Looking Back at 2020 | Year End Review
2020 has been a… learning experience, to say the least! While this year did NOT go how we thought it would, the Knack Team wanted to take a step back and share some of the big milestones we experienced in 2020.
2020 was a busy year, so we’ve organized this post into a few sections:
- Feel Good News
- Helpful Resources (that you may have missed)
- New Products
- Knack Pack Laptop Backpack Reviews
We couldn’t have done any of this without the Knackpacker community (that’s you!), and we’re excited you joined us in living a One Bag Life in 2020.
Some "Feel Good" News
We could all use some good news, right? Let’s start here:
Healthcare Heroes | Knack’s Nominate a Nurse Program
This past spring, we saw Healthcare Heroes show up for people around the world. The Knack Team wanted to do something to help our healthcare workers (beyond staying home and wearing masks!) so we created the “Nominate a Nurse” program. This initiative was a Knackpacker-driven program, and it was made possible with the support of the Knack community.
With your help, we gifted Knack Packs to nurses across the USA, to help make their lives a bit easier. Read the stories from this program here.
Helpful Resources for You:
Remote Job Search & Remote Work Tips Blog Post Series
Before March, the Knack Team had developed a good amount of content for Knackpackers that we planned to share throughout 2020. Then, in March, we realized that this content was no longer really relevant. We loved being able to help nurses, and we wanted to offer other helpful resources to Knackpackers.
So we headed to social media, and we asked what info and resources you needed. From there, we launched two blog post series:
- Remote Work Tips: The Knack Team is 100% remote, and this series was full of helpful tips (like working remotely with your partner and leading a remote team).
- Remote Job Search: A lot of people found themselves looking for a new job in 2020, so we interviewed five professional recruiters to get actionable info on how to conduct a job search in our newly remote world.
Chase Reeves & the Ideal Mobile Office Kit
After we published these series, we also received requests for tips on what products to use in a home office. We collaborated with one of our favorite YouTubers, Chase Reeves, to share a video on how to work from anywhere. Chase reviewed his favorite must-have remote work products (including the Knack Pack laptop backpack), with his signature humor and style.
Business Tips | Startup Advice from Knack Founders, Chad & Keith
Finally, the last resources you may have missed came from Knack leadership! Knack CEO, Chad Mellen, and Knack CDO, Keith Bristol, are professional bag nerds. This year, they shared their perspective on DTC business, bag design and other helpful startup tips on these three podcasts:
New Product Releases!
Next up on our review is new product releases. The Knack design team was able to make magic happen this year, creating a new and helpful products for Knackpackers. Here are the products we launched:
New Backpacks | Limited Edition & Series 2 Knack Packs
This year we released a Limited Edition Medium Knack Pack with special features, as well as the Series 2 Knack Pack collection. It was hard to contain our excitement, but we were able to share these surprise drops with Knackpackers first before launching to the public.
(Want to be the first to learn of new product drops? Be sure to join our email list!)
New Accessories | Compressible Shoe Bags, TSA-Approved Lock, Medium Packing Insert & New Packing Cubes
This year, the Knack Design Team was STOKED to release four new accessory styles. All Knack accessories are designed with the singular goal of making life easier.
Compressible Shoe Bags: Packing a pair of shoes (especially if you’re using your Knack Pack for an outdoor workout), can result in, shall we say, debris in your luggage compartment! The Knack Compressible Shoe Bags help keep your Knack Pack tidy, protect your shoes – and save space!
TSA-Approved Travel Lock: Knackpackers have been asking for a TSA-Approved Travel Lock since almost the day we launched. Our new lock helps secure your bag wherever you may go.
Medium Packing Insert: We had a number of Knackpackers ask us how they could more easily pack and unpack the Knack Pack’s travel compartment. The Packing Insert is our answer. It perfectly fits into a Medium Series 1 or Series 2 travel compartment and allows you to pack the Insert and simply drop it into your Knack Pack and, when you get to your destination, take it out and put it into a drawer!
New Packing Cubes: We released a new version of the expandable Knack Packing Cubes, redesigning the mesh window so you can better see what’s inside!
Knack Pack Expandable Backpack Reviews
Figuring out if a product is going to be a fit for you can be tough, so the Knack Team also sent out Knack Packs for honest reviews from people outside of the company. We were excited to have reviewers from big publications like GQ, US News and The Gadgeteer describe Knack Pack as an ideal laptop backpack in 2020.
There were also some excellent reviews on YouTube, which we’ve linked below!
- Traveling Salseros: Review of the Series 2 Knack Pack
- Chase Reeves: Review of the Knack Pack as a mobile work backpack
- Wicked Critter: Review of the Small Knack Pack
- Desy Cheng: Review of the Medium Knack Pack 2.0
- Loida Velsaquez: Review of the Knack Pack as a real estate agent
- Stuff and Things: Review of Medium Expandable Knack Pack 2.0
- The Burks and Beyond: Review of using a Knack Pack as a digital nomad
What will 2021 Hold…?
That’s a wrap, Knackpackers! We cannot express how much we appreciate your support, design feedback and reviews of the new Knack products. Thank you!
We’ve got some excellent surprises in store for 2021 and the best way to learn about them is by joining the Knack email list. Email subscribers learn about product drops and other offers before anyone else!
