The Product Development Journey of Muro Box-N20 Lite Go Music Box
The Product Development Journey of Muro Box-N20 Lite Go Music Box
Updates #5
Many were likely surprised by the sudden cancellation of the N20 Lite Go project. What happened? Why did we stop? Is Muro Box coming to an end? In this article, we’d like to walk you through the full story behind the N20 Lite series and explain how we came to this difficult decision.
In Short: The Project Was Canceled Due to Cost
After carefully reassessing the production cost, we realized it would be financially unfeasible to produce the N20 Lite Go in extremely small quantities (fewer than 100 units). To avoid compromising quality due to limited funding—even if the campaign barely met its goal—we decided to cancel the project and immediately issue full refunds to all supporters.
Rest assured, Tevofy Technology is still here, and our other Muro Box products are continuing as planned. We remain committed to creating more app-controlled music boxes in the future.
Back to the Beginning: Why We Created the Lite Series
The idea behind the N20 Lite series was simple: make the Muro Box more affordable for entry-level users. After launching the N20 Standard with USB MIDI support, we introduced the Lite version by removing select features and reducing the price to under NT$10,000. Apart from a few minor changes (like increasing the height of the wooden box by 2mm), it was almost identical to the original N20 launched on ZecZec.
We even used the same printed packaging as the N20 Standard to lower inventory costs and keep the Lite model as affordable as possible.
The Meaning Behind "Lite"
From day one, “Lite” meant “budget-friendly.” We experimented with three versions: Lite, Lite SE, and Lite Go. As you may already know, Lite SE lasted only one day in our store, and Lite Go was canceled before launch.
In other words, the story of the “Lite” series is a story of my repeated failures to create a lower-cost version of the Muro Box.
The Short Life of Lite SE
At one point, sales of the N20 plateaued, so we visited an industry mentor for advice. He suggested that we create a low-cost version that only plays one preloaded song. The idea was to eliminate app-based song switching entirely to reduce the price, and we named this simplified version “Lite SE.”
The goal was to get more people to buy the music box first and then subscribe to our app later. But to be honest, I lacked confidence in this plan. The Lite SE itself was sold at a loss, and I wasn’t sure if enough users would pay for the app to offset that.
As expected, Lite SE was removed from our online store just one day after its release. The failure shook our software team badly. (We’ll share more about that story in another page.)
The Battery-Powered Lite: Where It All Started
The original name of Lite Go was “Battery Version.” The idea came from both personal experience and repeated customer requests.
The N20 is often given as a heartfelt gift. However, many customers didn’t think about how to power the device until the last minute—right before the gift presentation.
They had to run out and buy a power bank! Wouldn’t it be great if the Muro Box had a built-in battery?
One of our customers in Singapore, Daniel W., bought a power bank just so he could propose with the N20 in the middle of a forest.
In my case, when my Ph.D. advisor Wendi visited the San Francisco Bay Area, I sent an N20 to my former labmates there so they could give it to her in person at a University of Rochester alumni event.
Sure enough, Wendi proudly showed the Muro Box to everyone at the event—but it wasn’t plugged in. It was just a brick, silently sitting there. Nobody could experience how magical a music box becomes when you can change songs via the app.
First Attempt at a Battery Model: Delayed
Back in October 2023, when we were preparing for the N40 Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns, we had also hoped to launch a battery-powered N20 version at the same time. But the added battery compartment made the wooden box significantly bulkier. Customer feedback on the sample’s new look was mixed.
At the time, I was also recovering from health issues, so we didn’t have the bandwidth to design additional features. The battery version was postponed.
▲Please refer to the N40 crowdfunding main video above—the final product shown is the prototype of the N20 battery-powered version.
▲The photo above shows our newly hired industrial designer, Yun-Ching, captured in a candid moment at work. From drafting engineering drawings and interviewing customers about their preferences to prototyping, assembly testing, photography, and video production—she dedicated herself fully to every step, striving to help us successfully launch this product.
A Second Chance at the Battery Model
The project was revived earlier this year when we finally managed to hire a long-needed industrial designer. For the first time, we had the team capacity to push the N20 battery version forward while fulfilling N40 orders.
The Key to Success: Our Existing Users
Only people who have actually used a Muro Box understand the inconvenience of not having a power source nearby. For new customers who’ve never used one, the battery wasn’t a major selling point.
So our goal shifted: how can we motivate existing users to buy another music box? What new features would they be excited about?
▲The customer holding the N20 Standard Edition music box is Mr. Ji. We sincerely thank him for sharing many creative ideas for using NFC during the N20 music box assembly workshop.
Adding New Function: NFC Trigger
In spring 2025, Mr. Ji reached out to us, curious about the N20 battery version. During our conversation, he shared his idea: let customers attach NFC stickers to keepsakes so each one could trigger a unique playlist.
This instantly reminded us of our early days as a husband-wife startup when we had prototyped NFC-enabled interactive toys. Thanks to this shared vision, we added NFC functionality to the new model. (You can read more about our early journey here: https://murobox.com/en/our-story-2/why-music-box/)
Adding New Function: Touch Sensor
We also discovered that the high-performance microcontroller inside the Muro Box had an unused built-in touch sensor. At first, we were hesitant to use it—would touch controls feel too “digital” for a mechanical music box?
So we surveyed our users. Surprisingly, most of them liked the idea of replacing the physical knob with touch controls. After many rounds of testing, we decided to include this feature in the final design.
And What About LEDs?
LED lighting is a feature our internal team loves. To evaluate its effect, many of us tested the lights in the darkest room in the office: the restroom. Turning off the lights and marveling at the glowing mechanism—everyone agreed it was simply beautiful.
The Birth of N20 Lite Go
Thanks to all these experiments, N20 Lite Go finally took shape. The key features—NFC and touch control—were set. Given its portability, we renamed it from “Battery Version” to “N20 Lite Go” to better reflect the experience we wanted to deliver.
Filming the Campaign Video: Our Team’s Passion Project
Although we’ve made three promotional videos in the past, we always felt something was missing. Those previous production teams weren’t involved in the product’s development, so the final footage lacked emotional resonance.
This time, we handled everything in-house: storyboarding, location scouting, props, and even makeup. Only the cinematographer and lighting technician were external hires. Our designer handled all editing and post-production. This video was truly a labor of love from the whole Muro Box team.
Take a Look – Our N20 Lite Go Crowdfunding Video
Behind-the-Scenes Moments
Fun fact: the mother and son in the video are a real-life duo. The actress who played the wife also appeared as a supporting character in our 2020 Indiegogo video. And yes—the filming location was the same studio we used for the original N20 campaign.
One unforgettable moment: the little boy completely lost it during the shoot. He ran around, rode the toy horse wildly, and threw tantrums, leaving a dozen adults helpless on set. After investing weeks of planning and a sizable budget, it was humbling to be outmaneuvered by a three-year-old.
Testing the Waters: Gauging Market Interest
Before the campaign launch, we set up a landing page on our website and invited interested users to sign up for a $200 coupon. Our goal was to estimate the final number of backers based on how many emails we could collect at the lowest possible cost.
Contrary to popular belief, we’ve learned that a campaign’s success can be predicted before it even launches. By calculating the marketing cost per email, we can estimate whether the project is viable.
Cold Response from the Market
But things didn’t go well. Despite updating our copywriting and videos, signups were discouragingly low.
Was the website broken? Was there a problem with the email system? We double-checked everything.
To Launch or Not to Launch?
Logically, we should’ve canceled. But I couldn’t understand why it was so hard to promote a product that had so much thoughtful design and planning behind it.
Everyone had poured so much effort into this project. Maybe people were just hesitant to leave their emails, but they’d back us later?
I had to decide.
“Let’s launch.” It was time to let the market decide.
Harsh Reality
When the campaign went live, the whole team anxiously monitored the page. Although the number of backers slowly grew, it didn’t meet our expectations.
We had priced everything based on volume production. With the current funding level, even purchasing the parts would lead to major financial risk.
Removing the Battery Module
The first move was to remove the battery option. We realized the low order quantity made it unsustainable. But its sudden removal confused backers, creating a vicious cycle of hesitation.
In-Person Feedback: Tough but Honest
We held a listening session at the National Library, attended by over 30 people. Most of them gravitated toward the N40, especially the Sublime version. N20 Lite Go failed to capture attention. We had to admit: its new features didn’t resonate with people.
The Final Decision:
After reflecting during the Dragon Boat Festival weekend, I had to face the truth: we shouldn’t invest more resources in this campaign. Just eleven days after launch, we canceled the project.
Reflecting on My Mistakes
Looking back on this project with a bird’s-eye view, I asked myself—where did things go wrong?
1. You can’t build a music box by just stitching together features.
My first mistake was pushing forward with the Lite Go even though I knew the battery module alone wouldn’t be enough to attract buyers. I added whatever features I could think of, hoping to piece together something appealing. But a music box, at its core, is about emotion—not specs.
2. I didn’t understand our existing customers well enough.
I believe that if the N20 Lite Go had been our very first product, it probably would’ve sold well—maybe even better than what we launched before. But now that we have a more advanced model like the N40, our current customers are naturally looking to upgrade from their N20 to the N40, not to buy another N20.
3.Lower prices aren’t always better.
Personally, I love products with great value-for-money, so I’ve always tried to lower the price of our music boxes as much as possible. But the entire N20 Lite series has repeatedly led to failure and financial loss. At the listening event, it became painfully clear: all eyes were on the N40 Sublime, while the N20 Lite Go sat largely unnoticed. It was a truly bittersweet experience.
Looking Ahead
Even though the N20 Lite Go didn’t make it to market, this journey has given us clarity. We now know that our future lies in creating higher-value, feature-rich products.
There won’t be any new N20 versions in the near future. If you’re planning to buy a Muro Box as a gift, we sincerely recommend the N20 Standard.
To everyone who has supported us—we’re deeply grateful. We’ll move forward with greater care and never take your trust for granted.
— Chen-Hsiang Feng
If you’re interested in the N20 Lite Go or have other suggestions,
please be sure to leave us a comment and let us know!
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