For Hardware Startups: Insights on Scaling Up Manufacturing
Several of my previous posts relate to LEDgoes, the first product of OpenBrite, LLC, which ran a very successful Kickstarter campaign. Stacy & I designed this product (which requires a great deal of custom hardware), though we are in fact two software engineers by trade & schooling. She has experience, though, with manufacturing various audio components from voice coils and cables to amplifier circuits, has worked with Ray Samuels on some of his designs, and she even took a class in D/A and A/D integrated circuit design. Nevertheless, through the Kickstarter experience, we embarked on a whole new world when it comes to scaling up production on circuit boards. You Can't Pick Your Parents, But At Least Pick Your Partner Selecting the right assembly company is crucial. Many companies can produce the hardware for you from end-to-end, source the parts for it, test it, and even help out in the design phase. Some of these companies can do everything in-house, and