Only one component
The project could be delayed while waiting for a replacement.
Prototyping
Why testing creates unused parts and discarded designs, how spare components can prevent delays, and when production cost optimization becomes the priority.
The quick take
Early prototypes help us test ideas, eliminate technical risks, and reach useful conclusions. Unused components and abandoned designs can be a normal result of finding what works.
At AVA Labs, we may test several different components or arrangements before selecting an approach. Some parts and designs will never make it into the final product.
An illustrative example
Ordering only what is immediately needed can save money upfront. Consider what happens if the component breaks during testing.
The project could be delayed while waiting for a replacement.
A replacement on hand can help avoid that interruption and preserve engineering momentum.
Saving twenty dollars on components can be a poor trade if it introduces weeks of delay or additional engineering expense. Purchases should still serve a clear engineering purpose.
Test ideas, eliminate technical risks, and reach useful conclusions as efficiently as possible.
Optimize component costs, assembly time, material usage, and manufacturing efficiency.
The AVA Labs approach
Applying production-level cost controls too early can make development slower and more expensive. Match spending decisions to the stage of development and the engineering purpose.
One common trap first-time hardware founders fall into is trying to make early prototype development as efficient as mass manufacturing.
This can actually make development considerably slower and more expensive.
At AVA Labs, we frequently purchase components that never make it into the final product.
We might test several different motors, sensors, or mechanical arrangements before finding something that works.
This creates a considerable amount of scrap, unused components, and abandoned designs.
That's completely normal during research and development.
Another important practice is deliberately ordering more components than we expect to need.
For example, if a critical component takes two months to arrive, ordering only one might save a few dollars initially.
But if that component breaks during testing, the entire project could be delayed while waiting for a replacement.
Spending a little more on spare components can prevent thousands of dollars in delays and lost engineering momentum.
For inexperienced founders, this can be uncomfortable.
They see unused parts, discarded prototypes, and extra inventory, and naturally want to eliminate that waste.
But there's an important distinction between optimizing the cost of individual components and optimizing the overall development process.
Saving twenty dollars on components makes very little sense if it introduces weeks of delays or additional engineering expenses.
At AVA Labs, early development is focused on testing ideas, eliminating technical risks, and reaching useful conclusions as efficiently as possible.
That doesn't mean spending carelessly. Purchases should still serve a clear engineering purpose.
As the product matures and moves toward manufacturing, our priorities change.
That's when we begin aggressively optimizing component costs, assembly time, material usage, and manufacturing efficiency.
Early development is about learning quickly. Production is about manufacturing efficiently.
Trying to apply production-level cost controls too early can actually make the entire product considerably more expensive to develop.