# Why IoT Is Difficult with Jonathan Beri

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2021-01-18
- Length: 1h 38m
- Episode: 526
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/526-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri/

## Summary

Jonathan Beri, founder of Golioth, discusses the immense difficulty of building end-to-end IoT solutions, drawing on his experience at Nest, Google, Particle, and WeWork. He explains that IoT is a 'system of systems' requiring expertise in embedded firmware, RF, cloud infrastructure, and security, creating a significant 'impedance mismatch' for software companies trying to enter hardware. Beri highlights specific technical challenges such as cellular network instability, legacy hardware integration at scale, and the trade-offs between using vertically integrated platforms like Particle versus building custom solutions with protocols like CoAP and OpenThread.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=0) Introduction: The Complexity of End-to-End IoT
- [1:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=67) The 'System of Systems' Challenge and Nest Experience
- [11:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=695) Cloud Vendor Lock-in and Business Constraints
- [13:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=809) Career History: Google, Nest, and OpenThread
- [24:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=1448) Particle, Cellular Modems, and Network Instability
- [28:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=1731) WeWork IoT: Integrating Legacy Hardware at Scale
- [46:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=2817) Hardware vs. Cloud Mindsets and Android Things Failure
- [1:12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=4354) Protocols: CoAP, MQTT, and RTOS Choices
- [1:36:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-01-18-why-iot-is-difficult-with-jonathan-beri#t=5802) Golioth: Solving the Hardware-Cloud Gap

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Golioth (company)
- Nest (company)
- Particle (company)
- WeWork (company)
- OpenThread (product)
- Thread (product)
- CoAP (other)
- MQTT (other)
- Zephyr (other)
- FreeRTOS (other)
- ABC Board (product)
- nRF52840 (chip)
- BG95 (chip)
- Android Things (product)
- Firebase (product)
- Red Bear (company)
- RISC-V (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [428: Sprinkling a Little IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-09-22-428-sprinkling-a-little-iot) (Embedded.fm)
- [Revolutionizing IoT Device Management: Updating the World with Peridio](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2024-08-01-revolutionizing-iot-device-management-updating-the-world-with-peridio) (Over the Air)
- [447: All Sorts of Weird Problems](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-04-13-447-all-sorts-of-weird-problems) (Embedded.fm)
- [173: Everything's Amazing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-10-26-173-everythings-amazing) (Embedded.fm)
- [All-in-One Hardware, Software, & Connectivity | Particle's Zach Supalla | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2022-11-17-all-in-one-hardware-software-connectivity-particles-zach-supalla-internet-of-thi) (IoT For All Podcast)

## Citing this page

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