small-scale, profitable,
open-source hardware
or, how to sell hardware out of your garage and (probably) not lose money
David DeGraw
Disclaimer:
I know nothing
this is based on my experiences
Who am I?
Front-end developer at SimpleNexus
Father of (almost) 2
BYU student
Founder of Catskull Electronics
@xxcatskullxx
github.com/catskull
Catskull Electronics
catskullelectronics.com
"Founded" in 2015
Selling electronics kits for chip musicians
Sold thousands of kits to people all over the world
What's up with "catskull"?
I just thought it sounded metal 🤘
Who are you?
Electronics hobbyist
Maybe had a PCB made?
Want to start selling hardware
A random person?
Another disclaimer?
Hardware takes a lot of time!
Find a niche
My niche
chiptune
Arduinoboy
Fill a need
(Ideally your need)
Pricing
top-down VS bottom-up
Top-Down
What currently exists?
How much are they selling for?
How does my product compare?
Cost of goods is not as much as a factor.
Bottom-Up
How much does my product cost to build?
What would be a good/fair price to sell it for?
How much do I need to make for it to be "worth it" to me?
Caution!
?
!
10%
90%
"Speaking of customer support, isn't that a total nightmare?"
Not really!
Focus on the customer experience:
- under-promise, over-deliver
- under-promise, over-deliver
- under-promise, over-deliver
- focus on being a human
- deliver things that "just work"
- give people the benefit of the doubt
- under-promise, over-deliver
How can I make a PCB?
Software
EAGLE CAD
KiCAD
Fabrication
OSH Park
Purple PCBs
3 for the price of....3?
Made in the US
2-3 week turnaround
Cheap for small boards
You don't have to export gerbers
PCB Way
Chinese fab house
Boards in any thickness or color (including purple)
~1 week turnaround
10 boards for $5
Shipping starts at about $20
Where to get components?
Tayda Electronics
No minimum quantities (order must be at least $5 though)
Cheap!
Ship from the US
Best for passives, special IC's, not so much
Pro tip: follow them on Facebook for discounts!
eBay
Good for one-off purchases
Cheap!
Usually free shipping
Most are in China so expect about 3 weeks for shipping
Secret weapon: NOS (or OS) parts
Digi-Key/Mouser
For a large production run (1,000+ units), this is the only option
Huge selection
Shipping isn't typically super cheap
Pro tip: buy your solder here!
Assembly
Through Hole
Surface Mount
My advice?
Just start!
What about the "tech"?
Jekyll
Github Pages
PayPal
Live Demo?
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