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Just my 2 cents: I run a hardware side business that is ramen profitable. I started selling extra pcbs I had because I only needed one and the fab would only se
by catskull 8y ago
Just my 2 cents: I run a hardware side business that is ramen profitable. I started selling extra pcbs I had because I only needed one and the fab would only sell me 10. In the last 3 years it has gone from that to about 40k/yr in sales and continues to grow despite no marketing or sales efforts on my part. I simply focus on selling a good product in a really niche market.
That said, these 3 years have felt like the trenches. I hand assemble everything. It takes forever. I work full time at a successful SAAS company and it makes me ache when I see how little effort it takes to just rake in money. Everything I sell has a fixed amount of time and effort associated with it. My advice when people pitch me random hardware ideas is that hardware is hard and if it doesn't already exist you need to think long and hard about why.
But the point of my comment is that is _is_ technically possible to build a profitable hardware business without a significant amount of capital. I borrowed $50 from my checking account to order those first boards and components and since then it's been bootstrapped and profitable. I signed up for their mailing list because I'm at the point where I think this could be my full time thing, but I don't know exactly how to get there. I truly feel that 1 year runway would give me the time I need to really see how far I can take this. Additionally the mentorship and community would be absolutely critical as I have none of that now.
Totally open to answer any questions!
- syntaxing 8y agoThis is very insightful! Is there (if you are comfortable) anyway I can contact you via email for some questions (my personal email is in my profile)?
- kidproquo 8y agoExcellent points. Would love to chat some more (enclosure design, CE/FCC certs, etc.). I don't see an email in your profile. If you are open to discussion, please email me (my email is in my profile).