Documentation Is A Waste Of Time

The Amp Hour · 4 Mar 2016 · 1h 00m · Episode 289

What this episode covers

Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the critical role of documentation in hardware engineering, contrasting the rigorous requirements of military contractors with the 'get it done' culture of startups where knowledge is often lost when key designers leave. They analyze the Foxconn acquisition of Sharp as a supply chain security move by a giant with excess cash, and review the Raspberry Pi 3's integration of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into its processor. The conversation concludes with a critique of the 'Coolest Cooler' Kickstarter failure, highlighting how poor unit economics and fulfillment planning can lead to bankruptcy despite massive funding.

Mentioned

Companies
Contextual Electronics, EEV blog, Sharp, Foxconn, Apple, Boston Dynamics
Products
Raspberry Pi 3, Coolest Cooler
Also
Hackaday Belgrade, Resonate, Voyager probe, Embedded.fm, Gates Foundation

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