I have spent my career building physical things. Apple Vision Pro. A robotic basketball trainer at Hoopfit. Analog tools at Noble Crafters. A short and meaningful stop at Amazon.
Along the way I kept applying to YC. This is the story of my twelfth try.
Thank you for such kind words! We needed to prove to ourselves, customers and to investors that Hardware is possible, and not to fear it. I've built it for years, and never understood why people fear it.
We live in a physical world, and some of us should build things for it.
Really appreciate the kind words, and I mean it sincerely, it's only possible because of my incredible Taiwan partners, my Industrial Designer Tomas(who I am lucky to call my friend), the other founders, and being razor focused on our goal.
Joyce flew from Taiwan to make sure I had them in my hands, folded boxes with me in the office, and just as she got over her jet lag and went back to Taiwan.
I've invested in a couple of hardware start-ups, some of their products were not even close to what you guys are doing complexity wise. I will forward your post to them as a nice example of how it is done. My career has moved in-and-out of the crossroads between hardware, software, mechanics and other applications of technology and I suspect that you've aged a year in those 8 weeks on account of all of the setbacks and restarts. And yet, you pulled it off. I hope your demo day demo went well and that your round ended up oversubscribed, you've certainly deserved it.
In some ways, if this instigates them implement it in their OS, we are doing our job, and then we can pivot and keep working on ideas that we hope will serve others.
I seriously doubt apple will ever have the level of voice control that this would provide. It's a great idea for a product!
One obvious dumb question is is there a video input for the device? I mean how does it know what screen it's on, where to find the buttons to click. It seems like the next level would be to add a video capture device too
I agree that we should find ways to limit instead of instigate multitasking while driving.
Building tech is usually clearer than finding a clear use case for it. As we find ways to mature the tech to be aligned with the ultimate vision we have, we will test various problems the immature tech can solve.
With that being said, if you have any ideas where this could really help people (for instance people with motor disabilities), please share them. We would like to serve people and build with humility.
People with motor disabilities seems like a great use case! Cooking and watching TV are two activities that benefit from voice control (due to dirty hands and remotes going missing). Nursing mothers often literally have their hands full.
Lots of folks in safety critical situations rely on multitasking and voice commands: law enforcement, firefighters, pilots, heavy equipment operators, armed forces, etc. Many of them are in situations in which not multitasking isn't an option and receive special training to minimize risks. That being said now you're entering heavily regulated industries where the stakes couldn't be higher... not exactly an easy place for LLMs and startups to play.
On the other end of the spectrum there is a tried and true industry for tech innovations where the stakes couldn't be lower: adult entertainment. There's millions of adults wishing they could operate screens without needing a hand free. Might not be as glamorous as helping firefighters and people with motor disabilities, but we all need to make a living.
Try a demo where you're doing work that needs your hands! Laundry, gardening, child/pet care. A cool demo could be using Blue to look up tutorials and order parts for pick up at the hardware store while fixing something around the house. Or maybe a demo where someone schedules an appointment while holding a fussy baby.
Agree with everyone else. This will directly lead to, or at least enable, people getting killed. I don’t think that’s hyperbole.
That being said, my bike ride to work is a quiet 30 mins. This would be insanely useful for that. I always get to work with a stack of messages piled up, both ways.
For me voice control is not only about multitasking, but just being able to continue to work without being sitted down. For example I use voice control while standing or walking and I get more ideas that way that being sitted
Hi HN! We built Blue, a voice assistant that can use any app on your phone via a tiny USB-C hardware “hand” we call Bud. Here’s how we went from concept to 100 working units in 55 days for YC Demo Day.
About me:
I’m a robotics and product design engineer focused on building thoughtful tools for the world. I hold dozens of patents in hardware and manufacturing, and I care deeply about how things are made and who they’re made for.
For over a decade, I’ve worked across robotics, wearables, and consumer electronics. As one of the first engineers on the Apple Vision Pro, I took it from concept to mass production.
I'm also in the wearables space, though neurotech/sleeptech.
I'm assuming you did 3d printed enclosures, so really board design and was the longest process.
What I think is really clever about your design is passthrough USB-C and then not needing your own battery. So essentially you've got a micro, probably with it's own memory?
So elegant.
Others are saying you must have had your Taiwan contacts beforehand, but even without that, two weeks for board manufacturing isn't unrealistic I'd think, even for a noob, and lucky for you the board design should have been pretty simple.
Can I ask what your experience going through YC as a consumer hardware founder was like?
If you're curious about what we're building, we're enhancing the restorative function of sleep, without altering sleep time. Check out https://affectablesleep.com
I have been a consumer HW founder for years, and I applied to YC eleven times, and just got in this time with Blue.
I think for consumer, if you can really simplify the product and solve the absolute basic version, the costs should be low enough to validate the idea. YC will value your skills to create this simple version, and that you are able to actually execute and create something that could be real.
The missing link was really showing I could take a prototype and mass produce it (even at a small scale). That was what this whole exercise was about.
One additional note that comes to mind, building really great partnerships is essential for hardware to work.
I've been a consumer founder for 8 years (I think) and have been in deep-tech for about 14, and neurotech/hardware for the last 5.
I applied to YC 16 times!!!
My previous start-up was acquired
Our technology is in use in clinical trials. We've begun pre-sales, and are in selection of contract manufacturer.
I only decided to apply for the next round last night. Would it be ok if I ask to get your opinion on a few of the application questions? When we get to that point? Probably not for a few weeks.
We're fortunate that our hardware engineer and industrial engineer both have extensive experience in manufacturing.
But it seems like a terrible hack - using the phone through the limited interface designed for humans instead of actually using the proper APIs. Not to say that any effort from Apple to improve Siri will just render this product obsolete instantly.
Incredible work! To reach an initial production run in 8 weeks is phenomenal. It sometimes takes me half as long just to make a prototype.
Could you identify any specific decisions/guidelines early in your career that led to your success today? I'm currently studying engineering (will likely specialize electronic/embedded) and am always looking for ways to improve.
Along the way I kept applying to YC. This is the story of my twelfth try.