The short: novice identifies showstopper hurdle after hundreds of human-hours have been expended. Project scrapped due to lack of feasible solution. Wait for a new project to begin. Repeat.

Hold on, I can explain. I have a laundry list of excuses readied up.

• I didn’t understand the subject well enough until I had put the time that I did to know that the issue was as severe as it was.
• That’s it. That’s the only good excuse I have. Everything else is whiny or inaccurate.

The story begins in 2014. A classmate and I were working on a project with a plan to commercialize through crowdfunding. The concept was novel and solved a very specific problem we were facing - we liked using self-powered studio monitors for computer audio playback because of their tendency to have a neutral frequency response, but since we did not do any recording we did not have a commercial audio interface to control the speakers with. This meant that we could only control the volume through software, or with the room gain knobs at the back of the speakers. From a user experience perspective, we were suffering from LOABK - Lack Of A Big Knob. And so the KnobDAC was born.

The project was proceeding as planned - proof of concepts were made, alpha prototype boards brought up, mechanical drawings made and sample enclosures received and verified for fit and finish. The only aspect left in limbo was the centerpiece of the design: the big knob. And as you can expect, that’s where our troubles began.

Our cost analysis of the project so far left us with tight margins. We had eyes on a model from a Chinese factory and asked for samples. They were woefully inadequate and not worthy of our name. We could not find an off-the-shelf knob that was large enough to provide the feeling we desired, and our budget did not allow for the premium option of small batch milled metal knobs. After months of work, our project flatlined and we issued the DNR.

We learned our lesson about identifying single points of failure and performing preliminary risk assessment that day. There was a silver lining, however. In 2015, about a year after our attempt at the KnobDAC, JDS Labs released the Element, pictured below. We felt vindication regarding our product’s design concept, but we were left wondering what could have been if we had presevered.

Pt. II begins 6 years later as I journey into software development. Please look forward to it.

-MCC

What began as an empty portfolio meant to house my travel photos is now given a second chance at life as a blogthing.

Key reason being, the act of writing out these findings and opinions may serve as the proverbial rubber ducky, guiding me along my endless journey for more. And if some may benefit from whatever I may bring, even better!

My only hope is that there is substance behind these words. Please look forward to it.