The world of Clicking
Imagine a world filled with sounds. Not just any sound, the clicking sounds, textile clicking sounds from keyboard and mouse. Click, Click, Click, Click… Do you hear that? In the post office, coffee shops, bus stations, libraries,, dorm room… Click, Click.
But for now, you’re stuck in your college dorm room, the sounds from your gaming addict co-ed is driving you absolutely insane. Click, Click, Click, Click….
In 2009, MOBA, stands for multiplayer online battle arena, without any doubt, was the biggest phenomenon that lit the youth world on fire. PC games alone ate up hundreds, if not thousands of hours from young scholars at the time, who could’ve gone on to become philosophers, composers, doctors, engineers, teachers, bankers, lawyers, politicians… but couldn’t…Click, Click.
Like the way society is designed, majority of college students never make it to the other side. The fire was too tempting for a moth to resist, waiting for sunrise is never an easy feat. Click, Click.
So onto our faces we fall, and we fall hard. Staring directly at the “report card”, startled, not sure why or how. You used to be so good at achieving that A+, being a professor’s favorite comes natural and certain. So where do these C’s and D’s come from? This couldn’t be my grades, could they? Oh… but they are yours, and they come with a hefty price tag, too.
What’s worse than flunking classes? Flunking glasses in the most anti-social way possible. Hardcore gamers like you don’t socialize with everyday people beyond the hello / how’s it going’s, and reaching beyond socially accepted spherical conversation boundaries that would require finding the most accepting people with big welcoming hearts, are just so darn rare… and a bit taboo. So we recluse into the shadows, night becomes our most intimate friend. Click, click.
And the worst of these all, is losing your health, too. At age 23, I was happily diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Why happily? Well, before experiencing this first hand, CTS were only words you hear from the Pro’s and super hardcore players who brag about their 96 hour nonstop self-imposed game-a-thons. Like my college buddy that bragged on about the story of his sister beating God of War hardest level in under a week…
On the physical side, the pain was real, too real. After struggled with it over, and over, and over, and over again… finally I had to give it all up not because it was already destroying my grades and personal life… but the severity of my injury and the complications that brought on with it. The most unacceptable of it all, alas, I couldn’t win! Not even against those noobs!
So I took a walk, a long walk… a 5 year walking away from the PC gaming scene, all while esports was just at the pinnacle of birth: superstars were made, national championships that would shock the world with $5 million prize pools, but I couldn’t do anything but watched… and walked.
Life is hard after college, with no fraternizing connections, internship experience, where could an recent undergrad graduate look for a sweet spot, and rock my own world? Job search after job search after job search after job search, and nothing. The frustration made my hand hurt more, pain was a harsh distraction and constantly reminded me of choices I made earlier.
In the next 5 years, I’d quit gaming cold turkey and did everything I could to just survive. Most of the jobs I held never paid over $2500 a month, with little money I saved, I put it towards design, patent filing and attorney fees. My good friend Jordan had taught me how to do categorical patent search and provisional patent filing on my own for only $65 dollars.
After filing the patents, I went on to look for manufacturers that would help me create my invention, the RBT — Right ‘Bove Touch mouse. From one of my temporary jobs, I’ve learned the existence of the Consumer Electronics Show. So I went to CES for two years straight, with absolutely zero result. The third year I brought with me a presentation board and showed it to random people passing by at the entrance of second show floor at Sands Expo. Nothing happened that year. I felt like a moron after bumping into a neighborhood friend. It was very embarrassing. Click, click.
But I was all in. I knew I had no way out. So after shaking it off, I went back to CES the following year… with a 3D model, and an overly well prepared sales pitch. I got a few maybes, but I was not gonna settle with that. So I followed up with phone calls after the show, a month later.
I then visited Dong Guan, China for the first time in my life, convinced everyone at the factory to give this silly idea a shot, and had my first working prototype 2 months later. Click, Click…
This was going to solve my carpal tunnel problem. After having created the first prototype and used it for over 5 months, I’ve noticed apparent difference and felt my hand was healing. 18 months later, I’ve become free of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Today, I game casually 1–4 hours a day, switching between Diablo 3, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch in-between making phone calls and writing emails. Sometimes, I travel, for work, for RBT. Click…click..click..click…
Life is a beautiful journey, so take a walk…
Rabbit mouse — RBT Rebel Real 1.112 Finger Resting Ergonomic Mouse
Quadraclicks Gaming
