Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#31

Post by stronglikedan » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 4:58 PM UTC

PedroBatista wrote: post #27

Fellow software dev here, Your post just reads like the equivalent of "I just need some nerd to do my app for like 50 bucks and then I'll be rich". I think you should stop immediately. Please try to not take this the wrong way as much as you can, but you sound completely oblivious of what product design, hardware engineering and industrial production of something entails. Obviously you don't know, but the worst part…

> Your post just reads like the equivalent of "I just need some nerd to do my app for like 50 bucks and then I'll be rich".

I didn't get that at all. Seems like they're just looking for someone to partner with on a new idea, to me.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#32

Post by elil17 » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:00 PM UTC

PedroBatista wrote: post #27

Fellow software dev here, Your post just reads like the equivalent of "I just need some nerd to do my app for like 50 bucks and then I'll be rich". I think you should stop immediately. Please try to not take this the wrong way as much as you can, but you sound completely oblivious of what product design, hardware engineering and industrial production of something entails. Obviously you don't know, but the worst part…

I disagree with this. Every "app idea" I've heard could be built, so going to a software developer and asking them whether it's possible is the wrong question. Someone with an app idea needs to be asking whether there is a market for their idea.

Figuring out whether an idea like OP's can be built is a difficult question for someone who doesn't know how to search for materials. In contrast, it's pretty easy for a mechanical engineer. OP is asking the right question.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#33

Post by clairity » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:04 PM UTC

eaplant wrote: post #6

Look up an “Engineering Consulting Firm”. They’ll be able to tell you if they can help usually in an hour conversation. https://outer-space.co/ https://www.delve.com/services/engineering/electrical-softwa...

oh cool, this would have been really helpful when i was working on my amateur sports startup. we needed a 2-way, realtime wireless bridge to proprietary (but analog) scoreboards (where accurate timing is important), with future plans of doing realtime tracking of players via both sensors and machine vision (like a dumbed down second spectrum). it seemed like ultrawideband (e.g., apple's U1) was going to be the future in this space, but it's been slow to materialize.

(we didn't get far enough along to seriously look into building a device, moreso trying to cobble together something via a raspberry pi or perhaps arduino)

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#34

Post by yardie » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:12 PM UTC

CabSauce wrote: post #4

This feels like the engineering version of "I have an idea for an app!".

As a developer I feel we are too easily jaded. I went to a hackathon for kids and some of the ideas they came up with were really innovative and possibly worth pursuing. I like "I have an idea for an app" conversations. Especially if they are buying drinks or a meal. Most of them are too far out there. Others are done to death. Others the market is too small to justify the effort. Occasionally, you encounter an idea that truly checks all the boxes, this is rare.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#35

Post by nickpinkston » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:13 PM UTC

I'd recommend checking out your local community of hackerspaces [1] and/or hardware meetups [2] to meet others to discuss your idea with.

The "new type of material" is probably going to be really difficult, but you can check out Material Connexxion [3] and MatWeb [4] to see if something is already available.

Also, there's a lot of product designers and engineers on UpWork / CAD Crowd [5] that will do quick consulting calls for like $20-$100/hr.

[1] https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces

[2] https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1qwBGJ5jUOf-zquVw...

[3] https://materialconnexion.com/

[4] https://www.matweb.com/

[5] https://www.cadcrowd.com/

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#36

Post by counttheforks » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:17 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #7

pcdoodle wrote: post #2

Chat GPT is somewhat accurate when asking about materials and stuff. It might help expand your vocabulary at least.

I think we need a phrase for this, like 'just google it' or 'search it up' etc. Chat-GPT-it doesn't really ring, and might be wrong if the next big model is not an openAI GPT series. AI-it?

Maybe Bullshit-It or Gaslight-It? Because that is what ChatGPT does most of the time.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#37

Post by samwillis » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 5:41 PM UTC

The best place to look for someone is in your personal network, ask around among your friends and colleagues if they know anyone with an Industrial Design or Mechanical Engineering background. You are sure to find someone, there are more of us about than you think, take them out for a beer and have a chat about the idea.

A word of advice though, be upfront with the idea, don't try and suggest meeting up without disclosing the idea beforehand. Just as software developers are used to people pitched them their app idea, product designers are used to having people pitch them ideas too!

Failing that, there are a lot of "Product Design Engineering" firms/consultancies that do this every day, I used to work for one (I'm a former Product Design Engineer, now Software Developer). Most of these firms are multi-disciplinary, they have Industrial Designers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Software Developers all in house. They also tend to have a network of other disciplines that will regularly work with (optical designers or material specialists for example). They will be happy to give you and hour of their time to hear about the idea. But be aware, going that route will not be cheap once you move past an initial consultation.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#38

Post by WastingMyTime89 » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 6:27 PM UTC

stronglikedan wrote: post #31

PedroBatista wrote: post #27

Fellow software dev here, Your post just reads like the equivalent of "I just need some nerd to do my app for like 50 bucks and then I'll be rich". I think you should stop immediately. Please try to not take this the wrong way as much as you can, but you sound completely oblivious of what product design, hardware engineering and industrial production of something entails. Obviously you don't know, but the worst part…

> Your post just reads like the equivalent of "I just need some nerd to do my app for like 50 bucks and then I'll be rich". I didn't get that at all. Seems like they're just looking for someone to partner with on a new idea, to me.

I did get the same vibes that the person you are replying to especially after reading the part on the idea potentially involving R&D.

I think people with experience in manufacturing or industrial process are naturally wary of neophytes. It’s not that things can’t be done but anything involving physical goods will in my experience be at least an order of magnitude more complicated that what someone inexperienced would imagine.

Then again, you learn by doing.

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#39

Post by IAmPym » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 6:33 PM UTC

ensemblehq wrote: post #14

I'm happy to have a chat - I've previously worked with hardware founders in the past so I might be able to connect you with someone. Also, part of a larger entrepreneurial network that's successfully built out hardware startups.

How do we get in touch? That is exactly what I'm looking for, I'm sure I can contribute a lot as well as I have been in the space for quite a while.

My email is pymento+HN at protonmail dot com

Re: Ask HN: Where to get help with a hardware idea?

#40

Post by adamcfrench » Tue, Jan 10, 2023, 6:39 PM UTC

doitLP,

I help inventors and startups navigate new product development every day. Feel free to email adam@swopedesignsolutions.com and we can get you heading in the right direction. There’s no expectation you’ll work with us, we just love the design engineering process and are happy to help.

- Adam