We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful JR DeSouza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JR below.

JR, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Existing waterproof cases fell into 1 of 2 categories: Hard cases, which are specific to camera brands/models, limit functionality, heavy, bulky, and expensive (US$1,300+). And plastic bags which are cheap, but unprofessional and unusable. Outex combines the best of both worlds. Its malleable, elastic, tactile-rich materials is universally compatible with all camera brands and models, and maintain all functional control over buttons, dials, and settings. Because it adds virtually no weight or bulk to the gear, it can use optical glass ports for better performance than any other case. The modular design supports professional accessories such as tripods, triggers, lighting, domes, grips, mounts, and even tethering underwater. And it’s affordable, starting around US$300. Outex enables underwater use for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, boarding, etc. and is the perfect solution for protecting cameras and phones in any environmental condition; mud, dirt, sand, beach, etc.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I spent 10 years in technology in Silicon Valley working on hardware and products that included high definition TV, DVD, Cameras, Projectors, etc for companies like Philips, TiVo, and Samsung. Then another 10 years in Hollywood working with Studios like Disney and Dreamworks Animation on the licensing and distribution of digital media side of the business. Outex was a hobby born of my passion for photography and my Olympic swimming background. I wanted a better solution that would enable me to take imaging gear (cameras, phones, etc) into any environment; outdoors, pools, beach, etc. and that I could use with multiple cameras and lenses, in a travel friendly and affordable solution.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Outex is vertically integrated, which means we own everything from the patents, intellectual property, and tooling, as well as sales & marketing. We build and sell our products directly. One of our co-founders is a mechanical engineer and helps manage much of the R&D and manufacturing. And I manage the commercial aspects of the business, including incorporating customer input and feedback into our innovation loop and product development. Some of the patents we’ve developed over the years are a direct result of working with our customers, who range from award-winning photographers and filmmakers to service people in the armed forces & the military.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

One of the aspects I enjoy the most is the ability to interact with, and learn from customers in a variety of content-creation categories from sports to fashion, from environmental protection to caving. I’ve always enjoyed photography, and working with people who are often at the forefront of their fields gives me a front row seat to learning about their craft, their stories, their journeys, and their methods. We take pride in the knowledge that our products have enabled these creators and story-tellers to accomplish their vision in multiple ways; better, faster, cheaper, etc. We often hear that a particular project, mission, or capture would not have been possible without Outex, and that’s rewarding. We try to share our user’s stories, work, and accomplishments with the rest of our community, which encompasses social media channels, Blogs, Podcasts, etc. They are all linked to our website Community page/menu at www.Outex.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://outex.com/
• Instagram: @realOutex
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OUTEX/
• Twitter: @OutexPhoto
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Outex/videos
• Other: https://outex.com/blogs/newsk

Image Credits
Photo by Brett Stanley