[sdiy] Advice for a Startup

[Joe Grisso]

     Back on the philosophical side of things, one of my very good
friends and business partners asked me this question: "Do you want to
design synthesizers, or run a synthesizer company?" In all honesty, it
took me a while to work through the implications of that question.
Eventually, everyone who goes down this road, if they're lucky enough
to grow into something more than a garage shop operation, will have to
make this decision. On one side, you have the technical and practical
effort of developing the product. On the other, you will only be able
to focus on the "grand vision" and direction of the company while
handling things like finances, marketing, strategy and generally
keeping the company on track. It's a good question to ask yourself
early on in order to plot your direction and set appropriate goals.
     Another resource that was helpful to me was Music Trades magazine
and their annual reports (www.musictrades.com/). It provides a great
overview of the music products industry as a whole, and really gives
you a sense of the economics of the market. It also allows you to
calibrate your expectations on how much you can earn in the
marketplace. Beyond the macro perspective, don't take the data too
seriously. The synthesizer market is a small sliver of the music
products industry (US$250M-$300M out of a US$25B market size), but
they don't specifically track things like Eurorack modular.
     Finally, on the product development front, there's a great book
called Designing Electronics That Work
(https://designingelectronics.com/) that covers a lot of things that
most other development guides miss. It's got a lot of good information
in it, especially the lingo that most mainstream
engineering/manufacturing firms use these days.

Best,

Joe

On Mon, Feb 20, 2023 at 4:26 PM Ashlyn Black <ashlyn at ashlynblack.com> wrote:
>
> Hi friends,
>
> I'm aiming to start my own business this year, doing standalone /
> modular synth kits, plus associated gizmos like LCR testers, transistor
> matchers, tuners and the like. I'll be placing a lot of focus on
> documentation. I've noticed most kits merely provide assembly
> instructions, however I also want to cover the underlying theory of
> operation, mathematics, design process and such with most of the project
> files (ie schematics, 3D models, source code if applicable) publicly
> accessible.
>
> What I really need help with though is advice on the commerce side of
> the equation, as I am currently constructing my business plan. Topics
> such as cost breakdowns, budgeting, who buys what and where they buy it
> from etc. Essentially, information that someone currently or formerly
> working in the industry would know from experience or at least be privy to.
>
> General feedback on the state (rise? decline?) of synth/hobby
> electronics is also very welcome and helpful. :)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ashlyn
>
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--
Joe Grisso
Detachment 3, Inc.