James Sinclair (YouTube, Mar 22, 2023) asks hardware founders about differences between building tangible products and software. He recounts buying a flossing device and reflects on how software gives him complete control over iteration speed and changes, while hardware likely constrains rapid iteration and raises questions about "good enough" and shipping risks.
Chapters
I have a question for hardware founders or startup founders that have a hardware or tangible product in the marketplace. You know, these guys just commented on one of my posts. I bought the product. It's a flossing thing. I don't floss, but I am addicted to supporting founders, especially hardware founders, who literally are able to make something physical out of nothing. I think it's just incredible. I think you are a different animal, a different beast. But all of my exits have been in software and, you know, I've been watching Maggie Sellers, I've been watching some of these other creators. And what I'm trying to understand is, you know, in software where I control my clock speed, I control everything from my idea all the way to production and delivery to the customer, everything's under my control. If I wake up in the middle of the night with a better idea, I can choose to execute it. If I want to change something on my packaging website, I can choose to do that. It's always under my choice. With a hardware product, I imagine the whole Reid Hoffman if you're not embarrassed by your first product, you've shipped too late doesn't exist. So when is good, good enough? How do you deal with that cycle, that iteration flow, your clock speed? How do you.