What can you buy for 10 dollars these days? Maybe lunch or a gallon and a half of gas, if you’re lucky. Or apparently, a tiny computer that can connect to the internet, control electronics, and bring almost anything to life.
The ESP32 is a microcontroller that can connect to sensors, motors, pumps, and other electronics. According to its manufacturer, Espressif Systems, ESP32 chips are designed for applications ranging from smart agriculture to industrial automation. What interests me, though, isn’t how small the computer is; it’s what cheap computers like this do to the cost of experimenting with an idea. This connects directly to The Innovator’s DNA. The authors identify experimenting as one of the five discovery skills of innovators. Experimenting sounds obvious, but there’s a dilemma with that: it can be very expensive. Technology like the ESP32 changes that equation.
For entrepreneurs, lowering the cost of failure is key. You don’t need a finished product or thousands of dollars to experiment with a new idea. A cheap microcontroller, some sensors, and basic programming knowledge can be enough to build a prototype. I think that’s the real power of the age we live in. Give someone a 10-dollar computer like the ESP32 and a revolutionary idea, and they can make magic—especially when failure costs 10 dollars instead of 10,000.
This is why I am excited for my future in innovation. The ESP32 is just one example of how technology is making the gap between having an idea and actually building it smaller. You don’t need to be an engineer or have a huge budget to start experimenting anymore. You just need a problem worth solving and the curiosity to learn how to fix it.
Works Cited
Dyer, Jeff, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen. The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators. Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.
Espressif Systems. “ESP32 Series Datasheet.” Espressif Systems, https://documentation.espressif.com/esp32_datasheet_en.html.
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