Just I keep losing time jumping between tools, inventory in one place, emails in another, outreach in another. Do others find the business admin side as annoying as the actual hardware? Whats everyone's setup?
Handmade WiFi LED system using silicon diffusion tubing and a custom ESP32 PCB. Running WLED firmware, controlled from your phone. Each section connects via a custom connector so effects flow seamlessly across every join. Happy to answer any questions
I’m Ben, a 19 year old from Newcastle in England. 4 months ago I had an idea, today I have a product.
I basically build modular WiFi systems, and i designed it entirely myself. Silicone diffused tubing, custom PCBs, 3D printed housing and modular connections. Every single part I designed and tested in my bedroom.
I had no electronics background, no engineering degree yet, no money beyond a student loan.
So I spent it.
The build:
Taught myself PCB design, electronics, firmware, 3D printing manufacturing from scratch over 4 months. V1 was terrible, v2 was better, v3 was close, v4 shipped.
Those PCBs nearly killed me 🤣, first batch arrived and none of them worked. Spent days diagnosing faults, hot plugging killed level shifters, buck converters dying, ripped pads. I fixed them all with bodge wires and stubbornness.
Had a suppliers send me the completely wrong components on a bulk order, dispute them, win. Had another try scam me. Won that too.
The launch:
£1340 total spend. No investors, no grants, no ads. Just Reddit, instagram and Tik tok.
Days 1-4:
Day 1: hard launched to all my friends on instagram, shaking at 12pm. First story went up, 25 sessions on my website on the first day.
Day 2: r/LED best post, 8000+ views, manufacturer from china reached out unprompted saying they were impressed with the engineering.
Day 3: international enquiry asking if I shipped to the US. A complete stranger.
Day 4: assembled a team. A photographer, an editor, a cameraman and a potential co founder. Nobody recruited. They just appeared.
Where in at now:
3 confirmed friends sales, warm leads from social media’s. A manufacturing partner interested. Content improving every video. Skip rate went from 48% to 8% in 4 videos by obsessively analysing retention data.
One thing I’d say to anyone:
Go for it, you have that idea, just start. I haven’t had any stranger sales yet, but these 4 months have been amazing, so much fun and I’ve actually built something real.
The ideas the easy bit, starting is the hard bit. Everything else you figure out as you go.
Also I would love any advice from anyone who has organically grown socials for a physical product. Specifically around converting a cold audience. What worked for you?
Been working on this for about 4 months — modular WiFi LED system built around an ESP32 running WLED.
Runs completely standalone no hub, no platform needed. Just connects to your WiFi and you control it through the WLED app or web interface. Works with Home Assistant if you want it to but doesn’t need it.
The main problem I wanted to solve was diffusion, standard LED strips always look cheap with visible hotspots. Ended up using silicon neon flex tubing with double layer COB strips inside which gives a completely even glow.
The main problem I wanted to solve was diffusion, standard LED strips always look cheap with visible hotspots. Ended up using silicon neon flex tubing with double layer COB strips inside which gives a completely even glow.
Currently designing v2 with an INMP441 microphone for sound reactive effects and full Home Assistant integration.
Been working on this for a few months, modular WiFi LED system using an ESP32 running WLED.
The main challenge was diffusion, standard LED strips always look like individual dots so I ended up using silicon neon flex tubing with double layer COB strips inside. Gives a completely even glow with no hotspots.
Each section connects via a JST connector and runs as one continuous strip so effects and gradients flow seamlessly across all the joins. Built a custom PCB with a buck converter stepping 12v down to 3.3v for the ESP32, level shifter for the data line, and currently designing a v2 with the INMP441 mic for sound reactive.