Don't over-engineer early hardware prototypes. Instead, create a version that—even if technically fake—effectively demonstrates the core user experience. This storytelling approach is more compelling to early-stage investors than a perfectly functional but less engaging product.
For her previous company, Mirror, founder Brynn Putnam found producing in Mexico was more cost-competitive than in Asia. The high cost of shipping the bulky smart mirror from overseas negated production cost savings, making nearshoring the smarter financial choice.
Board sells its gaming console at a low margin but monetizes through a high-margin ecosystem. A key driver is selling new physical game pieces required to unlock digital games, effectively creating a recurring, high-margin collectibles business model.
Board isn't competing with hardcore board games or video games. It's creating a new category for multi-generational family play by removing common friction points like complex rule-learning and skill gaps between players of different ages, making it more accessible.
Board's IP strategy, inspired by Monopoly Go, is not to simply port classic games. Instead, they partner with major IP holders to create new, native experiences that leverage the unique capabilities of their physical-digital platform, making the IP feel fresh.
Founder Brynn Putnam, a former professional ballerina, actively seeks to hire dancers. She finds they possess key startup traits like an obsessive work ethic, high resilience, and the ability to persevere through pain—qualities forged through years of intense training.
The skill set for rapidly developing new aircraft, common in the 1950s, has atrophied. Hypersonic jet company Hermes is rebuilding this capability from scratch by hiring from the modern rocket industry, which still maintains a culture of fast, iterative hardware development.
Following the SpaceX model, Hermes uses private capital for core R&D. It then achieves capital efficiency by securing government contracts where the deliverable is valuable data from flight tests, effectively getting paid to de-risk its own technology roadmap.
Beyond speed and stealth, a key strategic advantage of uncrewed hypersonic aircraft is removing the risk of pilots being shot down and captured. This avoids potential POW situations that can trigger major international incidents and difficult negotiations.