March 15, 2024
The first sketch
I drew up the idea for Just a Pinch: a small tool to solve the mess I kept making while loading up.
A note from Colin, founder of Pinch Products
I'm Colin. Just a Pinch began with a small frustration that kept happening: I would spill while loading up. Eventually, I decided to try making something that could help.
01 / The beginning
Jack and I went to college together. Back then, loading up often meant I would end up spilling. It wasn't a complicated problem to explain. I wanted the material in one place, and too much of it kept ending up somewhere else.
It happened often enough that I started paying attention to that part of the routine. Could there be a simpler way to collect what I needed and get it where I wanted it to go?
That question became the starting point for Just a Pinch. I was making something for a frustration I knew firsthand, which gave me a clear reason to keep working on it. The idea had to make sense in an actual routine, including my own.
02 / Making it real
Getting an idea out of your head and into a product means making decisions about the details. How should it feel to use? How should the mechanism move? What would make the transfer easier to manage?
Those are the kinds of questions behind Just a Pinch. The original model uses a slider. V2 takes a different approach with a spring-loaded button. The mechanism has developed, but the reason I started is still the same: making a familiar task a little easier to handle.
I'm still working on this business and learning as it grows. Every time someone asks about the tool, tries it, or shares it with a friend, the idea reaches a little further than it did when it was just something I wanted to make for myself.
03 / The people beside me
Just a Pinch is my project, but Noah and Jack have been a real part of keeping me going. They've pushed me to keep making it a reality and encouraged me to stick with the work.
They both tagged along with me at NECANN Baltimore. That's us in the photo above: Noah on the left, me in the middle, and Jack on the right.
Having Jack there connected the college days with what I'm building now. He knew me when spilling was just something I kept doing. Being at NECANN Baltimore with him and Noah, with Just a Pinch as the reason we were there, gave that photo a meaning I wanted to keep on this page.
Their support matters to me. Building something takes persistence, and having friends who keep encouraging you to follow through is a part of this story I don't want to leave out.
How Just a Pinch came to be
March 15, 2024
I drew up the idea for Just a Pinch: a small tool to solve the mess I kept making while loading up.
April 2, 2024
I had my first printed prototype made for myself. The sketch became something I could actually try.
August 21, 2024
I signed on at Potomac Holistics to better understand the industry and the people involved, and to help fund this dream for myself. Working as a budtender has given me a chance to learn firsthand, connect with the community, and keep building Just a Pinch.
October 9, 2024
I had a test run of plastic devices made, taking the idea beyond my own prototype.
February 21, 2025
I placed the order for my metal devices and had professional packaging made. This was the moment I went all in on making Just a Pinch a reality.
May 1, 2025
I made my debut at NECANN Baltimore, bringing Just a Pinch out into the world with Noah and Jack alongside me.
November 16, 2025
Before they enacted the ban hammer, I was on my way to making it big on the TikTok Shop.
January 1, 2026
A fresh identity for me: Pinch Products. I look to expand my line beyond Just a Pinch, offering all types of products to improve your lifestyle.
From March 2026
I began working on the redesign: the next version of Just a Pinch, built around a spring-loaded mechanism.
August 31, 2026
My redesigned prototype arrived. After months of working on the next version, I finally had it in hand.
Now
I'm working on my next order and exploring potential connections with other brands. There's more to come.
Milestone 1 of 11 · Swipe to explore
05 / From the garage
Just a Pinch launched out of my garage, funded by my work as a budtender. I put what I earned into bringing an idea of my own to life.
It started small: a problem I knew firsthand, a place to work, and the determination to keep making it better. This video is a look back at those humble beginnings.
06 / In conversation
Two podcast conversations about the journey of building Just a Pinch. Use the arrows to explore both appearances.
Still building
Just a Pinch is the beginning of what I want to build with Pinch Products. Over time, I want to expand the line with products that make everyday experiences a little better, starting with the kinds of small frustrations that are easy to recognize once someone points them out.
For now, I'm focused on continuing to develop Just a Pinch and getting it into more hands. If you've bought one, shared a post, asked a question, or told someone about it, thank you. Your interest helps give this project somewhere to go.
Explore the original Just a Pinch slider, discover the spring-loaded Just a Pinch V2 pre-order, or see wholesale options for your shop.
— Colin
See the products or get in touch with our team.