Hardware runs on 3 variables
Hardware is brutal. After enough burned cash and hard lessons, I can tell your survival comes down to three variables.
Your lab has a memory leak (sample management)
The most expensive thing in your lab is not the prototype. It is the unmarked bag of parts nobody remembers
The default that ships defects
You can pass every functional test at the factory and still ship a product that falls apart in a week.
Two meetings a day
The founder who lost their best supplier pricing did everything right on the factory floor. Then they rushed through lunch.
This is how $200 saves you $200,000 (Pre-shipment inspections)
Your supplier just sent you photos of the finished goods looking perfect.
Those photos are marketing, not evidence. If you
Lawsuits don't ship products
Hardware founders often think the supplier contract is protection. In practice, it rarely is. After a decade of building hardware
These are your SOPs. Can these workers read them?
Recently, I saw an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) where the device's enclosure was named "a dwelling."
The day cheap parts get expensive
Imagine you are a hardware founder. An order is about to ship next week. 10K units, $100 gross margin each.
I don't just assign serial numbers
I don't just assign serial numbers to my products. I create a strategic numbering system. Here's
