
How we built a hardware startup with two engineers and some free time - jerryhuang100
http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/01/hardware-is-hard-how-we-built-a-hardware-startup-with-two-engineers-and-some-free-time/
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Cheyana
Fascinating. I used to do decades ago with my ears what their devices do now:
Listen to machinery while walking around the plant I worked in to see if I
could pick up on a trouble spot, because I learned over time that mechanical
equipment that was heading for failure sounded a bit different then the
equipment that was still running smoothly. Belts, bearings, rollers and plates
would wear and I would know to pay more attention to them more often, rather
than just react when something happened. People thought I was nuts when I told
them I could hear that something didn't sound right through all the noise,
which was considerable (you had to wear hearing protection all day).

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extrapickles
Some of the more fancy machines these days have embedded microphones to tell
if a bearing is going to fail soon. They make a distinctive noise based on
shaft rpm and bearing diameter when they start to fail, so you know which one
to order before you spend a day tearing the machine appart to get at the
faulty bearing.

~~~
auxym
Bearings also tend to start running quite hot when they are at the end of
their lives. Bearings on trains often have smoke bombs on them that go off at
a specific temperature.

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FreedomToCreate
As a hardware startup founder, I would like to note that the lean model only
really works for hardware when you not creating something complex (ex lots of
mechanical parts or lots of integrated electronic systems). In cases like
that, the lean method completely falls apart because of the cost, and it
becomes really important to make sure your calculations and simulations are
correct.

~~~
studentrob
I'm sure it's true and I don't mean to diminish your comment but.. Isn't that
kind of true for anything? Start small and build up.

You're not going to be a contender of, say, Apple in a year or even 10, but
there are several companies in the pipeline already at more advanced stages

~~~
galfarragem
In some complex and mature markets if you start too small you will never be
able to compete with existent players. "Starting up in a garage" works mostly
on new and undeveloped markets.

~~~
Retric
Depends on what you can leverage. You can start a car comapny by modifying
existing cars, go up market, build a business and use the same suppliers as
the other car company's. Give it 40 years and you really can start a major car
company from scratch. Granted this generally takes long enough that most
people fail or get bought out.

~~~
WavingThe44
As an extreme example, before starting Tesla, Eberhard took an existing
electric car [A], which was itself built on an existing kit car [B], and had a
different battery technology installed [C]. And then used it as a proof of
concept to start Tesla.

[A]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Propulsion_tzero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Propulsion_tzero)

[B] [http://www.funcar.com/sportech/](http://www.funcar.com/sportech/)

[C] [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Propulsion_tzero#Lithium-
io...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Propulsion_tzero#Lithium-
ion_battery_conversion)

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pepijndevos
Inspiring. I've been walking around with the idea to build an amplifier of
sorts, but have not talked to any customers.

Plans range from guitar headphone amps, to valve amps, to DAC things, to other
crazy things.

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voiper1
It would be nice if they actually talked about their experience and creation,
rather than just the methodology...

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homero
Why would they build on Android then launch on iphone? ? I also can't find
ruguscope

~~~
CarVac
I too searched Ruguscope but then realized it's Auguscope.

