How to seize the opportunities of open source hardware

"Reading" entrepreneur, started only one pure thought, even when those roots in industry for many years, also have to think about an idea is in line with market expectations, or to meet client requirements. Reebs thought the Internet had already scrape all over the land, not broken into lakes in the most powerful cheat codes to start a business.

Open source hardware for many geeks, a guest, even the most intelligent hardware entrepreneur, not an unfamiliar word. Arduino, raspberry pie hot from hackerspace, has long been a favorite of geeks as well as synonymous. Of course, many giants in the layout of open source hardware, Intel to bring Edison into wearable devices, Google released Project Ara project to subvert the user's awareness of mobile, Facebook's "open project" moving HP giant cake. Huawei recently also special LiteOS the operating system open source for independent research and development of the Internet of things and started to build chips, modules, hardware and open source developer community.

I think open source hardware has spent its infancy, is striding into opportunity, we would like to analyze intelligence hardware entrepreneur how to seize this opportunity?

   (Google Project Ara)            

Simply put, open source hardware is a developer's own research and development to PCB for a hardware product design, BOM all hardware-related information, as well as its driver software, such as open source code, other developers can directly use and improving again after the release.

Its benefits can be illustrated by a simple example: when there is no open source hardware, if a hardware entrepreneur needs to develop an intelligent product, it needs to go through hardware, system boards, driven development and other areas, while using existing open source hardware, they simply develop applications at the top of the control logic.

This has two a most obviously of advantage: reduced has technology threshold, originally not understand hardware of software engineers is to imagine to do hardware and software combined of products of, now almost a non-professional of people learning half months on can using open source hardware to made DEMO; pulled low has price, bulk of has manufacturing good of open source hardware, just lower of price on can purchase to, compared Yu himself purchase parts and manufacturing PCB Board of cost to low many.

Actually as these obvious advantages, the open source hardware in the field of education the first outbreak occurred. When I was in College, EDA program used a College Professor master hardware development teaching Board, although this is not open source hardware, but come to think of it now which is the root cause of the outbreak of open source hardware in the field of education. Students generally have a lot of ideas, but most of them are stuck in the idea stage, the biggest stumbling block is the development of the underlying hardware, the emergence of open source hardware is to solve the problem.

Intelligent hardware on the road, I felt the difficulty of hardware business.

Into hardware and software development stage, began exposed such of problem: manufacturing PCB Board rely on other manufacturers, to back and forth back sent in road of time on many, and a PCB Board, often debugging times on found need modified; wireless RF module of development has must difficulty, for lack experience of young team more is challenge, we again introduced more has experience of hardware engineers only solution problem; drive development spent large strength, stability also needed large test; most key of is, this are is closed in team internal.

This leads to the most direct consequence: increasing of the product development cycle. "Only the fast is not broken" in the Internet age, it is very dangerous. So I've been thinking about how to improve, whether there is an innovative way to address these most intelligent hardware entrepreneurs face problems? After a period of analysis, I think that open source hardware is a good opportunity. I am a staunch supporter of the open source movement, it will share some of his thoughts with his readers, I think that smart entrepreneurs can consider four aspects of the hardware for their own methods.

First, effective, low-cost market validation.

Entrepreneur, started only one pure thought, even when those roots in industry for many years, also have to think about an idea is in line with market expectations, or to meet client requirements.

Our team in formal research and development before the first generation of products, also went through such a process. Our entire team spent close to a month of time analyzing the market of light, and spent nearly a month Mining user pain points, and was not satisfied with the effect of the latter, because users often do not know what I want. However if you look at the hackerspace, quite different. Create themselves based on their own ideas, use open source hardware quickly DEMO, access to other guests after the cheering, it can show potential users direct the trial, or when a user survey can visualize, then the data is all the more convincing. Even some directly on the chip, or contact Investor direct preparation of production market. For a start-up team, this would be a clear strategic direction for yourself, verify market opportunities.

Second, rapid product iterations.

Reebs thought the Internet had already scrape all over the land, not broken into lakes in the most powerful cheat codes to start a business.

Fast product launch, then quickly iterate this MIUI is the key to success. For a software system, and I think after baptism MIUI, Internet vendors can do rapid iterations, and user participation. But for hardware startup, rapid iteration is not an easy thing to say, in fact only hardware and software entrepreneur in rapid iteration software features.

For hardware startups, there are no cheats of the fast is not broken? Hello Kitty phone cases

I think two stage are can using open source hardware to reached fast Diego generation: first a stage is products development and test, development team first on can using open source hardware to validation design and function layout whether reasonable, and and designer, and structure Division with discussion clear some key problem, such in real began hardware and software design and development of when on can reduced repeatedly communication, even rework; second a stage is products generation level evolution, this main is a thinking, Early in the product design and minimum modular open source hardware as far as possible, different from traditional thinking--the largest integrated. Then the next generation of products only the module to be replaced or upgraded, or users will need to change a product's color or adding a small feature, buy yourself a new module can be replaced, so did very rapid product evolution.

Third, focus on the most important poles – sales and supply chain.

Hardware business there are two failed circumstances: one is to have a strong product development team, but the lack of sales or supply chain talent; the other is very good at sales or supply chain team, but the lack of a strong developer.

The latter failed, perhaps open source hardware is good. Matt Stong is the founder of a supply chain expert, he used his advantage by China's factory production is based on the open source 3D printer hardware, dramatically lower prices, gain a key competitive advantage.

Appearance requirement or usage scenarios for ordinary intelligent hardware products, entrepreneurs can focus on sales and supply chain, compete on both fronts. Such as the UAV market, drones are born almost every day, but it is only good at sales and supply chain to become the winner of the the open source UAV.

Finally, the productivity of decentralized organizations.

Internet is progressively decentralized, a lot of people did a lot of thinking. In software, clothing design, the decentralization of production already in operation for many years, I was mentioned several times within the team, our team is also based on this mode of building. Crowdsourcing, should be decentralized productivity the most typical representative of the organization. Each creative designers can submit their own clothing designs in the platform, users choose a favorite design on the platform, platform-like design into products, users purchase products, designers share. Designers and the platform without the traditional relationship between company and employees, but it has that relationship under the deal. For platforms, without offices or the examination of these designers naturally have their own productivity.

In the field of intelligent hardware business, which is possible, such as simply shows that he has an idea, called the developer to complete and pay commissions, product development process is completed. To cite an example, we only need a product Director, organized developers on the Internet or offline, such as University student resources, to complete product development. The productivity of this decentralized organization, and open source hardware model must be similar, open and authorized, but the difference is due to the payment of commissions, we can ask in case of infringement of confidentiality.

Four points above are some of my thoughts, combining intelligent hardware product development process for my team in analysing the experiences made in. Intelligent hardware business is a hard road, what I want is all smart hardware startups are able to experience their own open source together to seize the opportunities of open source hardware, in the field of intelligent hardware gains. My hope is that team not only to inspire dreams of life products, also want to disseminate positive energy inspired dreams of life, hope this article to inspire entrepreneurs intelligent hardware.

"The author" technology and co-founder Chen lianglong bites. Bite tech, inspire dreams of life. ALDreams Arouse Living Dreams。 Ah-Ding technology get rid of redundant technology of complex functions and, from "Jane", the building grounding of intelligent products. Investment date: winwin@aldreams.CN

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