5 ms·

Open Source Hardware! Specifically a USB Oscilloscope: https://espotek.com/labrador https://espotek.com/labrador Sell maybe $1k/mo of these through the websi

Open Source Hardware! Specifically a USB Oscilloscope: https://espotek.com/labrador https://espotek.com/labrador Sell maybe $1k/mo of these through the website and another $3k through Amazon at a margin of around 50%. The biggest things that I see a lot of people get wrong in the hardware business is the importance of manufacturing and logistics. It doesn't matter that you're constantly producing new and improved revisions of your board if you're out of stock all the time and overseas customers have to pay extra for shipping.

rexreed 5y ago
So how did you solve your manufacturing and logistics challenges?
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  The short answer is outsourcing. The logistics are covered by a mixture of Amazon FBA (USA/Canada) and a Chinese 3PL company (all other countries). The only orders I handle myself are the Aussie ones, as well as large orders to overseas universities. I try to keep at least 6 months' work of stock at any time spread across multiple locations. Given the way social media and online communities work, sales tend to be very bursty. When it got on Hackaday, for example, I sold something like $12k worth in a weekend. I did run into issues at the start of COVID, as American universities would place huge orders or ask 100+ students to do it individually, but we're now robust to this too! In terms of manufacturing, this is also outsourced. Full PCBAs are made by a group in Shenzhen. The only work done in-house is packaging them. Combined with the above, this makes the chain immune from the Slashdot effect. If (when) we go viral, I just fulfil every order remotely and then replenish the stock with a large order.
  - louwhopley 5y ago
    Do you mind sharing who’s doing the PCBA? I’m looking to get a similar sized electronics project into production, but don’t know how to vet suppliers.
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      I use stg-pcba. If you're just getting your toes wet, though, I'd look into PCBWay.
codeisawesome 5y ago
Getting a 404, the URL is case-sensitive: https://espotek.com/labrador https://espotek.com/labrador works.
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  Thank you, fixed!
tvb12 5y ago
Woah, small world. I bought two of these as Christmas presents only days ago.
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  Ha, that's awesome! Hope they go down a treat!
Nexxxeh 5y ago
This literally made me say "WTF?!" when I went to the page. I think you're burying the lede here. It's only $29 inc worldwide shipping! WTAF, that's awesome. I'll be ordering one as soon as Christmas is out of the way. Any plans to add an EU or UK distribution point? I'm prepared to wait the 2-3 weeks for free UK shipping tbh, but if you're adding more local distribution early next year I'd hold on.
- louwhopley 5y ago
  Exact same thoughts. Order placed!
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  >It's only $29 inc worldwide shipping Oh yeah, thanks for pointing that out. The one time I'm not in a shilly mood (Christmas and all) and the post actually gets interaction. Murphy's Law! >Any plans to add an EU or UK distribution point? Sorta kinda maybe. I did have one, but a whole lot of VAT compliance bullshit caught up with me. In most countries, GST/VAT is handled automatically by large eCommerce platforms (if you sell something on eBay to an Aussie, for example, we'll pay 10% GST regardless of the item's physical location and the seller won't even necessarily know). However, the EU requires every single individual business with any stock located on EU soil to register and file individually in every single country where the stock is distributed regardless of revenue. I can only assume this is to create jobs for bureaucrats. Now that Brexit has happened and the UK's laws have changed to something sane, I'll probably get something set up over there. This will be months, though. Trying to set up a (different) startup while raising a small child means a lot of Espotek stuff gets pushed to the side!
  - simonbarker87 5y ago
    > Now that Brexit has happened and the UK's laws have changed to something sane Interesting perspective - in the main everything around international trade got a whole lot more complicated for us here in the UK since leaving the EU.
    - 5y ago

rexreed 5y ago

So how did you solve your manufacturing and logistics challenges?

AussieWog93 5y ago
The short answer is outsourcing. The logistics are covered by a mixture of Amazon FBA (USA/Canada) and a Chinese 3PL company (all other countries). The only orders I handle myself are the Aussie ones, as well as large orders to overseas universities. I try to keep at least 6 months' work of stock at any time spread across multiple locations. Given the way social media and online communities work, sales tend to be very bursty. When it got on Hackaday, for example, I sold something like $12k worth in a weekend. I did run into issues at the start of COVID, as American universities would place huge orders or ask 100+ students to do it individually, but we're now robust to this too! In terms of manufacturing, this is also outsourced. Full PCBAs are made by a group in Shenzhen. The only work done in-house is packaging them. Combined with the above, this makes the chain immune from the Slashdot effect. If (when) we go viral, I just fulfil every order remotely and then replenish the stock with a large order.
- louwhopley 5y ago
  Do you mind sharing who’s doing the PCBA? I’m looking to get a similar sized electronics project into production, but don’t know how to vet suppliers.
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    I use stg-pcba. If you're just getting your toes wet, though, I'd look into PCBWay.

codeisawesome 5y ago

Getting a 404, the URL is case-sensitive: https://espotek.com/labrador https://espotek.com/labrador works.

AussieWog93 5y ago
Thank you, fixed!

tvb12 5y ago

Woah, small world. I bought two of these as Christmas presents only days ago.

AussieWog93 5y ago
Ha, that's awesome! Hope they go down a treat!

Nexxxeh 5y ago

This literally made me say "WTF?!" when I went to the page. I think you're burying the lede here. It's only $29 inc worldwide shipping! WTAF, that's awesome. I'll be ordering one as soon as Christmas is out of the way. Any plans to add an EU or UK distribution point? I'm prepared to wait the 2-3 weeks for free UK shipping tbh, but if you're adding more local distribution early next year I'd hold on.

louwhopley 5y ago
Exact same thoughts. Order placed!
AussieWog93 5y ago
>It's only $29 inc worldwide shipping Oh yeah, thanks for pointing that out. The one time I'm not in a shilly mood (Christmas and all) and the post actually gets interaction. Murphy's Law! >Any plans to add an EU or UK distribution point? Sorta kinda maybe. I did have one, but a whole lot of VAT compliance bullshit caught up with me. In most countries, GST/VAT is handled automatically by large eCommerce platforms (if you sell something on eBay to an Aussie, for example, we'll pay 10% GST regardless of the item's physical location and the seller won't even necessarily know). However, the EU requires every single individual business with any stock located on EU soil to register and file individually in every single country where the stock is distributed regardless of revenue. I can only assume this is to create jobs for bureaucrats. Now that Brexit has happened and the UK's laws have changed to something sane, I'll probably get something set up over there. This will be months, though. Trying to set up a (different) startup while raising a small child means a lot of Espotek stuff gets pushed to the side!
- simonbarker87 5y ago
  > Now that Brexit has happened and the UK's laws have changed to something sane Interesting perspective - in the main everything around international trade got a whole lot more complicated for us here in the UK since leaving the EU.
  - 5y ago