Tim Metz

En Route to Saenthood: #11 Ignorance is Hardware Bliss

This series is about what I’m learning, observing and experiencing while building my startup Saent (pronounce “Saint”). The good, the bad and especially the ugly, each time in under 500 words.

Typical hardware startup desk.

“I want to build a productivity button,” I told Russell in our first meeting to discuss SANNT. Luckily back then, I had no idea what I was talking about.

“Impossible is Nothing.” - Aleksey Vayner

To give you an impression of what little clue I had, here are some guidelines, statistics and best practices about building hardware*:

  • “Expect to spend 6 months in core product development from ideation through a final, functional prototype. In the 25 or so products I’ve worked on, never once did a product take less than 6 months to get ready for production.”
  • “Top-tier design consultancies can charge upwards of $500K for a full development cycle.” Mid-tier firms cost $50k — $100k for the design of a simple electronics product, independent consultants will cost $10k — $50k.
  • You’re well-advised to file patents, designs patents and trademarks.
  • “The best way to use crowdfunding is AFTER you raise financing from private investors, once you’ve built a team and fully designed your product.”
  • Recommended to have 18 months of financial runway.
  • “Go to China! It’s both a requirement for making good product and an exceptionally beautiful country + culture.”
  • On finding the right manufacturer: “Unless you’ve gone through the process before, it usually takes at least 50% longer than that and often stretches into 1 year territory. There are many ways to decrease this time, but most of them require capital, expertise, or huge focus from the founding team.”

I guess this passage from “Hardware by the Numbers” sums it up best:

Thank God I wasn’t aware of all this when I had that first meeting with Russell; I would have probably given up on the spot. But fortune favours the brave* and it turned out we had some things going for us:

  • Russell was much more experienced in all this stuff than I knew at the time.
  • Even though we’re here in China because, well, that’s where we were already living, it turned out to be the best place to be for a hardware startup.
  • Our idea still seems to be pretty unique, so we had more time to properly prepare a crowdfunding launch than I was anticipating initially;
  • I overcame my grudge against raising investment and attracted seed funding earlier this year.

This little tale shows ignorance can truly be bliss, especially when embarking on an entrepreneurial (ad)venture. If you would know in advance how complex it can get, you might give up on your idea instantly.

So remember, ignorance can sometimes be your friend!

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