I've enjoyed many thoughtful responses to the "Ask YC" threads, so I figured I'd ask about hardware.<p>As a hardware hacker focused on powered aerodynamics, I've been wondering about which changes to the much-cloned YC model would be required to generate similar likelihood of success for a hardware-based startup. For software-based web applications, 3 months of on-site build, test, improve, repeat building up to demo day seems to work very well, but what changes would you make for a hardware-based startup?
The problem is that software is very cheap to develop, really only costing labor. Any sort of hardware will cost more and the wild variations would compound that cost, ie analog circuitry vs autonomous helicopters requirements.<p>It would be neat to see happen but I personally think you would need more time and money to get any good demo.<p>I think most hardware would require about double the money and maybe the time as well... Basically it would be the same as many college senior project classes. Just with more money and less slackers.
I wish I knew what powered aerodynamics was. ...What is it?<p>One thing I would say is that prototype cycles for hardware might be longer than with software, but admittedly this isn't my field.