We’ve spent a lot of time talking about the technology, the unit economics, and our backgrounds in robotics. But today, I want to share a story about the most important part of p!ng: the people who actually use it.

In our newest podcast episode, Rob sits down with Jon Kelley, a local EMT from Lowell, MA. Jon isn't just one of our Day One customers from our initial pilot—he is the person who effectively convinced us to launch this crowdfunding round.

Jon’s story showcases why p!ng is appealing to customers:

• The "Green Pod" Discovery: Jon describes what it was like seeing a futuristic robot appear in Lowell, MA and now Hudson, NH, and why he immediately ditched his daily Dunkin’ run for it.

• The "EMT Test": When you’re an EMT, you don’t have time for a "coffee adventure" or a 15-minute line. Jon explains how the geofencing and customer detection tech ensures his drink is fresh the second he pulls up—no talk, no tip, no waiting.

• From Customer to Owner: Jon loved the experience so much he literally showed up and asked how he could invest. He’s a huge reason we decided to open this round to our community on Wefunder.

We talk about how, during the pilot, 67% of our orders were from repeat customers, but Jon is the face of that data. People don't come back just because the robots are cool; they come back because the drinks are better and the experience is frictionless.

As Jon says in the episode, he’s betting on the "next wave of retail."