4 ms·

I wish the Lockitron folks had read this before they started... I think they're, what, 7? months behind schedule due to hardware issues. I get emails about it

I wish the Lockitron folks had read this before they started... I think they're, what, 7? months behind schedule due to hardware issues. I get emails about it, and they're super nice, but 7 months is a long time.

voltagex_ 13y ago
Lots of the Kickstarter-backed projects have this problem. I'm not sure how you solve it except with experience.
- freehunter 13y ago
  I'm kicking around the idea of forming a hardware startup after a successful proof of concept using off-the-shelf electronics that I assembled by hand. What's really holding me back is that I have no idea where to start with a custom design or talking to manufacturers. The only option I can think of is hiring someone with experience in making customer hardware products at scale, but that's pretty expensive to bootstrap.
  - voltagex_ 13y ago
    I'm only coming from the perspective of a buyer and interested tinkerer. * It's better to over-deliver than over-promise. Yes, your marketing materials were really shiny but the product didn't really live up to expectations * After-sales support is so bloody important - don't disappear after you've shipped (MiiPC & Cubieboard I'm looking at you) * Don't lie to me if you say your product is going to be open source or worse, "hacker friendly" (although this was a problem even before Kickstarter and Indiegogo) * Tailor your communications to your market - the wonderful people over at Ninjablocks/Little Bird Eleectronics had some issues with writing copy that was aimed at general consumers where a lot of their market wanted real technical details Of course, you'll have different issues to deal with if you're going the VC/startup route rather than the crowdfunding route.
  - sam 13y ago
    You might consider checking out these companies. They help folks at your stage with all the nitty gritty details of manufacturing a physical product: http://www.dragoninnovation.com/ http://www.dragoninnovation.com/ http://highway1.io/ http://highway1.io/ http://makesimp.ly/ http://makesimp.ly/
    - freehunter 13y ago
      See, that's why I love HN. There's a huge wealth of information available to help people with an idea and a prototype have a shot at getting to market. Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
  - DanBC 13y ago
    "Engineering for manufacture" would probably be a useful, money making, website.
    - girvo 13y ago
      I agree. I once got quite into the console-hacking world (think Ben Heck, and the like), and got thinking quite seriously about creating a successor to the GP32. I did a lot of research, talked to some finance guys, and realised I was in well over my head if it was to ever be more than a prototype, so I dropped it. Would've loved to get more info than I could glean from the guys I knew who had supply chain and manufacturing experience: their opinion was "don't do it". Probably a good idea that I listened ;)
  - rfdave 13y ago
    There are turnkey manufacturers who will build all this for you, but the starting place is a manufacturable design. If you started with off the shelf modules, then one of the first steps would be to get there. So, schematic development and PCB layout to come up with a single PCB that incorporates everything, into an off the shelf plastic housing would be the first step. Then you've got something to build 5 or 10 of, and see if people want to buy them. Bunnie Huang's blog has some good material on this.
- ghaff 13y ago
  It's the problem with anyone dealing with domains outside of their experience. It's really hard the first time through to even know the right questions to ask. And, sure, you can buy a pizza for a friend who has some experience with the domain and that helps to a degree. But, as you say, I'm not sure there's a good answer (other than just assuming it will cost 2x your estimate and 2x your time estimate). The last part is only semi-kidding. Back when I was a project manager (where I DID have some domain experience), that was my rule of thumb and it was more accurate than I like to admit. In another former life in a different role, we had these 95% schedules which were really 95% confidence assuming nothing significant goes wrong schedules--which were about as accurate as you would imagine.
csense 13y ago
Lockitron is a YC company, right? Maybe their experiences will help future YC companies avoid these pain points.

voltagex_ 13y ago

Lots of the Kickstarter-backed projects have this problem. I'm not sure how you solve it except with experience.

freehunter 13y ago
I'm kicking around the idea of forming a hardware startup after a successful proof of concept using off-the-shelf electronics that I assembled by hand. What's really holding me back is that I have no idea where to start with a custom design or talking to manufacturers. The only option I can think of is hiring someone with experience in making customer hardware products at scale, but that's pretty expensive to bootstrap.
- voltagex_ 13y ago
  I'm only coming from the perspective of a buyer and interested tinkerer. * It's better to over-deliver than over-promise. Yes, your marketing materials were really shiny but the product didn't really live up to expectations * After-sales support is so bloody important - don't disappear after you've shipped (MiiPC & Cubieboard I'm looking at you) * Don't lie to me if you say your product is going to be open source or worse, "hacker friendly" (although this was a problem even before Kickstarter and Indiegogo) * Tailor your communications to your market - the wonderful people over at Ninjablocks/Little Bird Eleectronics had some issues with writing copy that was aimed at general consumers where a lot of their market wanted real technical details Of course, you'll have different issues to deal with if you're going the VC/startup route rather than the crowdfunding route.
- sam 13y ago
  You might consider checking out these companies. They help folks at your stage with all the nitty gritty details of manufacturing a physical product: http://www.dragoninnovation.com/ http://www.dragoninnovation.com/ http://highway1.io/ http://highway1.io/ http://makesimp.ly/ http://makesimp.ly/
  - freehunter 13y ago
    See, that's why I love HN. There's a huge wealth of information available to help people with an idea and a prototype have a shot at getting to market. Thanks for all the replies, everyone!
- DanBC 13y ago
  "Engineering for manufacture" would probably be a useful, money making, website.
  - girvo 13y ago
    I agree. I once got quite into the console-hacking world (think Ben Heck, and the like), and got thinking quite seriously about creating a successor to the GP32. I did a lot of research, talked to some finance guys, and realised I was in well over my head if it was to ever be more than a prototype, so I dropped it. Would've loved to get more info than I could glean from the guys I knew who had supply chain and manufacturing experience: their opinion was "don't do it". Probably a good idea that I listened ;)
- rfdave 13y ago
  There are turnkey manufacturers who will build all this for you, but the starting place is a manufacturable design. If you started with off the shelf modules, then one of the first steps would be to get there. So, schematic development and PCB layout to come up with a single PCB that incorporates everything, into an off the shelf plastic housing would be the first step. Then you've got something to build 5 or 10 of, and see if people want to buy them. Bunnie Huang's blog has some good material on this.
ghaff 13y ago
It's the problem with anyone dealing with domains outside of their experience. It's really hard the first time through to even know the right questions to ask. And, sure, you can buy a pizza for a friend who has some experience with the domain and that helps to a degree. But, as you say, I'm not sure there's a good answer (other than just assuming it will cost 2x your estimate and 2x your time estimate). The last part is only semi-kidding. Back when I was a project manager (where I DID have some domain experience), that was my rule of thumb and it was more accurate than I like to admit. In another former life in a different role, we had these 95% schedules which were really 95% confidence assuming nothing significant goes wrong schedules--which were about as accurate as you would imagine.

csense 13y ago

Lockitron is a YC company, right? Maybe their experiences will help future YC companies avoid these pain points.