Ep. 2 - Build Fast, Avoid Regret: What Matters in Year One

Welcome to the From Zero podcast. Hosts Austin and John, who have raised $750,000, share lessons from their first 12 months building a hardware startup. They debate what founders should focus on first--product, customers or fundraising--and conclude product (an MVP) comes first, then customers and fundraising. They stress reducing risk, niching early, competing smartly on price, and keeping key work in-house. Practical takeaways include tighter contracts, realistic timelines, planning for component obsolescence, raising larger funding tranches to avoid delays, and not underestimating your own ability to build.