Once hard tech founders shift their mindset to focus on quick, cost-effective progress, they often find success in attracting investment.

Prototyping allows for rapid testing and feedback, which is crucial for understanding product dynamics before scaling with engineering resources.

In hard tech, the iteration cycles are much longer than in software, often due to hardware constraints or regulatory issues, which can affect how quickly you can develop and test new ideas.

Prototyping is an incredibly valuable tool, even if I personally haven't utilized it much. I tend to rush to build and ship my code, but I recognize that taking the time to prototype can lead to better outcomes.

The cost to start companies has decreased significantly over time, making it easier for entrepreneurs to launch new ventures.

Technological advancements can drastically reduce the cost of starting a business, making previously unfeasible ideas viable.

Prototyping is crucial; instead of spending months on a project before showing it to anyone, build prototypes and share them throughout the design process to gather feedback early.

Rapid prototyping and user testing are essential; focus on getting a functional prototype out quickly, using tools to create clickable mock-ups or writing throwaway code to test ideas with users, as building a fully functional product before testing can be an expensive mistake.

Crowdfunding can be useful at the early stage to raise funds for a working prototype, especially for hardware engineers with limited resources.