Student Creates Million Dollar Wireless Keyboard Controller
Original: I made a million dollar product from my dorm room (2025)
Why This Matters
Demonstrates how individual innovation can disrupt established hardware markets
College freshman Nick Winans developed the nice!nano, a wireless Pro Micro-compatible microcontroller for DIY keyboards, from his dorm room. The board powers tens of thousands of keyboards and achieved 100x better power efficiency than existing solutions.
Winans created the nice!nano after his first wireless keyboard project, the Dissatisfaction65, performed poorly with high latency and short battery life. He discovered existing wireless microcontrollers had limitations - BlueMicro was too large, BLE-Micro-Pro cost $40 and was Japan-only, and nRFMicro was close but not ideal. Working an entire weekend with KiCad and Nordic documentation, he designed the thinnest Pro Micro-compatible nRF52840 board. Initial production cost $100 for five units. Testing showed the board lasted weeks on a 110mAh battery versus days on 2,500mAh with his previous design. His wireless Lily58 build gained significant Reddit attention, growing his Discord community and leading to a successful group buy launch.