Espruino – Turning a Hobby into a Business

Vortrag

Looking at Espruino, what it is, how it came about, and how I've managed to grow it over the last few years – designing hardware, running crowdfunding campaigns, marketing, and growing and helping the community around it. Looking at how you can start up while still being quite risk averse, and also some of the risks involved. Also discussing the benefits and problems of Open Source software and hardware, especially when you have to spend a lot of time on complex (but open) software that is very easy for competitors to use.

Vorkenntnisse
No pre-existing knowledge needed, although the idea behind the talk might make more sense if people have some idea what a microcontroller/arduino does and can be used for.

Lernziele
People will leave with some ideas on how to turn their prototype into something they can sell and possibly live off – without having to take funding and go the corporate route, or risk losing their house :) I hope they'll gain some enthusiasm to try it themselves.

Referent

// Gordon Williams

has been working on Espruino for the last 4 years, an Open Source (hardware and software) JavaScript interpreter for microcontrollers. He has run three successful KickStarter campaigns, and has been able to fund himself to work on Espruino full-time. Before that he worked in a variety of areas, from compiler design to 3D graphics, and did a degree in Computer Science at Cambridge university.