When NASA launches a new rocket ship into the sky, it takes about 500 space experts to make sure things go smoothly. At Rocketbook, we have our own crew who make sure our newest notebooks have successful take-offs.

Today you’ll meet two brave co-pilots of our product team: Lukas and Steven. Tinkering enthusiasts, these two space cadets are responsible for navigating through the complex galaxy of rings, Page Packs and Zoom calls to prepare for launching Rocketbook Axis on Kickstarter.

So put on some safety goggles, slide on your gloves and get to know Lukas and Steven:

Lukas: Problem Solver

As a product engineer, Lukas got his formal training in industrial design, where he honed is craftsmanship and got a taste for entrepreneurship. Through starting his own business, Lukas gained mechanical engineering experience and grew more passionate about product development.

Ultimately, these interests and skillsets aligned nicely for him to join the Rocket Squad and make a major impact on the Rocketbook Axis.

Catch 22

Lukas had conflicting goals while designing the spine of the Axis. Firstly, he needed to ensure the Page Packs connected to the notebook securely, even when space travel got rough. On the flip side, the Page Packs had to be truly modular, so they could easily and fluidly swapped in and out, as needed. No worries, though, as Lukas’ background in problem solving helped him design the Axis spine to be both sturdy and versatile.

Steven: Collaboration Guru

When he joined the Rocket Squad, Steven didn’t know building and launching a product with a remote team would be in his job description. Yet, with coworkers spread out between Cambridge, Providence and Boston, he had to improvise ways how to safely and effectively develop the Axis.

This meant plenty of Zoom calls, masked meet-ups to look over prototypes, and even more Zoom meetings for department-wide conversations.

Destroy, Build, Destroy

You might think “destroying” a Rocketbook Axis wouldn’t be the best way to test a product…but, destructive testing was a key component in creating a spine strong enough to withstand heavy notetaking and modular enough to allow for a new method of notetaking.

Destructive testing involves pushing a product prototype to its limits to figure out how strong and resilient the product actually is. Through a variety of rips, tears, and pulls, Steven and the product team finally settled on a spine design that kept sound structure and seamless modularity.

Working out all the kinks, quirks, and possible calamities of our young Rocketbook prototypes isn’t an easy job. Thanks to Lukas, Steven, and some feedback from Rocketbook fans, though, it’s possible.

If you think you could help our team in developing the universe’s coolest reusable products, good news: we’re hiring! And make sure to check out our new modular Rocketbook Axis on Kickstarter to be one of the first to experience the fruit of all of Lukas’ and Steven’s efforts.