# 72: This Is My NASA Phone

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2014-10-15
- Length: 59m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/embedded-ep72mp3

## Summary

Emile Petrone, founder of Tindie, explains how his two-person startup serves as a marketplace for indie hardware, connecting individual makers with buyers and larger companies like NASA and Samsung. He discusses the platform's evolution from an Arduino-centric community to a broader hub for Raspberry Pi and other electronics, highlighting success stories like the Arduboy and AirPi weather station. Petrone details Tindie's business model, including its 5% fee, escrow system, and community-driven 'markets' feature, while noting the challenges of scaling a niche platform that facilitates everything from bare PCBs to finished robots.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=6) Introduction: Emile Petrone and Tindie
- [1:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=78) Tindie as the Etsy of Hardware
- [5:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=333) The Rise of Indie Hardware and Lowered Costs
- [11:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=684) Community-Driven Markets and Product Listings
- [16:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=963) Business Model, Pricing, and Trust
- [20:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone#t=1254) Scaling, Success Stories, and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Open-source hardware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/open-source-hardware)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Tindie (company)
- Etsy (company)
- Arduino (product)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- Arduboy (product)
- AirPi (product)
- Kickstarter (company)
- Adafruit (company)
- SparkFun (company)
- NASA (company)
- Samsung (company)
- KiCad (tool)
- PCBWay (company)
- Teensy (product)
- Electric Imp (product)
- TI LaunchPad (product)
- Google Glass (product)
- FemToduo (company)
- Highway One (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Arduino, IndiGoGo and Hack-a-Day - Doodad Dealer Dancing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-07-17-arduino-indigogo-and-hack-a-day-doodad-dealer-dancing) (The Amp Hour)
- [#015 - How to benefit for your hardware project from the first major crowdfunding platform, with Sandy Diao of Indiegogo, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-01-015-how-to-benefit-for-your-hardware-project-from-the-first-major-crowdfunding-p) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [S2E51 The Hardware Academy | John Teel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel) (Being an Engineer)
- [Cheap Respins And A Time Machine - Multiscience Mercenary Marketplace](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace) (The Amp Hour)
- [What's In A Name?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-07-whats-in-a-name) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-10-15-72-this-is-my-nasa-phone. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.