Dangerous Prototypes FAQ What we do How we started Why open source? Why open development? Why free PCBs? Why fulfillment? Lessons learned

What we do Design electronic tools and toys  Copies available from Seeed Studio  Batches of Education: tutorials and how-tos  Electronics and business how-tos

Why open source? All project files are free to download and use Education and innovation Community contributes features and fixes

How we started How-tos at Instructables Writer at DIY Life and Hack a Day blogs Bus Pirate sale with Seeed Studio Started Dangerous Prototypes

Our setup Blog - announcements, news (WordPress) Forum - user help, development (phpBB3) Wiki - documentation (MediaWiki) SVN - source code

Where are we now? 100 projects designed 30 projects in production Distributors world wide 3 full time, 2 part time team members 2 paid contributors

Why open development? Design and develop projects publicly Like open source software Early user feedback Outside evaluation Free expertise Document development Small revisions, you have to design and support it

Why free PCBs? We get 10 PCBs, give away 5 free Fun! Crowd source testing and verification Publicity

Why fulfillment? We're good at hardware design and support Seeed Studio is good at hardware manufacturing and shipping We focus on our best quality

Lessons learned Lessons from our experience and our friends in the open hardware business

Allow commercial use Open source means any use Allow others to profit from your project Cloning is uncommon, discouraged Free publicity and exposure

Don't buy a pick and place! It's a cool machine! You don't need it! A second business 6 months learning Many small and medium hardware designers regret it Image: Adafruit Industries

Be visible How-tos and contests for publicity Go to Maker Faires and Hacker Spaces Video is the online Maker Faire Show what you already do!