# The Almighty Dollarydoo

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2020-05-03
- Length: 1h 16m
- Episode: 491
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/491-the-almighty-dollarydoo/

## Summary

Dave Jones of EEVblog and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the economic realities of hardware development, contrasting the high-margin, low-volume nature of specialized test equipment with the low-margin, high-volume demands of consumer goods. They analyze how venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz favor software due to scalability, leaving hardware startups with fewer funding options, and explore how product specifications often degrade to meet price targets. The conversation also covers the technical challenges of modular electronics, connector costs, and the specific requirements for high-quality LED lighting, including Color Rendering Index (CRI) and Unified Glare Rating (UGR).

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=0) Introduction: Dave Jones and Chris Gammell
- [3:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=208) The Jammer Arcade Standard and Industry Collapse
- [6:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=413) Multimeter Specifications and Cost Savings
- [13:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=831) Pricing Classes and Venture Capital Frustrations
- [20:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=1229) Andreessen Horowitz and the Hardware Funding Gap
- [36:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=2168) Modular Hardware vs. Custom Design Constraints
- [45:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=2751) Connectors: Samtech, PMOD, and Syzygy
- [51:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=3067) LED Panel Requirements: CRI, UGR, and Color Temperature
- [1:04:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=3849) LED Glow, Capacitance, and Teaching Current
- [1:11:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo#t=4293) Voltage vs. Current Driven Devices and Mental Models

## Topics

- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- AEV blog (other)
- Contextual Electronics (other)
- Jammer (other)
- Keithley (company)
- Agilent (company)
- Andreessen Horowitz (company)
- Root VC (company)
- Samtech (other)
- PMOD (other)
- Syzygy (other)
- Digilent (company)
- Adafruit (company)
- Raspberry Pi (product)
- Arduino (product)
- KiCad (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [13 Reasons Why New Hardware Products Fail](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-11-23-13-reasons-why-new-hardware-products-fail) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [S1 E7: Level Up Your Hardware Product Pitch with Haje Kamps](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-06-27-s1-e7-level-up-your-hardware-product-pitch-with-haje-kamps) (The Builder Circle)
- [Hardware Development with No Prior Experience with Kris Christopher of Grow Nanny](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-01-07-hardware-development-with-no-prior-experience-with-kris-christopher-of-grow-nann) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Product Development, Technical Challenges, and Trading Standards: Insights from LightFair 2023](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2023-09-28-product-development-technical-challenges-and-trading-standards-insights-from-lig) (Over the Air)
- [The Costs to Develop & Manufacture a New Electronic Product](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-12-07-the-costs-to-develop-manufacture-a-new-electronic-product) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-05-03-the-almighty-dollarydoo. 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 The Amp Hour.