Pick an embedded platform (SDK) suited to your problem (in terms of price versus computational power needed), and learn how to think about code and write C in t

Pick an embedded platform (SDK) suited to your problem (in terms of price versus computational power needed), and learn how to think about code and write C in terms of the limitations of an embedded environment. (HAHA filesystems. what's that?) Prototype, make it efficient, make it cheap (fewer components), make the spec, find someone who can do a test-market batch, and if it catches...SCALE.