I'm curious what the OP offers the market that is unique or brings value to the marketplace. My perspective is what I build and I can't see building any of it a a price point that would make any sense. And it's not even that elaborate.
So whatever your local market is, maybe you can get a share? Good luck. I've sold a few things I built during the decades but to claim I made any money doing it would be a lie.
So whatever your local market is, maybe you can get a share? Good luck. I've sold a few things I built during the decades but to claim I made any money doing it would be a lie.
It takes many years to build up a reputation, local or national.
And that can all go south quickly, if you get a bad reputation from equipment failures,
slow delivery, etc. No matter how good it is, people won't wait for it.
And that can all go south quickly, if you get a bad reputation from equipment failures,
slow delivery, etc. No matter how good it is, people won't wait for it.
So this thread turned negative or at least cautionary in a hurry. For good reasons.
Let me add some positivity for a bit of balance. Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding. Not necessarily - in fact, probably not - in terms of money but in terms of personal freedom. I love that I get to chart my own course. I love that I don't have to beg the bean counters for permission to buy a tool that will improve my ability to do my job. I love that I can play hockey in the middle of the afternoon and work at other hours of the day. I love learning about business opperations, business analytics, and such. But it has come at a pretty high financial cost. I took an 80 % (eighty percent) pay cut when I left my job at Texas Instruments to run my own business. By then the business had been going for 4-5 years in hobby mode. Now, eight years later, I probably make about 50-60 % of what I would have made at TI, but I'm ten times happier.
Tom
Let me add some positivity for a bit of balance. Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding. Not necessarily - in fact, probably not - in terms of money but in terms of personal freedom. I love that I get to chart my own course. I love that I don't have to beg the bean counters for permission to buy a tool that will improve my ability to do my job. I love that I can play hockey in the middle of the afternoon and work at other hours of the day. I love learning about business opperations, business analytics, and such. But it has come at a pretty high financial cost. I took an 80 % (eighty percent) pay cut when I left my job at Texas Instruments to run my own business. By then the business had been going for 4-5 years in hobby mode. Now, eight years later, I probably make about 50-60 % of what I would have made at TI, but I'm ten times happier.
Tom
Unless you can qualify for substantial government subsidies - the money for which doesn’t grow on trees - an 8 figure 401k or similar financial cushion for the start up phase wouldn’t hurt either.
And be aware that the “audiophile” market is a very niche one, comprised of a very strange, unpredictable and tribal bunch of individuals.
And be aware that the “audiophile” market is a very niche one, comprised of a very strange, unpredictable and tribal bunch of individuals.
As general rule, think of a sensible product price based on costs, then and add a zero (or two) to get the audiophools' juices flowing...
Yep. Don't quit your day job. I quit TI for many reasons. One of them was that I wanted to move to Canada. At the time I quit I figured Neurochrome would pay the bills (barely) in most months. Thankfully it paid the bills in all months except one and I've been able to grow from there. But there was definitely a time where I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I had rent covered ... usually around the middle or third week of the month.
Tom
I'm not entirely sure but i think the d&d 8c started as a (non-professional?) project documented here on diyaudio.
This is such a complicated industry that this makes more sense than most other ones. I wouldn't recommend that will all businesses but here, oh boy...
Lots of stress in a situation like that. It's good that things worked out well enough.
i worked two jobs for over 10 years, and had no spare time at all.
How to make a small fortune in the high end audio business:
Start off with a large fortune.
Start off with a large fortune.
I thought 'DIY' basically IS the market — everyone just buys raw drivers, microphones and other goodies, and learns the rest from YT videos, right?
Cherish your failures.
My first attempt at making money with audio was offering to sell active crossovers on a forum, some 20 years ago. In hindsight I'm glad there were no takers because it would have been a mess. Since then my audio stuff has pretty much been for personal use and family, with occasional interest from friends.
A 2-way + sub system I had built years ago really "popped" for a friend, but I never built on that early momentum. I was self-critical and my lack of confidence manifested as all kinds of technical excuses to not sell the awesomeness of what I was doing.
Later, a family member hinted at maybe commissioning a set of HT speakers, but that never materialised. Thinking about it, they probably wanted a catalogue / restaurant menu, and someone to "walk them through" what kind of colour, size, shape, texture and finish quality they could expect at various price points. My loss for never sealing the deal, but it shows that you need to somehow present your wares without shame to let people actually "shop" for it.
But it's not all just negative feedback to fix mistakes. Positive experiences can build momentum. Like a friend being mightily impressed and suggesting a venue to show off my speakers. But if I suddenly cling to hope that a buyer will appear and rescue me from poverty, that will never happen. You have to remember to have fun with the process (or so I tell myself!).
Cherish your failures.
My first attempt at making money with audio was offering to sell active crossovers on a forum, some 20 years ago. In hindsight I'm glad there were no takers because it would have been a mess. Since then my audio stuff has pretty much been for personal use and family, with occasional interest from friends.
A 2-way + sub system I had built years ago really "popped" for a friend, but I never built on that early momentum. I was self-critical and my lack of confidence manifested as all kinds of technical excuses to not sell the awesomeness of what I was doing.
Later, a family member hinted at maybe commissioning a set of HT speakers, but that never materialised. Thinking about it, they probably wanted a catalogue / restaurant menu, and someone to "walk them through" what kind of colour, size, shape, texture and finish quality they could expect at various price points. My loss for never sealing the deal, but it shows that you need to somehow present your wares without shame to let people actually "shop" for it.
But it's not all just negative feedback to fix mistakes. Positive experiences can build momentum. Like a friend being mightily impressed and suggesting a venue to show off my speakers. But if I suddenly cling to hope that a buyer will appear and rescue me from poverty, that will never happen. You have to remember to have fun with the process (or so I tell myself!).
It seems like hi fi is back where it started in the 1950s. If you want it then you have to build it yourself.
The market doesn't support hi fi any more. It's a tiny market, and unfortunately steeped in BS.
The market doesn't support hi fi any more. It's a tiny market, and unfortunately steeped in BS.
I've dabbled with the idea myself but the more work I do the more obvious it is that its a terrible idea.
What I wrote in my post applies to any business in any market. As technical people some of us tend to frown on people not involved in the technical product or service that is at the core of the business, and denigrate everybody else as the "bean counters". But the bean counters are as responsible for keeping the lights on as the techs are.
A truly bizzare place. Build an audio system so powerful, you physically cannot even be within the listening space, when run at "performance" SPLs.
I wonder how a "flat pak" diy speaker enclosure offering would do? Assemble them like Ikea furniture with the hex key. Different.
Here in Brazil, automotive sound is the fastest growing sound market.
But the main objective of the sound here is SPL not quality (fidelity), it's the SPL has to be very high (130DB >)
But the main objective of the sound here is SPL not quality (fidelity), it's the SPL has to be very high (130DB >)
