Since calling it quits on his former venture, Portable Scores, Bob Baddeley already has moved on to another startup.
This past spring, Baddeley met Brad Zdroik, CEO of Wisconsin-based Deep Freeze Fishing, which launched in 2012. The two connected over an idea simple in theory, but difficult in execution: wireless tip-up sensors that also can send alerts to an angler’s smartphone.
“While talking to Brad about (an) injection-molding company, he found out I do electronics and told me about his idea for a wireless tip-up sensor,” Baddeley said. “After hearing it, I thought it was a good idea. I’d already gotten to understand most of the technology related to the wireless communication with a smartphone while working on the (Portable Scores) scoreboard, so it was relatively simple to figure out how to make it work.”
The connection came at the perfect time, as it would allow Bob, Brad and Ryan Zdroik (Brad’s brother and Deep Freeze’s sales and marketing officer) just enough time to get their newest idea into production in time for the upcoming ice-fishing season.
The result of their collaboration was Blue Tipz, the first hybrid sensor to combine a wireless phone alert with a bright LED tip-up light, both of which let anglers know of bites on their line.
Users can download the free Blue Tipz app for either the iPhone or Android devices and wirelessly sync their devices to their Blue Tipz sensor attached to the their tip-up. Each sensor has a unique signature, so anglers can be assured that they are receiving alerts for their own specific tip-up line.
Baddeley believes it’s this combination that will provide Blue Tipz with its advantage in the marketplace, saying “nothing combines the two so seamlessly, with such great battery life and such an easy interface. I think the strongest feature is that it is so technologically advanced, yet so simple to use.”
Developing a product from concept to marketplace in six months is no easy task, admitted Baddeley. The team faced an array of challenges throughout the prototyping and testing processes.
“Ice fishing is a seasonal market, and we had a hard deadline,” Baddeley said. “We were barely able to accomplish it, and we were extremely lucky to get into some stores as late in the season as we did. Development was a lot of late nights and weekends fretting over every single aspect.”
In addition to being sold on the Deep Freeze website, Blue Tipz also is currently available for purchase at several Scheel’s Sporting Goods locations and a variety of local bait shops. The device sells for $39.95, or in a two-device packaged deal at $69.95.
While Deep Freeze also sells other ice-fishing products, including the “One-Shot Pro” ice skimmer, used for quickly removing slush from drill holes, the Blue Tipz line appears to be the major focus of Deep Freeze’s efforts. For now the plan is to market and grow the Deep Freeze brand as much as possible by all means necessary–even if that means visiting some shanties on the ice this winter, said Baddeley, who is optimistic about the future of the company.
“I’ve been looking for a long time for a good team, one where I could focus on the tech and let the others focus on sales and business,” Baddeley said. “With Brad and Ron, I finally felt like I had that, and it has been a pleasure to work with them and completely trust them to take care of their parts. We’ve been on the same page every step of the way and help each other through challenges.”
