2,500台のMIDIレコーダーを販売して学んだこと：ハードウェアはそれほど難しくない
Original: What I learned selling 2,500 MIDI recorders: Hardware is not so hard
Why This Matters
Firsthand data from a solo hardware founder challenges conventional wisdom that deters software engineers from entering physical product markets.
Software engineer Chip Weinberger sold 2,500 units of his MIDI recorder 'Jamcorder' within a year and a half of launch, concluding that hardware development is far less difficult than its reputation suggests, with software being the true bottleneck at 200K+ lines of code.
Chip Weinberger, a software engineer by background, launched Jamcorder — an automated MIDI recording device for piano — roughly 18 months ago. The product has since sold 2,500 units and operates as a self-sustaining business. In a blog post, Weinberger challenges the widely held belief that 'hardware is hard,' stating that the actual difficulty came from software: approximately 200,000 lines of code across firmware, app, and manufacturing tooling, developed over three years before LLM tools became widely available. He hand-assembled the first 500 units himself in four days with no production issues. He attributes this smoothness to intentional simplicity: the PCB features just 25 unique components, assembly requires a single screw, and features like USB-C, a power button, and ambient light detection were deliberately cut. He acknowledges that greater complexity or scale would change the equation entirely. His practical recommendations include keeping the bill of materials simple, partnering with Chinese assembly houses, targeting at least 70% gross margin, holding finished inventory locally, and implementing a strong anti-counterfeit strategy.