Why Hardware Startups ACTUALLY Fail (It's Not What You Think)

"Hardware is hard" is the biggest lie in tech.

Yet VCs keep repeating it while holding their iPhones - literally a piece of hardware that made Apple one of the world's biggest companies.

In today's episode of Bricks & bytes, we had Nathan Kirchner and we got to learn about why the "hardware is hard" myth is killing innovation in construction, how to break through corporate inertia, and the real barriers startups face when selling to billion-dollar companies... and many more!

Tune in to find out about: 

✅ Why 7 out of 10 biggest companies are actually hardware-dependent 

✅ How to escape "pilot purgatory" and get real corporate deals 

✅ The psychology behind why big companies resist innovation 

✅ Why bringing domain experts into your team beats perfect tech every time

Listen now on Spotify and discover how construction startups can actually win against corporate giants.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:30 Introduction to Hardware Startups

05:30 Challenges in Building Hardware Startups

08:20 The Role of Hardware in Major Companies

11:19 Nathan's Journey into Hardware and Robotics

14:12 Innovations in Construction and Robotics

17:03 Engaging with Large Corporations

20:15 The Consultant vs. Innovator Mindset

23:07 Incremental Innovation vs. Grand Solutions

26:00 Cultural Differences Between Startups and Corporates

28:54 Bridging the Gap Between Startups and Corporates

36:56 Breaking Barriers in Compliance

41:40 Navigating Commercialization in Robotics

49:15 The Pilot Process: A Necessary Evil?

57:44 The Future of Robotics: Visible vs. Invisible

62:15 Insights from the Venture Capital Perspective