15 facts about Felt

#1 Felt is run by a tiny team of four in Ōtautahi Christchurch.


#2 Between them, the Felt team holds:

A 1st Class Bachelor of Arts with Honours majoring in History, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Post-Grad Diploma in Museum Studies, a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications, a National Certificate in Horticulture, a Certificate in Organic Horticulture, a Certificate in Rural Health & Safety, a Bachelor of Applied Management (Marketing), and a New Zealand Diploma in Business. A further Certificate in Horticulture and a Post-Grad Diploma in Sustainable Practices soon to be completed…

 


#3 Felt’s developer Marcel met his partner Emma through Felt, and now they have two beautiful boys.


#4 The Felt extended family includes chickens Pam and Tam, and Irish Wolfhound Charlie.

 


#5 Felt was named for the idea of feelings…
…the physical, tactile connections we feel with materials and made objects, the emotional response we have to beautiful things, and the connection we feel when we share an experience with another human being. And of course there’s the maker connection to the material felt and the ancient craft of felting.

 


#6 Felt lives on a server in Christchurch.
When the Christchurch earthquake happened and grid power went out, an onsite backup generator started and powered the data centre for about four days until mains power was restored. There was no outage while the power switched over due to an onsite battery UPS. Isn’t technology incredible?

 


#7 Felt’s busiest day to date was Saturday 2 May, 2020.


#8 There are Felt sellers from Kaitaia to Bluff.
The northernmost Felt shop is Wooden Kiwi, and the southernmost is Jupiter & Pip.

 


#9 Felt sellers have sent their work to buyers in 56 countries around the world, from Antarctica to the Seychelles.


#10 The Felt team works entirely remotely.
There’s a good chance they’re answering your support request in their pajamas. So professional.

 


 #11 This is what Felt looked like in the very beginning, June 2007:
What Felt looked like in the very beginning, June 2007.

 


#12 For seven years Felt shared an office in central Christchurch with…
…tech buddies Builderscrack, brought together by a shared love of Marcel and his beautiful code.

 


#13 Three quarters of the Felt team have their own Felt shop.


#14 When Felt launched…
…Facebook had been open to the public for just 8 months, Twitter was about to turn 1, and Instagram and Pinterest were but twinkles in the eyes of their founders. MySpace and Bebo were the platforms du jour, and it would be another few years before smartphones were widely available.

 


#15 After 15 years, Felt remains completely New Zealand owned and operated, and dedicated to creating an environment in which good Kiwi craftsmanship can thrive.