Hardware startup Aquadevices shares founders’ lessons from JFDI Discover

JFDI Discover is a 21-day online course that runs every month. Discover teaches founders how to apply and get results from powerful startup tools such as the Lean Canvas, Pirate Metrics and OKR (Objectives & Key Results).

Adam Eisenstadt and Anna An, based in South Korea, shares with us their experience in the March Discover program, and what they learned to further develop their company, aquadevices.

The aquadevices team currently consists of Stuart “Adam” Eisenstadt, with a background in systems engineering and project management, and Na “Anna” An who applies her passion for great user experience/user interface (UX/UI) design to aquadevices’ applications and websites.

1. Tell us about your startup

A & A: aquadevices, currently operating from Chungju, South Korea, is an early stage hardware startup building “smarter aquarium products” for fish hobbyists. Our main product – fisheye – is an intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) based pet monitor for aquarists that analyzes tank data and alerts them of potential problems, enables them to view and share their aquarium in live HD video, and control tank accessories from anywhere in the world.

We are also building a community site enabling fisheye users to connect, share, view, and rate other hobbyists’ aquariums, compete in monthly best tank contests, and get help with their setups, along with developing our own line of aquarium accessories, compatible with the fisheye.

2. Why did you start this business? 

Adam: I was doing R&D work on aquaponics systems that required the use of many consumer grade aquarium products. I became frustrated with these products’ quality, reliability, and functionality after several of them failed.

After extensive research on Amazon and popular aquarist forums, I learned many fish hobbyists had experienced similar frustrations. These hobbyists felt that they had to purchase sub-par products out of necessity and lack of good alternatives. My solution to this hole in the market came in the form of aquadevices. We set out with the goal to develop “smarter aquarium products” for fish hobbyists, that are energy efficient, easier to use, more reliable, and have a great design.

3. How did you find out about JFDI Discover? 

Anna: Adam and I are regular readers of Tech In Asia; in mid-February they had a posting about JFDI opening an office in the Philippines that also mentioned JFDI’s Discover program. We read more about the program on JFDI’s website  – and we thought that it could help us get a better idea about our products and their market, so we decided to enroll.

4. What were some of the challenges you faced before joining Discover? 

Adam: Funding is probably one of the biggest challenges we have faced (and continue to face) before Discover. The lack of funding makes it difficult to produce a physical MVP – which most potential investors would like to see for a hardware startup – as most product designers and design firms have not been willing to work on a “fee-for-equity” basis or “services-agreement-for-equity”.

Another challenge we have been facing is team expansion. Some of the problems associated with this are related to funding; while we have spoken to several potential co-founders, they are generally not willing to join us without being compensated. Finding people that are passionate and can be “all-in” has proven difficult, especially those skilled and experienced in product and hardware design.

5. Was Discover helpful for your startup? How and why? 

Adam: The Discover program provided the motivation and focus for quick results. The deliverables for each task were explained very clearly, and the supporting materials along with the great feedback by our coach Chi-Kai Huang, who helped to ensure we made good progress.

By the end of the program we had made substantial improvements to aquadevices, and were able to develop a partnership with Texas Aquatics. Additionally, an admin from the Texas Aquatics group has expressed interest in joining our team as an advisor to help us develop our products for saltwater and reef aquariums. In short, we liked the program so much and thought it was so helpful, that we have even considered enrolling again!

6. What is the one thing you learnt or did at Discover that you think other founders should know too? 

A & A: There is so much more than just one thing we learnt or did, so here are our top three tips for making the most of Discover which we believe would benefit other Founders considering enrolling.

• Get involved. Discover provides a great way to share and connect with JFDI staff and other entrepreneurs – be part of the community!
• Be prepared to work hard if you want to make good progress. Discover only runs for 21 days and the tasks can be challenging and time consuming, especially those that require your team to find and interview prospective customers, so you don’t have much time to procrastinate – don’t underestimate the amount of time required for each task!
• Don’t be discouraged by slow progress. Discover provides a clear road map for applying Lean Canvas, Pirate Metrics and OKR (Objectives and Key Results) to your startup, so don’t worry if you fail to complete all the tasks during the program as you can (and should) continue after the program ends – keep the momentum going!

7. Who would you recommend to Discover?

Anna: Adam and I would recommend the Discover program to any early stage software or hardware startup that is really interested in demonstrably proving their product’s problem/solution fit and ultimately their product /market fit.

Cui-Lyn Huang is on the Editorial team for JFDI Asia. Currently taking a break from pursuing a combined major in Computer Science & Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston, and embracing life on the little red dot. She loves to write, she loves to eat, and loves to write about eating.