Sounds exactly like my previous company (Sterblue, YCS18) but with a blimp instead of a drone. Like, same country, same product, same (painful) clients, same vision, similar team, same startup accelerator, same market pitch etc.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17962004With 8 years experience on this looking back, I can say:
- Good luck guys
- Be very careful to pick the right investors after demo day, that's what killed us in the end.
- You'll have to pick between selling hardware, selling software, selling service. Do not I repeat do not try to do the 3 things at once. Figure out what you are selling early and stick to it.
- The hardware does not matter much, no customer cares if you use a blimp, a drone, a satellite or other, so maybe don't make the hardware your core identity
- If your focus is to solve customer problems, then don't tie your identity to a particular solution.
- If your focus is to sell blimps, then fine, but don't build custom AI for defect detection?
- Wind is already a problem for drones inspecting powerlines and wind turbines, it's going to be a real real big problem for a blimp
- Honestly happy to help you if I can
With 8 years experience on this looking back, I can say:
- Good luck guys
- Be very careful to pick the right investors after demo day, that's what killed us in the end.
- You'll have to pick between selling hardware, selling software, selling service. Do not I repeat do not try to do the 3 things at once. Figure out what you are selling early and stick to it.
- The hardware does not matter much, no customer cares if you use a blimp, a drone, a satellite or other, so maybe don't make the hardware your core identity
- Wind is already a problem for drones inspecting powerlines and wind turbines, it's going to be a real real big problem for a blimp- Honestly happy to help you if I can