On September 29, 2015, Gordon Wilson and his three sons launched a modest, one-page website advertising their new RV leveling accessory called “SnapPads.” The page had a product description, a small gallery of images, and one product (a “SnapPad” for 9” round jack feet), arranged into two different packages: a six-pack and four-pack.

By then, the family had already worked together on the project for about a year, prototyping different concepts, searching for manufacturers, applying for patents, and third-party product testing. Their idea – a “permanent jack pad” – seemed to have some theoretical value, but they had no idea when they launched the company late in 2015 if anyone in the industry would care.

They had their first sale the very next day, September 30th, 2015. The user couldn’t recall how he heard about the product, but he took the plunge nonetheless. Although he originally abandoned his …