What Hardware startups can learn from Pebble

Re:What Hardware startups can learn from Pebble by econnors on Saturday December 17, 2016 @06:32PM (#13203391)

I think being a good CEO involves many traits. Obviously he had the wrong impression of where Pebble stood in the marketplace and where the company was headed (ie. he didn't foresee the fitness trend, or thought they could successfully pivot). But I assume he had good reasons for doing what he did. Having multiple $10M+ kickstarter launches is evidence that he understood product needs better than most of us could ever hope to.

I'm sure he regrets the decision to not sell more than ever now, and realizes he was wrong, but to say he was a bad CEO because he didn't sell at the right time is akin to being a "Monday Morning Quarterback Expert" where it's easy to criticize somebody for not acting correctly in the past because the right decision is so obvious now.

That's what I meant by the 20/20 statement.

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Re:What Hardware startups can learn from Pebble by kensai on Sunday December 18, 2016 @04:19AM (#13205018)

I understood what you meant, that's why I disagreed. :)

> but to say he was a bad CEO because he didn't sell at the right time is akin to...

My point is exactly this. This, in hardware startups at least, is probably the most important trait of all, at the end of the day. Everything is a wave. You need to take the photos and jump while you are on the top of it, otherwise you are swallowed by it further down the "road".

Knowing when the wave is at its max (before breaking) is as important in surfing as in business, apparently.

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