Tobias and Fredrik talk to Erez Zukerman, CEO and co-founder of Ergodox EZ, creators of the ergonomic mechanical keyboard of the same name. Tobias is a fan and user since a while back, and Erez tells us about why you decide to make a keyboard, how you manage to ship hardware on time the first time, how things are going and a little bit about what’s in store for the future of Ergodox EZ. We wrap up with a few listener questions. If you have more, just send them to Erez or us, we will grab any reasons to talk even more about keyboards! Thanks a lot for taking the time Erez!

Thank you Cloudnet for sponsoring our VPS!

Comments, questions or tips? We are @kodsnack, @tobiashieta, @oferlund and @bjoreman on Twitter, have a page on Facebook and can be emailed at [email protected] if you want to write longer. We read everything we receive.

If you enjoy Kodsnack we would love a review in iTunes!

Links

Ergodox EZ Erez Zukerman Dominic Beauchamp Dmitry Slepov Tibbo Massdrop Kinesis advantage Ortholinear keyboards • - keys are in aligned lines, rather than offset

Microsoft natural keyboard Kinesis advantage 2 Colemak Dvorak Truly ergonomic Mathias ergo pro Keyboardio Ultimate hacking keyboard Shenzen OEM • - original equipment manufacturer

Indiegogo Cherry keyswitches Gateron • - another manufacturer of keyswitches

Key chatter Kailh switches Kailh bronze • (thick gold)

Typing, Ghost in the shell style MX speed silver TMK QMK Jack Humbert olkb.co The keyboard configurator web interface Maxim Gladkov Basecamp DHH pimpmykeyboard.com Signature plastics • Florian Degran

React Mobx State tree Graphql Ergodox EZ on Twitter

Titles

• Me wanting a keyboard

• A lot of money for me to pay for a box of parts

• Ortholinear and bowl-shaped

• Just because it was cool and expensive

• I went from being able to type 120 words per minute to being able to type 10

• The full strange experience

• My first foray into hardware

• We shipped on time

• Go with the right partner

• The interests are aligned

• Extreme transparency

• Each keyswitch is a moving part

• We’re sorry, we have an enormous lead time

• Thousands of keyswitches which we can’t use

• Big enough to get Cherry’s attention

• I’m still emotional about that

• Developing software is my refuge

• Such a gangster name for a keyswitch

• Like typing on popcorn

• The key pushed the socket out of the PCB

• Direct support from the plastic

• Just like you pull a tooth

• Be genuinely nice

• Favor-driven development

• A number of frantic pairing sessions

• I’m not looking for the hockey stick

• We’re not great for everyone

• We make it in an office building in Taiwan

• We pay models to hang out with the keyboard

• I don’t try to convince you

• I give you the facts and I trust you

• Geeking out with keyboards