Eugene provides a summary of his 10+ year journey creating hardware kits and products. Some key points: - He began in 2008 creating small prototype runs of products like the Sparky Jr using microcontrollers. - Over the years he expanded to products like the Gameboy Zero and Moledcule with runs of hundreds of units. - In 2017 he ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for the Gameboy Zero Pocket that raised 275% of its funding goal. - The document outlines lessons learned around hardware design, community management, manufacturing, and distribution challenges he has faced bringing products to market at small scales.

2. StartX

4. 4
HI! My Name Is Eugene.
“As a maker, I continue to create kits.
Finished products? That’s your job!”
On that internet thing… …32teeth!

5. 5
All touch point experience
CX Developer
Yep, that too
API
Transportation of everything
Middle
Urm, yeah, whatever
Toolkits
Obligatory What I Do Slide

6. Backstory
A Short History Of Products

7. 7
A Few Milestones Of 10+ Years Journey
Prototype To Market
Distribution
Sparky Jr.
2008
o Atmega328
o PTH
o Made To Order
o ~250 Units

8. 8
SparkWii
2012
o ATmega8
o SMD
o Wii Extension
o ~250 Units
Sparky Jr. v3
2010
o ATmega32U4
o SMD
o Chrome App
o USB / Serial
o ~500 Units
Sparky Jr. v2
2009
o ATmega328
o SMD
o Processing App
o Serial Enabled
o ~250 Units
SparkyPlug SparkyCade PSU Bench

9. 9
Gameboy
Zero
2016
o Pi Zero Release
o Button PCB
o Gameboy DMG
o Sudomod
Moledcule
2015
o ATmega 32U4
o WS2812/3
o Base Controller
o Button LED
o Joystick Plate
o Chrome App
3rd Party
2014
o Sparky Jr Clones
o Online Retailers
Sparky SpecialK Cloud Compiler GBZ Pi HAT

10. 10
2017
Gaboze Pocaio
(Game Boy Zero Pocket All In On)
2018
o Gameboy MGB
o All In One
o Drop In
o Straight To Market
KickStarter
2017
o Low Cost Entry
o Focus DYI
o 100+ Backers
o 275% Funded
USB Hub Bub PWM Audio

11. SWOT
Analysis Admissions

12. 12
What I Know
Hardware
Software
Interface
Design
Layout
Form Factor
Hardware
20+ Years
Low Level to User Interface
Software
CI/CD
Delivery
STRENGTHS

13. 13
What I Don’t
Supply Chain
Manufacturing
Distribution
K KU UU FoW
WEKNESSES

14. 14
DIY
Makers
Hackers
Tinkerers
Enthusiasts
Makers and Hackers
Represent the Early Adopter
Okay with broken things
Target Audience
Tinkerers and Enthusiasts
Represent the ‘This is cool’
and ‘In my collection’ group
Retail Audience
OPPORTUNITIES

15. 15
Attack Of
The Clones
It Happened Sparky Jr.
It’s not if, it’s when
Stay ahead
Manufacturing
Distribution
It’s BIG dollars you will drop on your
first production run
Manufacturing
Packaging & Shipping killed me…
Distribution
THREATS

16. Campaign
Sure, let’s kick the crowd funding can

17. 17
you’re
asking
people to
part with
their $$$
Success was planned!
Low cost barrier
Schedule for updates was created
Plan the Campaign
Be truthful
Integrity
Managing Expectations
People ask questions.
Answer them.
Staying Connected

18. 18
October 8th 2017
• KickStarted Campaign Launched
Launch
October 10th 2017
• 50% Funded in less than 48 hours
Fifty Percent
KickStarter Timeline

19. 19
October 10th 2017
• Legal Issue
• Name Changed
• Silks Changed
• Preventative Measures
Legal Eagles
October 12th 2017
• 100% Funded
• 6 days in!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!!
November 9th 2017
• Built to Last Reward Flagged
• Built to Last Reward Removed
Broken Rules

20. 20
November 14th 2017
• 200% Funded
• New Reward Announced
2x Gold
November 14th 2017
• 200% Exceeded
• Free USB Sound Card for ALL Backers
Did you say FREE stuff

21. 21
November 22th 2017
• 115 Backers
• 275% Funded
Campaign Ends

22. 22
Cool
Excited
It's Happening
Real
ROSATH*
chart
*ROSATH – Realness Of Shit About To Happen

23. 23
November 2017
• Holiday Express
RFP To Manufacturer
December 2017
• Dual PCB
• Sandwich
Redesign New PCB
December 2017
• Ship Holiday Express
• Order Place for remaining rewards
The Big Booya

24. 24
January / February 2018
• Ship Bronze Reward
• Ship Silver Reward
• Order Stuff for Gold Rewards
Big Ship
March 2018
• Ship Gold Reward
• Ship Platinum Reward
BIG Big Ship

25. 25
April 2018
• Ship 2x Gold Reward
• Take a well deserved rest…
…not really
Today, Tomorrow, To-Do

26. Flow
0 – Distribution in 4 Easy Steps

27. Design
Including The Product Ecosystem
01

28. 28
Business Model Canvas
From Key Activities and Resources to
Customer Segments and Revenue Streams
Start with a Business Model Canvas.
Focus in on the Value Proposition Map and
Customer Profile, this will become your
north star

29. 29
Competitive Landscape
Unique Market Value
Identify Gaps
Time To Market
Price Point

30. Development
Hardware CI/CD Takes More Duration Than Effort
02

31. 31
GO
Read Whitepapers
Select your components
Design your schematics
Schematics
Measure, Measure, Measure
Move your component
Optimize Placement
Board Layout
DAMMIT!
Go back to Schematics
Iterate
Output Gerber Job
Select a PCB Manufacturer
Place the short run order
Prototype
Order needed components
Solder up by hand
Plug it in
Build & Test

32. 32
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Talk to people
Local is VERY expensive
Quotes
Exit clause
Right of refusal
Verification
Signed Agreement
Short runs are expensive per unit
Prices drop 250-500 unit range
Prepare for thousands!
NO OR NEVER!
The BIG $$$
4-6 Week lead time is LONG
DO NOT
• Redesign
• Iterate
• Think about things
Stay the course
WAIT

33. 33
Market
Connect
During the LONG WAIT.
• Keep the conversation going!
• Answer Questions
• Build a Brand
• Stand by Convictions
• Feed the machine!
!
"
#
$
%
&

34. When managing a community,
You will get out half what you put in.
• Maintain positive attitude
• Stave off criticism
• Keep the audience informed
• Encourage them
• Spread out as a contributor as well
Community

35. 35
With mounting timeline pressures,
delivery timelines, for the official PCB
color, the votes where cast by the
KickStarter Backer
Black won by a mile
White was second
Blue was third
Henry for once said
“any color so long as it is black"
One, Two…
Beta Holiday Express Official

36. Deployment
Get Your Product Into The Hands Of Users
03

37. 37
Designing and Layout out of the components
Hardware
GPIO for Joystick and Buttons
PWM Audio
ISO Distribution
Software
Active member of multiple communities
Target Audience
Community
Speak to and answer
Satisfy Inquiries
Socialization
Known
!

38. 38
Outsourcing
Communication Barriers
Trust
Manufacturing
What was my end of the deal
What did I need to do with certain accuracy
Accountabilities
Known Unknown
?

39. 39
It’s not if ’Shit Happens’, it was ‘Shit Happened’
Let me tell you the truth! Just NOT yet!
Shit Happens. Be Relentless
OMG My Life Is Official Over Moment
How do I pack relatively fragile kits?
Small Business Subscription with Canada Post
Eating some cost
Packaging & Shipping
Not a bad thing, they just don’t.
Keep positive
It’s draining, I love it
People Don’t Read
Speak to and answer
Satisfy Inquiries
Socialization
Unknown Unknown
But I Discovered Quickly

40. 40
Hardware
Community
Logistics
0
20
40
60
80
100
Design
Development
Manufacturing
Deployment
Support
Hardware Community Logistics
How much effort you will end up spending during the lifecycle of a product
A Brief History of Time

41. Manufacturing
The Pipeline Is Full Of Headaches
1D-10-T

42. Manufacturing
Check, Check Again, Double Check, Triple Check
1D-10-T
You tell me what’s wrong
with this picture!
OMGWTFBBQ!!!

43. De-soldering is FUN right?
• ! Manual (Braid, Flux and Pump)
• " Hakko FR-300
• 250+ Boards de-soldered in 1 day
(That’s 1500+ pins)
• 250+ re-solder…. …2 days
D-Day
(De-solder Day)

44. Results
Lessons Learned, Metrics, and What’s Next
04

45. 45
Advise
Never Stop Learning
You will fail at some point, this is an opportunity
• Be honest with Yourself and Your Audience
• Nothing will ever be perfect… …Chase it! Hard!
Integrity and
Humility
It takes heat and pressure to make both coal and
diamonds.
Your will encounter and experience both.
Diamonds are made:

46. 46
Lessons
Cost centers
Timeline
Audience Feedback
Measure Everything
Stand by your convictions
Don’t apologize, don’t explain
Commit
Seriously, costs can be more than $$$
Measure EVERYTHING

47. 47
Born and Raised in Canada, Distributed World Wide
Metrics
• 100% Funded in 5 days
• 275% Funded at end
• 115 backers
• ♥ ♥ ♥
KickStarter
• Invited / Joined Tindie Maker Market
• 10K + Shop Views
• 50+ Orders Shipped
• $7.5K+ Sales
Global Platform
6IX

48. Up Next

49. I GOT NEXTGaboze Pocaio

50. Hardware
• Sparky Jr.
• ATmega328
• ATmega32U4
• SparkPlug (Serial Anything)
• SparkWii
• Remora
• Moledcule
• Master
• Satelite
• Plate
• PSU Breakout
• Game Boy Zero
• Handheld
• Pocket
Software
• Sparky Configurator
• Moledcule Ecosystem
• iOS Gamepad Overlay
Commons Contribution
• PS3 32U4
• Wii/U Controller Extension
• TFT LCD Library
• Pi Zero Library
• Button Library
• GBZ Working Group
Open Source Everything
Credits

51. Open Source Everything
Credits
You:
• Makers
• Creators
• Hackers
• Enthusiasts
Your Push

52. 1UP
If you learn anything today, it will be this

54. StartX
THANK YOU
FIN