What I learned selling 2,500 MIDI recorders: Hardware is not so hard (chipweinberger.com)

Article summary

The author of the article launched a product called Jamcorder, a MIDI recorder that has sold 2500 units, and reflects on the experience of creating it. They found that building hardware was not as difficult as expected, and that the hardest part was actually writing the software. The author attributes the relatively smooth hardware development process to keeping the device simple and intentionally avoiding complex features. The article also provides practical take-aways for successfully shipping hardware products.

Main themes

• Hardware development
• MIDI recording
• Entrepreneurship
• Product design
• Counterfeit protection
• Manufacturing

What commenters say

• The amount of code written for the product, 200K lines, is surprisingly large and may include libraries and tooling code.
• Using an existing RTOS or framework can significantly reduce the amount of code that needs to be written for a hardware project.
• A strong anti-counterfeit strategy is essential for protecting a product from being copied and sold by unauthorized parties.
• Some commenters believe that open-sourcing the hardware and software could be beneficial, while others argue that it would undercut sales and is not worth the effort.
• The use of unique IDs and private keys is important for tracking and securing devices, but may not be necessary for all types of products.
• Shipping preprogrammed ICs to the factory can be a more secure option than having the factory program them, but may not be practical for large production runs.
• Regular inspections and audits of the production line can help prevent counterfeiting and ensure that devices are being manufactured correctly.
• The decision to keep the product simple and avoid complex features was a key factor in the relatively smooth hardware development process.