When I was comparing smart lock options, I kept going in circles between three routes: locks that run on AA batteries, locks with rechargeable battery packs, and locks paired with a solar charging accessory.

The more I thought about it, the more “rechargeable” sounded like one more thing I’d have to remember to do. Buying disposable batteries forever didn’t feel ideal either.

That’s part of the problem I wanted to address with LockPower Infinity, my solar charging accessory for compatible fingerprint door locks. Rather than replacing the lock or changing your whole setup, the idea is to supplement its power supply with daylight charging and a built-in rechargeable battery.

It connects to the lock’s emergency power port and is designed to help reduce battery maintenance and the risk of unexpected power-related lockouts.

The biggest consideration is the installation itself. The solar panel needs sufficient daylight to charge effectively, and compatibility with the specific lock matters. A bright doorway is a much better candidate than a permanently shaded entrance.

For anyone choosing a smart lock, I think battery management deserves as much attention as the features on the box.

Which setup would you trust most for long-term reliability: replaceable AAs, a rechargeable battery pack, or a compatible smart lock with a solar charging accessory like LockPower Infinity?

When I was comparing smart lock options, I kept going in circles between three routes: locks that run on AA batteries, locks with rechargeable battery packs, and locks paired with a solar charging accessory.

The more I thought about it, the more “rechargeable” sounded like one more thing I’d have to remember to do. Buying disposable batteries forever didn’t feel ideal either.

That’s part of the problem I wanted to address with LockPower Infinity, my solar charging accessory for compatible fingerprint door locks. Rather than replacing the lock or changing your whole setup, the idea is to supplement its power supply with daylight charging and a built-in rechargeable battery.

It connects to the lock’s emergency power port and is designed to help reduce battery maintenance and the risk of unexpected power-related lockouts.

The biggest consideration is the installation itself. The solar panel needs sufficient daylight to charge effectively, and compatibility with the specific lock matters. A bright doorway is a much better candidate than a permanently shaded entrance.

For anyone choosing a smart lock, I think battery management deserves as much attention as the features on the box.

Which setup would you trust most for long-term reliability: replaceable AAs, a rechargeable battery pack, or a compatible smart lock with a solar charging accessory like LockPower Infinity?

I'm starting a quick-turn wire harness service for companies ramping up production/changing their designs rapidly. The idea is to be SendCutSend for more custom hardware outside of just sheet metal processes, starting with wire harnesses. If anyone wants a couple wire harnesses made, let me know and I'll do it for materials and shipping.

I'm an independent embedded software/hardware developer based in Italy, and I've been working on a small USB device that I'd like to bring to market.
I still need to take care of CE/EMC compliance (and maybe FCC), but I'm getting closer to the launch.

Foolishly only now I'm looking at all the regulations to sell in Europe.
My assumption was that having a company in Europe would be easier to sell here, but the more I research the regulatory side, the more complicated it gets.

From what I understand, I potentially have to deal with:

• WEEE registrations, reporting, and recycling schemes in each country where I sell.
• Packaging EPR registrations, with different national requirements and fees.
• Local authorised representatives in some if not all cases.
• Various country-specific labelling and documentation requirements.

My thought was that these requirements were "centralized" like the CE/EMC compliance or the VAT system.

Ironically, selling to US customers is starting to look simpler, despite the tariffs, customs fees, and international shipping costs (I might be underestimating some additional complications here).

So I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have gone through this with their own small electronic products.

A few questions:

1. Am I misunderstanding something critical about WEEE and packaging EPR for small-volume manufacturers?
2. Have any of you decided to sell only in selected EU countries, or even focus on the US market instead?
3. For those of you selling small electronic products from the EU: which countries do you actually ship to, and roughly how much do you spend annually on WEEE and packaging compliance?
4. Are there other significant costs or regulatory requirements I should be considering before launching?

It feels "wrong" that selling in the US could be simpler than selling in EU for an EU company...

Thanks for any advice or experiences you can share.

Hey guys. I have been designing and developing a digital gauge for cars for over a year now and i finally trust it enough to present it here and ask for feedback.

Its a 52mm gauge so it can fit universal into any standard aftermarket Analog gauge pod. I spend alot of time to support anything you throw at it given my capabilitys in electrical engineering and software development.

My biggest issue is that i have cars to test it on besides my own BMW E46. The E46 is great for testing CAN sniffing but it doesnt support any OBDII requests nor does it have any custom ECU like MaxxECU, Haltech or similar.

One of the key development thoughts was that i need to support any ECU or CAN network. Thats why the Gauge comes with preset profiles for aftermaket ECUs plus the possibility to make your very own profiles from scratch or via the dbc parser which is build in.

If you dont have a CAN bus thats also no issue at all. the Gauge has 8 Analog inputs supporting 0-5V sensors and NTC or PTC sensors up to 60k Ohms.

Now why am i writting here exactly? Honestly i find myself kind of lost in what to do at this point. I opened my shop start of october because i thought i would get some people to buy it and get me feedback (I even setup a 20% discount for early supporters). But its been 19 days now and hundrets of messages later i only found 2 buyers which feels kind of demotivating for me. I am ofcourse glad i got someone to support this project but it is not how i thought it would start out. The most difficult fact for me right now is that after i started i saw so many other people starting to build the same format Gauges which just makes my content go unseen due to my lack of video editing skills.

I am hoping that some people here would have some tips on what to do next or what to do better...

I’m curious how buyers approach target pricing during supplier negotiations.
Let’s say you’re sourcing a custom-manufactured component.
Your internal target is $8 per unit.
Would you tell potential suppliers that number upfront?
I can see an argument for sharing it.
If the target is realistic, the supplier can quickly assess whether the project is commercially feasible.
It might suggest alternative materials, manufacturing processes or order quantities that bring the cost closer to the target.
That could save time for both sides.
But there’s an obvious downside.
If you disclose $8, a supplier that could have quoted $6.50 might simply offer something close to your target.
You could lose useful information about actual market pricing.
There’s also the question of what the target includes.
Does $8 include packaging?
Testing?
Tooling amortization?
Freight?
A supplier might meet the target by excluding something the buyer expected.
On the other hand, refusing to share any budget information can lead to suppliers spending time preparing quotations for projects that were never commercially realistic.
Maybe the answer depends on the sourcing stage.
For initial market research, keeping the target confidential could provide better pricing information.
For collaborative product development, sharing a realistic cost objective might help the supplier propose more useful design alternatives.
For buyers: Do you normally disclose target pricing in the first RFQ or only during later negotiations?
For suppliers: Does knowing the buyer’s target price help you prepare a better proposal, or does it mainly influence where you position your quotation?

Hey everyone,
I’m a mechatronics engineer based in Shenzhen, China. I previously worked at DJI, so I’ve spent quite a bit of time working on hardware.
One thing I’ve been curious about is how overseas founders handle communication with Chinese suppliers.
Being a local engineer definitely has its advantages. Speaking the same language is one thing, but understanding the technical details and being able to discuss problems directly with the factory can make a big difference too.
But I’m curious how it looks from the other side.
Do you usually communicate directly with the factory, or work through a sourcing agent?
Have you ever run into problems where the factory misunderstood your drawings, tolerances, or what you actually wanted?
And when something goes wrong during prototyping or production, how do you usually sort it out?
Would love to hear some real experiences, good or bad.

I’m a first-time founder developing an early consumer hardware concept. I’m looking for someone who can handle mechanical CAD, electronics, firmware, and a functional prototype—or help me understand where separate specialists are needed.

I’ve started talking with a freelance engineer, but haven’t committed to the full build. My goal is to validate technical feasibility and get an initial understanding of component costs before spending several thousand dollars on an integrated prototype.

I’m considering a phased approach: mechanical feasibility, component selection and preliminary costs, a simple proof of concept, then an integrated prototype. Each phase would have specific deliverables and a decision about whether to continue.

For anyone who has worked with freelance engineers on an early hardware product:

• How did you assess their skills beyond their portfolio and reviews?
• What did you wish you’d clarified about scope, milestones, and payment?
• Which files, documentation, and ownership terms were important to secure?
• How did you handle revisions or discoveries that changed the scope?
• What red flags—or positive signs—should a first-time founder watch for?

I’d especially appreciate experiences with freelancers or platforms like Fiverr and Upwork. What worked, what went wrong, and what would you do differently?

I’m looking for lessons and advice from people who’ve been through this. Thanks!

Hello! I have been brewing on this ideas of creating a phone case to help vloggers and influencers record their videos on their phones easier.

Can anyone point me to the right direction on how I can realistically design a prototype phone case to send to a manufacturer to create? This would be a 3D item that needs to fit most types of current cellphones on the market.

Thank

Comment what you're making and I'll reply with a list of manufacturers in Mexico that could make it instead.

Anyone who's tried building a physical product knows how frustrating it can be to find the right components and suppliers.

You start with one search, end up opening dozens of websites, comparing specifications, and trying to put together a BOM.

I'm building GrabRaw to make this process easier by breaking products into components and helping people discover suppliers.

Still improving it, but I'm curious how other founders and hardware builders handle this today.

What's the most frustrating part of sourcing components for you?

Hi everyone,

We’re currently building a demo for a hardware product, and I’m curious how other teams usually handle this process.

We don’t have a highly experienced hardware engineer on our core team. Our usual approach is to discuss the product direction, concept, and main features internally, then pay external hardware and software engineers to build it.

The process has involved much more back-and-forth than we expected. There are always details to clarify, decisions to revisit, and requirements to explain again. We spend a lot of time in meetings and following up, and it sometimes feels like the communication itself is slowing the project down.

What’s more frustrating is that, even after all that discussion, the result still doesn’t always match what we had in mind.

We’ve thought about hiring an experienced hardware engineer full-time, but that’s probably too expensive for us at this stage.

So I’d love to hear how other teams deal with this:

• How often do you talk to your hardware engineers while building a demo or prototype?
• Do your hardware, firmware, and software engineers need to sync frequently?
• Do you define everything before development starts, or do you figure things out as you go?
• If you outsource the work, who turns the product idea into clear engineering requirements?
• What has helped you reduce misunderstandings, unnecessary meetings, and rework?
• For an early-stage team that can’t afford a senior full-time hardware engineer, would a part-time advisor or fractional hardware lead work better than outsourcing everything?

We’re trying to understand whether this much communication is just a normal part of early hardware development, or whether it means we need to improve the way we define requirements and work with outside engineers.

I’d really appreciate hearing how others approach this, especially if you’ve dealt with something similar. Thanks!

Hey founders, doing a little research on the design, engineering, and branding aspects of getting a physical product from idea to out the door. I've gotten to chat with people in my area, but trying to get as many perspectives as I can to start! This is super open ended, so share whatever seems relevant. Thanks!

Smart locks are convenient until the battery needs attention at the worst possible time.

I’m building LockPower Infinity, a solar charging accessory for compatible fingerprint door locks. It includes a built-in 1500mAh battery and a retractable USB-C cable.

I’m interested in making this kind of maintenance less troublesome, particularly for rental properties and entrances that receive enough daylight.

Would you consider adding a solar accessory to your smart lock setup, or would you rather keep things simple with spare batteries?

I'm a first-time hardware founder and I'm still at the concept stage. Nothing is built or tested. I'm asking for advice, not selling anything.

The problem: people don't carry power banks because they're bulky, cables get forgotten, and someone in the group is always at 2%.

The concept is called O-Ring. It's a magnetic power accessory designed to attach to your phone and charge it. Then you detach it and hand it to a friend so they can charge their compatible phone. It's one unit that moves between phones, not simultaneous charging.

So far I have a landing page with a $1 refundable reservation. Planned pricing is $29 at launch and $49 retail, but both are targets, not commitments. I've deliberately not published capacity, size or compatibility, because I don't want to promise anything before we've prototyped.

Questions for people who've done this:
1. Is a $1 refundable deposit a meaningful demand signal, or just noise? What conversion would make you take it seriously?
2. For a shareable accessory, what's the biggest risk you'd want to test first: magnet retention, heat, compatibility across phones, or whether people will actually lend it out?
3. Which compatibility would buyers expect at minimum, and is it smarter to launch narrow?

The FCC’s new component restrictions took effect on October 13, 2026. I publish Black Scarab and put together a guide for robotics founders planning a US launch, because a restricted supplier, a restricted component and a restricted finished robot are different checks.

1. Check the finished robot separately from its components. A product category restriction and a restriction involving a named supplier are different checks.

2. For the new component rule, the actual producer matters. The rule can prevent authorization when certain digital hardware comes from a named Covered List producer and the finished device would itself be restricted if that producer made it. The wording of the producer’s entry, including any product or use conditions, matters.

3. Existing authorization matters more than the date you started selling. The new component prohibition does not invalidate previously authorized equipment. A redesign or component change needs its own review before assuming the existing authorization still covers it.

A practical starting point is to collect the exact component models, their producers, applicable FCC records and your intended use. That gives a testing lab or FCC counsel something concrete to assess.

The guide includes the background, a supplier lookup and a downloadable request for supplier documentation:

https://www.blackscarab.ai/insights/fcc-covered-list-robotics-supply-chain

Official rule:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-11/html/2026-18535.htm

This is general information, not legal advice.

Remote factory tours seem like an attractive option for international sourcing.
Instead of traveling overseas, a buyer can join a video call and ask a supplier to show its production facilities.
You can potentially see machines, production lines, warehouses and quality-control areas.
That sounds useful.
But I’m wondering how much confidence a virtual tour should really provide.
A supplier controls what the camera shows.
The tour might focus on the most impressive equipment.
It might avoid areas where production problems exist.
And unless there’s additional verification, how does the buyer know that the facility actually belongs to the supplier?
At the same time, dismissing virtual tours entirely seems unreasonable.
For initial supplier screening, they may provide useful information.
A buyer could ask specific technical questions during the call.
They could request demonstrations of relevant processes.
They could ask to see how products move through the facility.
But perhaps a virtual tour is better understood as one piece of evidence rather than proof of manufacturing capability.
There’s also the supplier’s perspective.
Some factories may be reluctant to show certain processes because of customer confidentiality or proprietary technology.
That doesn’t automatically mean they’re hiding something.
For buyers: Have virtual factory tours ever meaningfully changed your supplier evaluation?
For manufacturers: What would you consider a reasonable remote verification request without exposing confidential production information?
I’m particularly interested in where people draw the line between initial screening and a proper factory audit.

I’m hearing about real companies running fully agentic AI software factories and I want to know what the current state of the art AI business architecture is for hardware engineering.

I’m the CTO and cofounder of an AgTech company in the UK. We’ve taken 4 products to market across the globe, raised a good chunk of VC and are seeing good revenue growth. Not profitable yet, but we are on our way.

But we started the business in 2015, way before AI, and I’ve been so busy building the whole company ‘the old way’ (Real FEA, CAD, Electronics prototyping and design) I fear I’m behind the curve and stuck in my ways. I want to explore how people are doing it now.

In particular I’ve got some friends working in software startups with a fully agentic infrastructure. From app features, to marketing. I thought I would ask you likeminded people, what’s the best equivalent you have seen in hardware engineering and physical product development?

Thanks in advance

I'm Artem. I assembled Softpad with six Kailh Choc Brown keys, a shared 1.3-inch OLED and a printed PETG case and stand. I sell it assembled under Nuvko.

The labels sit above the keys rather than on them. They're names set by the user in a browser configurator, not commands discovered from applications. For a six-key layout, what would you want to see in the photo to judge whether each label clearly matches its key?

Saved shortcuts work without the companion running; automatic app-profile switching needs the Mac or Windows companion. I used AI help with the code, and this post is AI-assisted too.

Setup and test notes (https://nuvko.works/#setup): configuration uses desktop Chrome or Edge with the companion paused or closed. The Windows companion is unsigned; the Mac companion is ad-hoc signed and not notarized. Fresh-computer installation checks remain unfinished. The page gives OS requirements and version-specific test limits.

Hi everyone! Thanks to the mods for approving this post.

A friend of mine is launching Aximelo, a custom CNC manufacturing service for hardware startups and engineers who need prototypes or small-batch production (1–50 parts).

They're looking for early customers ahead of their November launch.

Early Customer Offer:

Join a 20-minute research call (no sales pitch, no recording) and choose one of two rewards:

• 3 free CNC-machined parts — up to $500 per part, all costs included. Subject to machining capabilities; valid for 6 months.
• Free lifetime VIP membership — 10% off every order.

Interested? Email [contact@aximelo.com](mailto:contact@aximelo.com) or visit https://www.aximelo.com.

What's your biggest frustration with CNC prototyping — pricing, lead times, or quality?

As a founder or co-founder, what strategies do you use to minimize the risk to your personal assets when doing a hardware startup?

I understand the right business structure, insurance, etc helps. But the thing with hardware is that anything you sell might still be used by people long after you shut down the business. I'm trying to think through how to minimize my personal liability in case the business doesn't succeed and I shut it down in the future. (Obviously I don't want to buy insurance forever)

Would having an engineering firm do the design help? Getting necessary certifications? It's not a dangerous product nor is it electronics, but I want to think thru the risks before I launch anything.

I would appreciate any insights.

Thanks

Hello all,

I’m a new grad electrical engineer. I have a bunch of plans for myself and am trying and planning towards getting there. I currently have two designs for products I want to use as a start for trying out business. I also do some freelancing. They are on pause right now because I am building up my home lab, money limited so I’m just trying my best to get it up and running and save. Anyways, let’s say it’s running February next year, now I can order the PCBs, start testing, troubleshooting, reiterating etc then getting to a final revision that I’m ready to send for compliance.

Current plans are to start an online master’s fall 2027 since I work full time. But I was thinking about it last night and I’m worried about the time commitment. As it is now, just working, nothing else really tho I will soon start studying for something but that will be done before next fall, I barely do anything after work on weekdays, just resting, eat dinner then go to bed. Weekends I’m recovering from the week then it’s Monday again. I was planning to do 2 classes a semester so ik summer will be a nice reprieve to focus on my products more but I also worry about speed and efficiency to go to market.

So for the product side, current plan is starting social media content once I have my lab and trying to build community, interest and audience then when I’m at my final version, hopefully, with enough crowd, I can put it on kickstarter to get some funds for first production bath and certifications especially (FCC and CE, unintentional radiators for both but there’s I2C and SPI lines and it still needs these certs even when there’s no RF or anything). By fall 2027, I’m def hoping at least to be at the point where I’m ready for certs. But ik when it’s fully live, I need to be able to regularly respond to customers, check reviews (probably going to scope out creators I can communicate with and see if I can send some boards out), and just keep testing new PCBAs I get.

Sorry this is long. So for the master’s, I was planning two classes a semester to finish in 2.5 years. My employer is paying but I need to stay 2 years after I graduate or I will have to pay back some money. So doing 1 class a semester means 5 years plus extra 2.

What do yall think? I’m open to advice or just hearing others that may have more experience.