GabitalEN
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Product diversification is a strategy in which a company expands its range of products(or even branches into a completely different field) to reduce its business risks and increase revenues.
MrRandom314159
It'll need an axle, but it's a good way to prove you have a superior product.
TheCrimsonRaven
Are we sure project Molotov is still off the table? I spent all night making these...
ElbowDeepInAGoblin
These comics should be standard curriculum. I wouldn't have fallen asleep in economics class if I was ho---rribly interested in the adventures of Gabi and friends.
specicom
Just checked out OP's gallery and found there's a whole bunch of these. Delightful!
Kaleopolitus
Wonder what happened to this. It's been a while since the last update.
TheFastpaws
I really want them to win.
vilito55
Found her in WoW :)
HydyxtheMad
She's going to forget to get a patent on her wheels and the boss is going to come in and claim the patent.. isnt he?
thefadedmoon
Or take the design as his own as per contract as an employee/leasee?
bendaresall
Genius! GENIUS!!! Go go go!!
whitefoxkei
I am loving Gabi's genius
Hexrowe
_Technically,_ carts have two wheels (and thus no problem turning). Four wheels makes it a wagon.
TripleDane
https://www.askdifference.com/wagon-vs-cart/
MaliceQahwah
Chief will find a way to screw them after which hopefully they just eat him.
MrKNRJ
create a problem and sell the solution
Aurentis
What about when the problem already exists?
They're not creating a problem, they're identifying one. And trying to solve it.
Hoomiku
Ah, but the back wheels might struggle with slipping in turns, which CONVENIENTLY means you can adapt the small wheels after a bit of thinking to make a differential, and now you're REALLY cooking on the cart design circuit.
sadurdaynight
Gabi bout to learn about patents and patent theft
sadurdaynight
Meaning chief will see her idea, patent it, then sue her
ryry1237
Innovation! But alas first prototypes are usually subject to all sorts of issues.
thefadedmoon
This is why products are free/cheap to alpha and beta testers, or inside testing is a thing.
thefadedmoon
It took me a couple of comment replies to realize that Gabby is onto the wheels clearing the cart floor. This is one step behind axle suspension.
ryry1237
Eagerly awaiting the next update.
Valorn
Sadly there won't be more on here. According to a comment on their Boosty page, imgur banned them from posting here.
RaytheForgetful
HUH? Do we know why?
FreshwaterViking
Muffyns
Squee gabi time
thefadedmoon
If smaller shinier wheels become trendy, she can make a fast short profit. Being trendy is always a bad gamble.
HEXtheDark
The true answer to "strikes aren't working" is more strikes. And corporate sabotage. But mostly more strikes.
MissPhoenix56
They just need to invent the mechanism that allows the wheels to turn on their own axis, rather than turning the whole axle. I couldn’t find the name of it though.
BoblovesMac31415101
Tiny wooden cart wheels are not viable, the smaller radius means irregular surfaces are not ridden over rather impacted, resulting in more broken wheels.
That's why the front of carriages had a raised wheel arch.
Only with the introduction of paved road surfaces are these wheels introduced.
WhatYouEgg4472
Checking exterior shots, it looks like the streets are paved with flagstones, and not uneven at all. At least for work around the city, and maybe on-road travel if this is common, it looks like small wheels would be fine. Possibly the use of big wheels is a legacy issue in this society, hearkening back to the days of cobbles and rough ground?
spontaneous9
LupusLilium
Also the problem is they've got stuff to make wheels on hand, but her drawing shows needing a whole new axel system as well. Do they have the materials and experience to create whole new front axels? Will customers want to buy both new wheels and axels? Customers don't always want to trust something new they've never seen before, does Gabi have enough money on hand to not only create prototypes but to pay people to demonstrate her new product? What's the lifetime expectancy of these new wheels?
Dannoboyo
The cartoon implies the existence of decent roads. It is just an example of innovation. What you are saying is similar to saying electrical cars aren’t viable because we don’t have the infrastructure, when in fact they are already pretty mainstream. It is just an argument based on assumptions. It takes a lot to make a decent cartoon series that isn’t glib. It is always easier to cut something down than it is to create something worthwhile. Be creative anyway
TripleDane
Falke u so dum...
Redyls
not just diversification. id also call this innovating a better product to out compete your competition.
barnwolf
Except there's a good reason they don't put small wheels on carts. Gabby is gambling this will work and she can't afford for it to fail.
thefadedmoon
To be fair, there's good reasons that stock cars don't have small wheels, thin tires, or high cambers. People pay loads to do it, despite the reasons stock is better.
HalloIamherenow
Might depend on the intended use for the cart in this case. I could see the wheels wearing and tearing very easily on long haul cart trips on roads between cities, but if you're only using it to say... move a harvest to a barn for storage until you can sell it the improved manueverability may outweigh durability issue, especially if they sell small wheels for cheaper if it requires less raw material.
Kehy
Within confines of a town or city, that manuverability would be really useful
Muffyns
when next gabii feels like forevers :(
The701
/gallery/Mf7ALFD/comment/2459661683 Yet another brilliant business decision. MAXIMUM ENSHITTIFICATION!!!
ThingsThatDontJustifyGenocide
Chief don't got small wheels, after all.
barnwolf
Gabby also doesn't have any small wheels.
houghten
Yes, but her workforce isn't on strike and Chief's is. His stockpile of large wheels is allowing him to weather it for now *and* undercut Gabi's prices at the same time.
qtRaven
Chief will copy their idea.
reineseele
Or what i fear is he will make dubious claims that the product is inferior and not robust enough. slander <-
Zeterai
And then patent it because they didn't do it first, presumably.
syrane303
Eventually yes, but if his workforce isn't producing them, could give Gabi the edge for a while
syrane303
*edit* as long as the new product is a success (forgot to add that at the end)
qtRaven
True.
Monkeynutsjoe
Clever, Chief can't undercut them as he has no stockpile of small wheels.
wurth
Maybe chief also has a fleet of bicycles. But alas, I spoke out of turn
Fengor
No, that's when chief reveals he owns the patent for small wheels and demands they stop making them or give him a cut.
darkstarmc
Patent*
reineseele
A corrupt businessman will have some lawyers ready to block this new product with bogus lawsuits till they are bankrupt cause they cant sell
darkstarmc
I know it's a joke but I doubt you could patent small wheels. You could patent a specific design of small wheel if it's weird enjoy or the system for guiding the wheels but "round but smaller" probably wouldn't fly unless it was a computer parent
Fentex
A man in Australia patented the wheel (to show up flaws in a change intended to speed up patent applications). For this comic being sued to stop competition by a claim a patent makes perfect sense, and demonstrates the flaws in patent systems. It's not Innovation that is rewarded; legal tactics and funds are.
TheWombatStrikesAgain
I don't think 'existing thing, but smaller' is a patentable design, but then again this is both fantasy and capitalism, so...
fightkostka6
they are making them in his workshop; he probably has a loophole in where any idea they create he owns
OverthinkingThis
Chief could have the patent for the idea from a previous attempt but intentionally suppressed it due to higher expenses/maintenance or some such
DukeDarkwood
.... or, he came up with and patented the idea specifically to sit on it and prevent a better solution from ruining his business.
*sigh* I hate how quickly I came to this conclusion.
Alvaren
Seeing how Nintendo patented and won a case on *checks notes* "Throwing ANY object to capture a creature" I'd say this is very believable
Linkboy9
Sorry, last I checked Nintendo hadn't won that case, and were in fact filing *more* patents to try and win it. Has something changed?
Alvaren
Yea I just heard 40 minutes ago they are losing it as well, I had heard they had won it and acquired Pocket Pair, but seems that was wrong? Currently seems Pocket Pair is doing great at defending themselves and in turn several other games.