How to Use AI Agents to Market a Hardware Product

Published on by John Teel

Over the past few weeks I’ve gone deep on AI agents for my own business, and it’s completely changed how I think about marketing.

I built a content distribution system where I can focus all my energy on creating one … read more

When Should You Move From a Dev Kit to a Custom PCB?

Published on by John Teel

There are three stages that virtually every hardware product moves through, from early concept all the way to optimized production.

Most founders either skip one of these stages entirely or get stuck in one way too long, and both mistakes … read more

Is Hardware Still a Good Business to Start in 2026?

Published on by John Teel

You’ve heard it a thousand times, hardware is hard.

It’s the unofficial motto of hardware founders.

But that phrase is no longer a warning, it’s your biggest advantage.

It’s hard not to be jealous sometimes.

You’re stuck waiting on prototypes, … read more

Which Microcontrollers Are Best for Battery Life?

Published on by John Teel

Picking a low-power microcontroller that gives you maximum battery life sounds simple.

Just pick the one with the lowest power consumption, right?

Well, there’s a lot more to it.

You have to consider sleep current, active efficiency, minimum voltage, wake-up … read more

Which Electronics Commonly Fail Compliance Testing?

Published on by John Teel

You’ve spent months developing your product, maybe even years, and you’re finally ready to get it certified so you can sell it.

Then you send it off for compliance testing and it fails, sometimes badly.

Now you’re looking at a … read more

Why Do New Hardware Products Fail?

Published on by John Teel

Most people assume hardware products fail because the engineering wasn’t good enough.

But that’s not what kills most hardware products.

What actually sinks them are a handful of business decisions that felt totally reasonable at the time.

Founders make these … read more

What Are the Most Common Microcontroller Selection Mistakes?

Published on by John Teel


A lot of hardware products fail because one early decision pushed everything else in the wrong direction.

In my experience, the one decision that causes the most consequences is choosing the microcontroller.

Once that part is locked in, everything … read more

Why Do Hardware Products Stall Before Launch?

Published on by John Teel


You’ve spent months, maybe even years, working on your product. You’ve poured in time, money and way more effort than most people will ever realize.

But right when you’re about to launch, everything seems to come to a standstill. … read more

Should You Choose the Fastest MCU or the Cheapest MPU?

Published on by John Teel


Most people think microcontrollers are simple, cheap, and slow… and microprocessors are complex, expensive, and fast.

In this video I’m flipping that upside down. Because I’m comparing a two-dollar Linux chip against a twenty-dollar microcontroller that’s literally twice as … read more

What PCB Design Mistakes Cause Overheating?

Published on by John Teel


Thermal issues are one of the biggest killers of electronic products.

Heat degrades components, shortens product lifespan, and can even create dangerous fire situations.

So in this video, I’ll show you 10 common PCB design mistakes that cause thermal … read more

What Are the Cheapest Microcontrollers (and Which to Avoid)?

Published on by John Teel


When you’re developing a new electronic product, one of the biggest cost decisions you’ll make is the microcontroller.

It’s often one of the pricier parts on the board, and the choice you make affects performance, power, and long-term cost.… read more

What Tests Reveal Whether Your Hardware Product Will Fail?

Published on by John Teel


When your product works perfectly on your bench, it’s easy to assume it’ll keep working once people start using it.

But unless you actually test for reliability, you’re making a pretty risky assumption.

A working prototype doesn’t tell you … read more

What Are the Most Powerful Microcontrollers?

Published on by John Teel


You don’t always need a full-blown microprocessor to build something advanced.

Some of today’s microcontrollers are insanely powerful.

Fast enough to handle AI, high-end graphics, streaming audio, but still simple enough to run bare-metal code.

And when I say … read more

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