I developed a $6 electronics tinker kit for nonprofit, L.A. Makerspace, to help their work teaching kids STEAM skills. They work with LA City and County public libraries and had been using expensive electronics kits that needed to stay at the libraries, but at $6, the kits can be given away.
Efforts:
- Developing proof-of-concept, and validating offering.
- Sourcing materials to hit price point.
- Coding minimum viable product, developing documentation, and producing runs of kits.
Wins:
- Hitting sub-$6 price point, using real ICs and breadboards.
- Delighting Los Angeles Unified School District decision makers.
Learnings:
- Starting from restrictions and working backwards from there to develop a product.
- You don’t need to “Baby food” children (baby food doesn’t need salt, but often has added salt for when parents taste the food first to show babies it’s edible). Children are more capable than they are often given credit for.
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