# Confidential Binder
## Confidential Binder
CRAVE STRATEGY DOSSIER
CONFIDENTIAL WORKING REFERENCE
Prepared: May 14, 2026 | Call scheduled: [DATE / TIME — add when booked] | For: Megan Kilpatrick | Private use only
SHOPIFY
Confirmed Platform Stack
4–6 WK
Phase 1 Fast Path Target
3
Build Paths to Present (Fast / Middle / Full)
10
Total Evidence Assets in Gallery
:icon-alert-triangle:
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT — READ BEFORE THE CALL
Do **NOT** quote pricing numbers on the call. Do **NOT** bring up other ventures (FCDSE, STEAM Academy, CDBG, Big Cyster). Let Ti dictate the budget reality. The apology is already written and she released you from it — do not re-open it. Do **NOT** oversell. Do **NOT** fill silence. Do **NOT** commit to a timeline before you understand her stack. Listen first. Pitch second. Go in as a peer, not someone hoping to be picked.
:icon-info:
STATUS: TI HAS REPLIED — SHE'S IN
Ti's DM response (May 2026): **"Omg, I'm so sorry to hear about your family. No apologies needed, and absolutely love to reconnect. Let's move this to my email. Whats your email again?"** — Followed by: **"I so appreciate your message. Srsly AuDHD unite. Will email you soon!"** The pitch has landed. The call is the close. Your only job now is to listen, learn her constraints, and pick a path.
00B. Goals for the Call — Read First
| # | Goal | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Reconnect warmly — the relationship is the foundation, not the project | Open with genuine check-in. She gave grace on the delay. Honour that. |
| 2 | Listen first — Ti's vision for the post-Amazon pivot drives the build | Your pitch is already done. The call is about her constraints, not your ideas. |
| 3 | Land on a direction (Fast / Middle / Full) before the call ends | The three paths table in Section 03 is your read-the-room tool. |
| 4 | Agree on Phase 1 scope and rough timeline | Don't commit to a date before you understand her stack and your own bandwidth. |
| 5 | Schedule a follow-up working session within 7 days | Momentum lives in the next concrete step — get it booked before the call ends. |
| 6 | Get a soft yes on hybrid pricing (reduced rate + product/credit) | Don't quote a number. Anchor to the concept — details in the 48-hr proposal. |
What Ti Already Knows About You
| She Knows | She Does NOT Know — Keep It Out |
| --- | --- |
| Photographer she trusts — "your photos are gorgeous" (her words) | Four Corners Digital Safety & Education (FCDSE) |
| Featured in Crave Culture (March 2026) — real creative collab history | STEAM Photography Academy or any EdTech work |
| Fellow AuDHD — she signed off "AuDHD unite" in last DM | CDBG grant pursuit |
| You dropped the ball on the gallery handoff (mom + custody) — she gave grace immediately | Big Cyster / any other ventures |
| Business: MWM Photography LLC | Anything that muddies the fashion/design pitch |
0. Relationship Timeline — How We Got Here
| Date | Event | Outcome / Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Megan DMs @lovecrave — sends 4 photos of Vesper 2 in the wild. little_miss_ink also tags Crave. | Crave hearts it. Ti personally responds: "your photos are gorgeous" |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Megan asks about Lash Belt 2 (magnetic rose gold, big enough for her hips). Offers to send model releases. | Ti: "Genuinely out of stock. Will keep you top of mind. What's your email?" |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Megan gives email (megan@boudieful.com), mentions Bass Chains custom necklace for loop earplugs to match Crave stack. | Ti hearts it. Warm connection established. |
| Jan 11, 2026 | Megan sends 6 photos. Mentions story tag with Vesper 2 + cuffs. Invites @lovecrave as collaborator. | Ti sees the story tag. Story content: "Who needs the Vesper 2 and cuffs from @lovecrave… YOU DO" |
| Jan 18, 2026 | Megan DMs again: loving the site updates, asks about Lash Belt 2 again (magnetic rose gold, big hips). Offers model releases. | Ti replies: "your photos are gorgeous" — confirms Lash Belt out of stock, will review images, asks for email |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Ti DMs: "I would love to feature your work in our quarterly Crave Culture for March — full credit + link back to IG/website." Also: "great to meet another fellow AuDHD ;-) X, Ti" | Crave Culture March feature CONFIRMED. Relationship = mutual, warm, peer-level. |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Megan agrees enthusiastically. Promises to send photos tomorrow. Notes she forgot to email originally. | Ti: "Aww thanks lady! I appreciate you!" — This is where the ball got dropped (mom + custody). |
| May 2026 | Megan re-opens with app pitch DM. Apology for going silent. References Amazon lockout + Poland AI glitch. Pitches mobile app. | Ti: "No apologies needed, absolutely love to reconnect. Let's move to email. AuDHD unite. Will email you soon!" |
1. Who Is Ti Chang — Full Profile
**Ti Chang — Co-Founder & Designer, Crave (lovecrave.com)**
Co-founded with Michael. Women-led SF micro-factory. First sex tech brand to debut at CES (2020). Saint Laurent Valentine's Day collab (2020). Red Dot Design Award winner. Madonna is a confirmed Crave fan — Ti has referenced this publicly as a brand credibility marker. Philosophy: "Objects for life's most intimate moments should be beautiful." Brand voice: authentic, independent, design-obsessed. Tagline: "Onward and upward." She obsesses over craft. She will respond to quality and intentionality. **She already called your photos gorgeous and featured you in Crave Culture.** Match her energy — peer to peer.
2. Website Intelligence (lovecrave.com — Recon Complete)
Platform confirmed as **Shopify**. This is the single most important recon finding — Tapcart and other Shopify-native app builders are plug-and-play with zero re-platforming risk. The pitch writes itself.
| Finding | Detail | App Opportunity |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "MyVibes" page | Listed in site footer under Shop — no content visible, purpose unclear. Possibly a personalisation/quiz feature. | If it's a quiz/matching tool: native app is the obvious home. If dormant: worth asking Ti what it was meant to be. |
| Platform | Shopify (confirmed via checkout flow, cart behavior, CDN URLs) | Tapcart / Vajro / custom Shopify mobile app — zero re-platforming needed |
| "Shop Live!" nav item | Top-nav link exists but no live shopping infrastructure visible — dead link | This is waiting to be activated — app is the obvious home for it |
| "Become a CRAVE VIP" email | Email CTA on homepage — no push notification layer exists | App push notifications for drops get 40–60% open rates vs. ~20% email |
| CRAVE Culture page | Dedicated editorial/culture section already exists at /pages/culture | BTS content, editorial, community live naturally inside an app feed |
| 19 active SKUs | 3 collections: Pleasure Jewelry, Fine Bedside Products, Accessories | Clean catalog — easy to structure inside an app with zero bloat |
| Free shipping threshold | $125+ free US shipping — prominently displayed | In-app cart nudges ("$X away from free shipping") dramatically increase AOV |
| Pleasure Guarantee | 30-day returns, 1-yr warranty, 5-yr extended coverage | VIP loyalty / warranty tracking in-app — clearly differentiated from Amazon |
3. The Three Paths — Decision Framework
Present all three paths. Do **NOT** push one. Let her tell you which one her gut pulls toward. Her answer will reveal her runway, her urgency, and her ambition level — all at once.
| Signal / Variable | FAST PATH (Tapcart) 2–4 wks | MIDDLE PATH (PWA) 4–8 wks | FULL NATIVE 3–6 months |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Timeline | 2–4 weeks | 4–8 weeks | 3–6 months |
| Budget feel | Lowest — SaaS subscription + setup | Mid — design + dev hours | Highest — real dev investment |
| Brand control | Templated, polished | High — fully custom UX | Total — every pixel yours |
| Live shopping | Tapcart Live module | Integrate Bambuser / similar | Build native streams |
| When she says… | "We need this fast." | "It needs to feel like CRAVE." | "This is a long-term investment." |
MEGAN'S RECOMMENDATION (share after she picks a direction)
Start Fast Path (Tapcart, 4–6 weeks) so the community has somewhere to land NOW. Then layer the bespoke Middle Path experience once you see how people use it. Phase 1: app live, community migrated, first live shopping event scheduled. Phase 2: custom UX layer, membership features, website refresh to match.
4. The Pitch — Why This Matters for Crave Specifically
THE CORE INSIGHT TO OPEN WITH
Crave already built the infrastructure for an app — they just don't have the app yet. There's a live shopping nav link going nowhere, a VIP email list with no push layer, a Culture editorial page with no mobile-native home, and a Shopify backend that connects to a mobile app in days, not months. The Amazon lockout didn't create the problem — it just made it visible.
| Crave Pain Point | Current State | App Fixes It By |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon dependency / lockout risk | Third-party platform controls distribution | Owned channel — no algorithm, no auto-populate glitch, no delistings |
| "Shop Live!" link goes nowhere | Dead nav item on homepage | Live shopping stream lives natively in the app — drop events, real-time chat |
| VIP email as sole direct channel | Email open rates declining industry-wide (~20%) | Push notifications for drops get 40–60% open rates by comparison |
| Culture content buried on website | /pages/culture exists but has no mobile-first experience | BTS, editorial, community content feeds — Instagram-style, owned by Crave |
| No loyalty / repeat purchase layer | Pleasure Guarantee exists but no VIP tracking in-app | Membership tier, warranty tracking, early access to drops — community moat |
5. Questions to Ask Her (In Order)
**Rule:** Ask, then shut up. Take notes. Don't fill silence with your pitch. Pauses = decisions forming.
| Category | Question | Why You're Asking |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Discovery | "Tell me what the last few weeks have been like since the Amazon shutdown — what's the actual day-to-day impact on sales?" | Quantifies the pain. Tells you how urgent the fix feels to her. |
| Discovery | "When you imagine the pivot working — six months from now — what does that look like? Walk me through a customer's experience." | Reveals vision. Tells you if she's thinking app, community, or something else entirely. |
| Discovery | "What does 'live shopping' look like in your head? IG Live, scheduled in-app streams, something else?" | Scopes the live shopping feature before you build assumptions. |
| Discovery | "What's the one thing your most loyal customers keep asking for that you can't easily give them today?" | Gold. This answer becomes your Phase 1 feature priority. |
| Technical | "Who handles the site now — you, Michael, an agency, a freelancer?" | Identifies who you're actually building alongside or around. |
| Technical | "What tools are you already paying for that we should integrate instead of replace? (Klaviyo, ShopBase, etc.)" | Prevents you from proposing something that duplicates or breaks existing stack. |
| Technical | "Do you have an email list? Size, engagement, current platform?" | App soft-launch plan depends on this. VIP email list is the launch audience. |
| Constraints | "What's your realistic budget runway for this? Don't have to give me a number — give me a feel." | Determines which path to lead with in the proposal. |
| Constraints | "Is there a launch moment driving this — a holiday, drop, event?" | A hard deadline changes everything about the build approach. |
| Constraints | "Any brand non-negotiables I should know going in?" | Respect her aesthetic before you design a single screen. |
| Closing | "Of the three paths, which one is your gut pulling toward?" | The close. Her answer locks the proposal direction. |
| Constraints | "Is this primarily you and Michael, or is there a team I'd be collaborating with?" | Determines who signs off, who has opinions, and whose aesthetic you need to satisfy. |
| Closing | "What's the next concrete step that would feel useful for you?" | Keeps momentum in her hands — you're not pushing, you're following her lead. |
6. Pricing Posture
**Flexible ≠ free.** Floor rule: don't undercut yourself to the point you'd resent the project. If it feels too tight: "Let me put together a real scope before we lock in numbers — I want to give you something honest, not a back-of-napkin guess."
IF PRICING COMES UP — USE THIS
"I want to make this work for both of us — reduced rate plus some product/credit component that makes sense for where you are. I'll send a real number once we land on direction and scope. I don't want to give you a back-of-napkin guess I'll regret." [PAUSE. Let her respond.] If she pushes: "Give me 48 hours after this call and I'll have something concrete in your inbox."
LASH BELT 2 — IF SHE BRINGS IT UP
She already knows you want one — you asked twice (Jan 8 and Jan 18). Keep it light and cheeky. "I absolutely wrote it into the contract." Do NOT bring it up first. If she mentions it: lean in playfully. This is charm, not a negotiating point.
7. Email Scripts — Send Order Matters
Since Ti has already replied via DM and asked you to move to email, the gallery handoff + pitch are now one seamless sequence. Wait at least **60 minutes** between Email 1 and Email 2 — too close together and she reads both as one message, which kills the separate-thread effect.
EMAIL 1: Gallery Handoff — Send First (Standalone Thread)
Ti — here are the Crave Culture images and releases, finally in your hands where they belong. I set up a private portal so you can review, select favorites, and download hi-res. [LINK] I have a separate note coming your way in a few minutes. X, Megan
EMAIL 2: App Pitch — New Thread, +60 Minutes Later
Ti — okay, the real reason I'm sliding back in. I've spent some time with lovecrave.com since seeing the Amazon situation unfold, and I think there's something genuinely interesting here: you've already built most of the infrastructure for a mobile app. Shopify backend, a Culture editorial page, a live shopping nav link that's just waiting to be activated. I'd love to build Crave a direct-to-community app. Owned channel. Push notifications for drops. Live shopping. BTS content. No platform, no AI overlord, no auto-populate glitch can ever touch it. Three paths depending on runway — fast (4–6 weeks, Shopify-native), middle (fully custom PWA), or full native. Can we get 30 minutes to see what fits? No pitch deck, no pressure — just two AuDHD brains thinking it through. X, Megan
EMAIL 3: Post-Call Recap — Send Within 4 Hours of Call
Ti — thank you for the time today. Here's what I heard: [FILL IN direction she leaned toward, constraints she mentioned, timeline she has in mind]. Based on that, I'm going to scope [FAST / MIDDLE / FULL] and have a real proposal in your inbox within 48 hours. Next step on your end: just let me know if anything shifts. I'll have something concrete for you by [DATE]. X, Megan
8. Pre-Call Checklist
| Status | Task |
| --- | --- |
| DONE | Confirmed platform: Shopify (via CDN, checkout, cart behavior) |
| DONE | Audited homepage: dead "Shop Live!" link, VIP email form, Culture page |
| DONE | Catalogued 19 SKUs across 3 collections — clean app structure confirmed |
| DONE | Researched Ti Chang: co-founder, Red Dot Award, CES debut, Saint Laurent collab |
| DONE | Concept deck v2 built (9 slides, Berry & Cream palette, all feedback applied) |
| DONE | Ti replied — warm, gracious, moved to email. Pitch has landed. |
| TODO | Stage gallery portal link before sending Email 1 — recommended: Pic-Time or Pixieset (both support private client galleries, hi-res download, and clean branding that matches Crave's aesthetic — not Google Drive) |
| TODO | Review Tapcart and Vajro Shopify app pricing tiers — know the numbers in case she asks |
| TODO | Prepare 2–3 reference apps in luxury/pleasure space for visual reference on call |
| TODO | Gut check: bandwidth is real — CDBG follow-up, Tolan OCR, Loop deck, Jimmy's 4x4. Be honest about start date. |
9. Gut Check — 5 Minutes Before the Call
1. Am I leading with curiosity about her, or excitement about my own ideas?
Should be curiosity. Every time.
2. Do I actually have bandwidth to start in 2 weeks, given CDBG, Tolan, Loop, Jimmy's 4x4?
Be honest. If no — push the start date on the call. Better to say it now than miss a deadline.
3. Am I going into this as a peer, or as someone hoping to be picked?
Peer. Always peer. She already called your photos gorgeous and featured you in Crave Culture. You earned this seat.
Onward and upward.
CRAVE / OWN YOUR PLEASURE®
PRIVATE USE ONLY
2010
Red Dot Design
SF Micro-Factory
First Sex Tech (2020)
Saint Laurent, 2020
Fan — confirmed
NEW IN 2025 — KNOW THESE BEFORE THE CALL
**Tease Necklace** — just launched, "The New Icon of Pleasure." **Vesper Mini** — miniature Vesper, now live. **Black & 24kt Gold Cuffs** — new colorway, just dropped. **CRAVE Foundation for Women** — grants to Mariama Diallo & Djessou Kouyate (FGM/C eradication). "Pleasure Maps" astrology content series live on Culture page. "Agents of Pleasure" community ambassador programme active.
App Concept — Interactive Mockup
SHOW THIS ON THE CALL — TAP THROUGH THE SCREENS
This is what the Crave app looks like in your head. Click the nav tabs to walk her through each section.
Good morning
CRAVE
NEW DROP
Tease Necklace
The New Icon of Pleasure
Shop →
Black Cuffs — Back in stock
Tap to shop · 2 min ago
Shop All
19 products
Add $55 more for free US shipping
Ti Chang — CRAVE HQ
Unboxing the new Black & Gold Cuffs
1,204 watching
Shop Featured Product →
Say something...
Culture
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CRAVE VIP
Agent of Pleasure
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Both earn store credit on first purchase
Home — Drop alerts, push notifications, instant shop
Shop — Shopify catalog, zero replatforming
Live — The dead "Shop Live!" nav link, finally activated
Culture — Editorial, Pleasure Maps, BTS — mobile-native home
VIP — "Agent of Pleasure" programme, owned loyalty layer
Why You're Asking
10. After the Call — Same Day
11B. 48-Hour Proposal Scaffold
48-HOUR PROPOSAL SCAFFOLD — FILL IN AFTER THE CALL
**Subject:** CRAVE App — Phase 1 Scope & Proposal
**1. What I heard:** [direction she leaned toward] / [constraints she named] / [timeline she has in mind] / [team structure]
**2. Recommended path:** [FAST / MIDDLE / FULL] — because [her specific reason]
**3. Phase 1 scope:** [3–5 bullet deliverables, no more] / Timeline: [X weeks from signed agreement] / Start date: [realistic based on your bandwidth]
**4. Investment:** [Reduced project rate — $X] + [product/credit component — to be shaped together]. Hybrid structure because the relationship matters more than the invoice.
**5. Next step:** Reply with any questions by [DATE]. If it looks right, I'll send a simple agreement and we move.
X, Megan
| Timing | Action |
| --- | --- |
| Within 4 hours | Send recap email (Email 3 template above) — what we discussed, what direction, next step + date |
| That night | If direction landed: start scoped proposal while the conversation is fresh |
| That night | If direction didn't land: send 2–3 specific options, ask her to pick one |
| That night | Block actual project time in calendar — protect it from the other 6 ventures |
| Within 48 hours | Deliver scoped proposal: Phase 1 scope, timeline, pricing — all in writing |
| Within 7 days | Follow-up working session scheduled. Momentum maintained. |
11. Evidence Inventory — Crave Culture Gallery
| Exhibit | Photo | Strategic Value | Shoot |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A: Vesper portrait (forward-facing) |  | Shows the Vesper worn as jewelry — aligns with Ti's core "pleasure jewelry" thesis | Original Crave Culture shoot |
| B: Welding portrait |  | Industrial + sensual contrast — exactly the "CRAVE Culture" editorial tone | Original Crave Culture shoot |
| C: Back tattoo detail |  | Body-as-canvas aesthetic — fits Crave's "come as you are" brand voice | Original Crave Culture shoot |
| D: Unboxing flatlay (Vesper 2 + Icon Cuffs) |  | Shows full product ecosystem — box, cuffs, Vesper 2, chain. App commerce visual. | New shoot (Jan 2026) |
| E: Vesper 2 worn close-up with Icon Cuff |  | Shows current product line (Vesper 2 + ID Cuffs) in wear — great for app product pages | New shoot (Jan 2026) |
| F: Winter outdoor — holding box (looking down) |  | Aspirational lifestyle — editorial-quality image, perfect for Culture feed in app | New shoot (Jan 2026) |
| G: Winter outdoor — confident pose (looking away) |  | Power pose with box + Vesper worn — hero image candidate for app onboarding screen | New shoot (Jan 2026) |
| H: Box lid — CRAVE / PLEASURE JEWELRY™ |  | The brand's actual packaging language — matte black, rose gold foil, geometric logo. This IS the visual brief for the app. | Product flatlay (2026) |
| I: Open box — Vesper 2 + ICON Cuffs in velvet |  | Black velvet interior, rose gold hardware — this is the unboxing moment the app VIP experience should replicate digitally | Product flatlay (2026) |
| J: Full product spread — box, cuffs, Vesper 2, chain, booklet |  | Complete product ecosystem flatlay. Shows "Fancy as fuck." card (lowercase, period — that's the actual card) — confirms brand voice is as irreverent as the design. Perfect app shop hero image. | Product flatlay (2026) |