quality check each pin by eye myself and it isn't impossible that a small error would slip by unnoticed - but I do try my best to catch these even if it's just a scratch. Please know I really do care that the items you recieve are good quality!
_
PLAN GOING FORWARD
I wanted to detail how I plan to restructure the way I handle my business from this point onward. I've put a lot of thought into how I can best improve and please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any more suggestions than what I've listed here.
FUTURE CAMPAIGNS
- I have some product ideas for the future that I think you guys would love, and I would like to run another campaign like Tiny Warriors in the future - but not without substantial changes in how I operate the entire thing from start to finish. It's important to me that in any future endeavors you all can trust that you will recieve your items as smoothly as possible and without unnecessary delays. I've learned that there is only so much I can handle by myself and the best way for me to ensure a smoother delivery is to stop trying to run every single thing myself while juggling external responsibilities. Steps I will be taking:
- In general, more thorough logistics planning pre-launch with informed second opinions. I want to handle this entire aspect of a project with a lot more scrutiny and care. The next step in the list contributes toward this as well as it will help me get a more accurate idea of the budget for shipping costs, materials, import fees - so there are fewer curveballs.
- Third party fulfillment: I will utilize a third party service for any and all future campaign fulfillment. This eliminates a great deal of potential delays and issues because it won't matter if I'm busy with school, or burnt out, or sick, or traveling - I'll be able to focus on the art and the campaign itself and place the actual fulfillment process in more responsible hands. Less chaos.
- More thoughtful consideration of timing. Something posessed me to run the Tiny Warriors campaign in the middle of a busy term at my school. I will not repeat this action. I learned the hard way from my Burnout Speedrun.
MY SHOP
My shop is currently paused and I am not taking new orders. Previously, I kept my shop open at all times and allowed backlogs of orders to accrue until they became overwhelming for me shipping times, response times - everything - suffered as a result. When I've caught up on all outstanding orders and confidently feel that I am able to reopen, I will be running my shop a lot differently. It will likely go one of these two ways:
My shop is currently paused and I am not taking new orders. Previously, I kept my shop open at all times and allowed backlogs of orders to accrue until they became overwhelming for me shipping times, response times - everything - suffered as a result. When I've caught up on all outstanding orders and confidently feel that I am able to reopen, I will be running my shop a lot differently. It will likely go one of these two ways:
- Option A: third party fulfillment; Similar to my plan for future campaigns I am considering third party order fulfillment services for my shop as well. I'm still looking into this option logistically but it would have my shop remain open for a longer duration of time since personal time management would be less of a factor.
- Option B: small, controlled shop openings; This option has me continuing to handle order fulfillment myself but only during times when I have less going externally and can properly devote time to packing and shipping orders. What this would end up looking like is something like an order-capped 'shop drop' a few times a year rather than leaving my shop open at all times.
I'm still a bit unsure about which option is best between these two so I appreciate any suggestions as well. Please rest assured that I won't be reopening until I have a clear and concise plan forward.
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS
I've talked about this in all of my most recent updates as well but I'm working to improve my communication habits - I tend to get sort of 'lost in the sauce' between emails, twitter dm, instagram dm, etc - I may in the near future funnel all business related inquiries through email only so everything is just in one place. A good way to nudge and remind me is with a reply on these update posts.
_
TL;DR UPDATE
Fulfillment:
- Up to this date if you requested freebies due to delayed unfulfilled order I did make a note on your order.
- Orders are being shipped with those freebies included, aiming for completion during spring
- You will receive quality checked items (not B grades) unless I otherwise specifically communicated with you about giving you a B grade pin
Going forward:
- Any future campaigns will use a third party fulfillment service preventing delays like this from repeating
- My shop will probably either work the same or have small controlled opening periods
...Whew. I apologize for the text wall but I had a lot I wanted to say. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I also understand completely if you are frustrated with the delays - but I am making progress. I'll continue to update frequently as well.
Soupy
PROJECT UPDATE
Soupy
CREATOR
3 months ago
Project Update: Very Quick Update - Some delays
Hey guys,
Just wanted to give a very quick status update (I'm going to make an effort to be more frequent with communications)
As I mentioned in my previous post my plan was to resume fulfillment after returning from vending at Anime Los Angeles. To make a long story short, I got super sick almost immediately after the convention. I got a pretty terrible cold that put me out of commission for about a week already, then while I was still in the midst of my cold, all four people in my house including me got a nasty stomach flu... I was double sick and at the same time actively helping take care of my roommates who were all also getting sick. Basically this entire thing was pretty terrible and draining, and inhibited me from doing much of anything other than just recover for multiple weeks. I'm doing much better now so I will be able to resume normalcy.
I wanted to share an update since my initial goal was to tie up all loose ends one month from my return from Anime Los Angeles (January 12th) - these circumstances have delayed me substantially so most likely it will take me a few extra weeks. I am a college student at the same time and doing my best so please bear with me. I appreciate all of your patience and understanding so much.
Soupy
Just wanted to give a very quick status update (I'm going to make an effort to be more frequent with communications)
As I mentioned in my previous post my plan was to resume fulfillment after returning from vending at Anime Los Angeles. To make a long story short, I got super sick almost immediately after the convention. I got a pretty terrible cold that put me out of commission for about a week already, then while I was still in the midst of my cold, all four people in my house including me got a nasty stomach flu... I was double sick and at the same time actively helping take care of my roommates who were all also getting sick. Basically this entire thing was pretty terrible and draining, and inhibited me from doing much of anything other than just recover for multiple weeks. I'm doing much better now so I will be able to resume normalcy.
I wanted to share an update since my initial goal was to tie up all loose ends one month from my return from Anime Los Angeles (January 12th) - these circumstances have delayed me substantially so most likely it will take me a few extra weeks. I am a college student at the same time and doing my best so please bear with me. I appreciate all of your patience and understanding so much.
Soupy
PROJECT UPDATE
Soupy
CREATOR
4 months ago
Project Update: Please reply if you have not recieved your rewards!
Hi everyone, now that it is January 2026 I owe you all an update on the status of your rewards if you have not recieved them yet.
I had hoped to resolve all outstanding pledges by the year's end, I am very sorry that I failed to do so. I want to compensate everybody in a way that feels fair based on the extremity of the delay on my part.
If you prefer a full refund please let me know and I will get this to you as soon as I am able to. To be fully transparent, with the largest pledge sizes this will likely be more difficult for me and take longer than just shipping the items. If you still prefer this option then of course I will do my best to get a refund to you.
I want to offer anybody who has not received their items to this point 5 additional pin sets of your choice (excluding Bramble & Ash which are in low supply until I restock) that I will include and ship with your existing pledge as a compensation and thank you for waiting. If you'd like to take this option then please reply to this update post as soon as possible with your pledge number/confirmation number (should be in your email) and your five pin set choices. You can also comment if you prefer your pledge shipped as-is without any extras.
I want to be as transparent as possible so here's where I'm at right now:
I have two upcoming conventions in a row that I'm tabling at: Anthro Northwest (January 2-4) then Anime Los Angeles (January 8-11). Please don't think I am traveling frivolously and ignoring responsibilities. These conventions are important for me to recover funds so that I can begin issuing requested refunds. My intent is to resolve as many pledges as possible as soon as I return home from these conventions and ideally everything will be completed within one month from then.
If there are any issues with these solutions please let me know. I am trying my best to compensate everybody properly for the unexpected delays in reward fulfillment. Please know that I am working hard to restructure my business in a way that will prevent a scenario like this from reoccurring. Making art like this has always been a dream of mine and I am eternally grateful for the support I have recieved to make it possible. I was overly ambitious and tried to take on more than I could handle and I will learn from this experience. I thank you so much for your patience and understanding.
Soupy
I had hoped to resolve all outstanding pledges by the year's end, I am very sorry that I failed to do so. I want to compensate everybody in a way that feels fair based on the extremity of the delay on my part.
If you prefer a full refund please let me know and I will get this to you as soon as I am able to. To be fully transparent, with the largest pledge sizes this will likely be more difficult for me and take longer than just shipping the items. If you still prefer this option then of course I will do my best to get a refund to you.
I want to offer anybody who has not received their items to this point 5 additional pin sets of your choice (excluding Bramble & Ash which are in low supply until I restock) that I will include and ship with your existing pledge as a compensation and thank you for waiting. If you'd like to take this option then please reply to this update post as soon as possible with your pledge number/confirmation number (should be in your email) and your five pin set choices. You can also comment if you prefer your pledge shipped as-is without any extras.
I want to be as transparent as possible so here's where I'm at right now:
I have two upcoming conventions in a row that I'm tabling at: Anthro Northwest (January 2-4) then Anime Los Angeles (January 8-11). Please don't think I am traveling frivolously and ignoring responsibilities. These conventions are important for me to recover funds so that I can begin issuing requested refunds. My intent is to resolve as many pledges as possible as soon as I return home from these conventions and ideally everything will be completed within one month from then.
If there are any issues with these solutions please let me know. I am trying my best to compensate everybody properly for the unexpected delays in reward fulfillment. Please know that I am working hard to restructure my business in a way that will prevent a scenario like this from reoccurring. Making art like this has always been a dream of mine and I am eternally grateful for the support I have recieved to make it possible. I was overly ambitious and tried to take on more than I could handle and I will learn from this experience. I thank you so much for your patience and understanding.
Soupy
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