The Social Radars Eric Migicovsky, Founder, Pebble & Beeper
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Feb 26, 2025 
Eric Migicovsky, the visionary founder behind Pebble and Beeper, takes us through his groundbreaking foray into smartwatches, highlighting Pebble's incredible Kickstarter success. He shares fascinating anecdotes about the transition from iPhone to BlackBerry and the hurdles faced in the competitive tech landscape. Miguel reflects on the bittersweet rise and fall of Pebble, navigating venture debt pitfalls, and emphasizes the resilience and teamwork needed in startups. He also hints at the motivation behind his latest venture, Beeper.
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YC's First Canadian Investment
- Eric Migicovsky recounts securing YC funding as the first Canadian corporation, causing challenges for YC's CFO, Kirstie.
- They initially survived on prize money from pitch competitions, winning novelty checks.
Pebble's Origin
- Eric Migicovsky conceived the Pebble watch in 2008 while bicycling in the Netherlands, fearing dropping his iPhone in a canal.
- A friend suggested making it a watch instead of a bike computer, leading to the first smartwatch prototype with Arduino and an old screen.
BlackBerry's Influence
- Initially, the Pebble, then called Impulse, synced with BlackBerry due to their existing Bluetooth API, as iPhones lacked one.
- This decision was influenced by BlackBerry's prominence in Waterloo, their headquarters.