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YC for Hardware

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: YC for Hardware

#51

Post by lbearl »

apendleton wrote: post #19
beambot wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pebble, Boosted, Cruise, Double Robotics, Pantelligent, Thalmic, UPower, Helion, Terravion, SoundFocus, SwapBox, Amulyte, Coin, IxiPlay, TrueLink, Estimote, Senic, ...

Not to nitpick, but at least some of these arguably haven't gotten far enough along yet that they can reasonably claim to be "successful." Thalmic is just getting early products to market, Helion hasn't yet built a commercial fusion reactor, etc.

>> Helion hasn't yet built a commercial fusion reactor I agree with your point, but at the same time it is somewhat amazing that we live in a world where a company can get VC funding to even make an attempt on something as ambitious as fusion.

Re: YC for Hardware

#52

Post by paul »

bravo22 wrote: post #50
paul wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, no, they were building their own boxes.

I did not know that. I assumed they got them from an OEM, considering they are so cheap and readily available. Even if they were building their own sheet metal lockers, I still don't think they were a "hardware" company. They had a great service and that's what they were selling.

They had to integrate the electronics as well. The most successful hardware companies (e.g. Apple) are building integrated systems including software and services.

Re: YC for Hardware

#53

Post by paul »

apendleton wrote: post #19
beambot wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pebble, Boosted, Cruise, Double Robotics, Pantelligent, Thalmic, UPower, Helion, Terravion, SoundFocus, SwapBox, Amulyte, Coin, IxiPlay, TrueLink, Estimote, Senic, ...

Not to nitpick, but at least some of these arguably haven't gotten far enough along yet that they can reasonably claim to be "successful." Thalmic is just getting early products to market, Helion hasn't yet built a commercial fusion reactor, etc.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in sales doesn't count as success? Which non-yc hardware companies started in the last several years would you count as successful?

Re: YC for Hardware

#55

Post by nether »

fown9 wrote: post #46
anujdeshpande wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also worth watching is India. The newly elected PM has taken "Make in India" quite seriously. The world's largest democracy is gearing up for a huge manufacturing boom. Cheaper than the States, humane conditions, English as a medium of communication and excellent economic relations with most countries.

No disrespect, but India has horrible infrastructure, horrible treatment of women (rape, disregards from police on harassment cases), and other horrible things.

Witness, the HNer proffers his expert views on nations containing a billion people each

Re: YC for Hardware

#56

Post by cpach »

dthal wrote: post #16
TheMakeA wrote: post #11

Are any of these resources available for anyone who isn't already a YC founder? Does that make sense? Wouldn't it be valuable to give interested folks who aren't yet in YC a place to do their prototyping, get discounts, and help, and then use it as lead gen for the next batch? Think of all the companies that could exist but don't because they don't have access to these resources.

That makes complete sense, especially since you are not going to get in to YC as a hardware startup without a functioning prototype.

Why not? I’m pretty sure Helion (helionenergy.com) doesn’t have a working prototype.

Re: YC for Hardware

#57

Post by bravo22 »

paul wrote: post #52
bravo22 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did not know that. I assumed they got them from an OEM, considering they are so cheap and readily available. Even if they were building their own sheet metal lockers, I still don't think they were a "hardware" company. They had a great service and that's what they were selling.

They had to integrate the electronics as well. The most successful hardware companies (e.g. Apple) are building integrated systems including software and services.

I don't disagree with assertion about Apple and similar companies but they end up selling you a physical hardware product.

Bufferbox offered a service and didn't sell you a product therefore I don't think they were "hardware" company. The hardware was means to an end.

I don't think it lessens what they did. It was a good service.

Walmart has a large IT infrastructure, with sys admins and in-house developers. They also manage a lot of buildings, and warehouses. I wouldn't consider them an IT company, a property management company, or a logistics company.

Re: YC for Hardware

#58

Post by swamp40 »

hugs wrote: post #17
anujdeshpande wrote: post #13

I read it twice to see if there was any mention of the word 'Shenzhen'. It's difficult to not keep that in the loop, for a hardware startup anywhere in the world. Even SF.

I make robots in Chicago and sell them on Tindie. My top two competitors are in Finland and Japan. Yes, I hear Shenzhen is crazy awesome, but try not to let location dominate your world view of what is easy or difficult. Making a good hardware product is difficult, no matter where you make it.

>> I make robots in Chicago and sell them on Tindie.

So, let's say now you need 10,000 of them. For 1/4 the price. Delivered next month.

That's where Shenzhen starts looking really nice.

Especially if you've already got reliable contacts there, like Bolt does with Dragon Innovation.

Re: YC for Hardware

#59

Post by bravo22 »

paul wrote: post #53
apendleton wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to nitpick, but at least some of these arguably haven't gotten far enough along yet that they can reasonably claim to be "successful." Thalmic is just getting early products to market, Helion hasn't yet built a commercial fusion reactor, etc.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in sales doesn't count as success? Which non-yc hardware companies started in the last several years would you count as successful?

Thalmic has hundred of millions in sales!? or were you referring to another one from the list?

Re: YC for Hardware

#60

Post by larrys »

paul wrote: post #53
apendleton wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to nitpick, but at least some of these arguably haven't gotten far enough along yet that they can reasonably claim to be "successful." Thalmic is just getting early products to market, Helion hasn't yet built a commercial fusion reactor, etc.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in sales doesn't count as success? Which non-yc hardware companies started in the last several years would you count as successful?

It might. But profitability is important as well. Not a comment on any particular company but the idea that a company that has millions in revenue but no profits (and is floated by investors) is successful is not absolute.
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