The HyperDoor: Automatic Sliding Door Opener

[danielfrenkel]

Many here might have seen my other post about the MorningRod

Well, I've also created the HyperDoor which is an automatic sliding door opener that easily attaches to any sliding door. I made it as a way of easily letting my dogs in and out of the home.
View attachment cyberdoor.mp4














HOWEVER, I think both products are bad business ideas and have decided to not move forward with them.

Why? Almost every single hardware product on Kickstarter has failed to deliver or gone out of business. The only way to survive is to figure out a recurring revenue strategy. Otherwise, each door opener will need to sell for $400-$500 to account for the constant customer acquisition costs.

So unless I can figure out a way to generate recurring revenue with these products, most investors will not want to touch them. The problem is that very few people are willing to pay monthly fees.

Nest products are a good example. I own a Nest Doorbell camera. The camera is could-based and provides me with very basic functionality. If I want the better features, they offer a $4/month subscription to get those. In addition, Nest thermostats sell customer usage data to utility companies to generate additional revenue as well.

As many hardware VC companies put it: Hardware needs to be a trojan horse for software, which is what will generate recurring revenue.

However, I don't see anyone paying a monthly fee to use this even though I have to pay a monthly bill for the cloud infrastructure. I also don't see myself selling any type of useful data as well.

Anyways, I just wanted to share where I'm at in case anyone is building some kind of complicated piece of hardware. Maybe you guys will have a better idea as well.

 

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[TKDTyler]

Many here might have seen my other post about the MorningRod

Well, I've also created the HyperDoor which is an automatic sliding door opener that easily attaches to any sliding door. I made it as a way of easily letting my dogs in and out of the home.
View attachment 29320














HOWEVER, I think both products are bad business ideas and have decided to not move forward with them.

Why? Almost every single hardware product on Kickstarter has failed to deliver or gone out of business. The only way to survive is to figure out a recurring revenue strategy. Otherwise, each door opener will need to sell for $400-$500 to account for the constant customer acquisition costs.

So unless I can figure out a way to generate recurring revenue with these products, most investors will not want to touch them. The problem is that very few people are willing to pay monthly fees.

Nest products are a good example. I own a Nest Doorbell camera. The camera is could-based and provides me with very basic functionality. If I want the better features, they offer a $4/month subscription to get those. In addition, Nest thermostats sell customer usage data to utility companies to generate additional revenue as well.

As many hardware VC companies put it: Hardware needs to be a trojan horse for software, which is what will generate recurring revenue.

However, I don't see anyone paying a monthly fee to use this even though I have to pay a monthly bill for the cloud infrastructure. I also don't see myself selling any type of useful data as well.

Anyways, I just wanted to share where I'm at in case anyone is building some kind of complicated piece of hardware. Maybe you guys will have a better idea as well.

First thing that comes to mind is to pair this type of device with a suite of hardware products tailored to dogs. Get people to buy into the ecosystem and increase the lifetime value per customer.

You could create a collar which could be RFID based that enables the use of these devices (food dispensing, door opener, camera, etc) and base the collar off a reoccuring revenue stream of $1-$5 a month for GPS tracking if they want to sign up.

The GPS will obviously increase hardware costs and barrier to entry as you have to pass regulatory requirements for wireless communications - but it's completely doable

 

[Roark]

These would be great for elderly people who are not strong enough to open sliding doors any more.
I actually had this idea myself,. Might be something you could engineer, design, then sell to a company that would add this to their existing line of products for seniors. Just a thought.

 

[James Orman]

What I got out of the Unscripted book is that until you test your product in the market, you won't really know its demand. Have you put it out there yet and found out how many people already want to buy on indiegogo or kickstarter?

It seems a bit like you are creating excuses to yourself not to sell it. You already have a working prototype. Compare that with idiots on kickstarter that make a computer-generated animation of their product lol.

 

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[James Orman]

mistake ... need to delete this post.

 

[csalvato]

Why? Almost every single hardware product on Kickstarter has failed to deliver or gone out of business. The only way to survive is to figure out a recurring revenue strategy. Otherwise, each door opener will need to sell for $400-$500 to account for the constant customer acquisition costs.

So unless I can figure out a way to generate recurring revenue with these products, most investors will not want to touch them. The problem is that very few people are willing to pay monthly fees.

Nest products are a good example. I own a Nest Doorbell camera. The camera is could-based and provides me with very basic functionality. If I want the better features, they offer a $4/month subscription to get those. In addition, Nest thermostats sell customer usage data to utility companies to generate additional revenue as well.

You're imposing an unnecessary business model here that is overcomplicating things.

If you need to sell this for $400+ for it to be profitable then sell it for that.

This isn't a viable IOT business model, at least not IMO.

For comparison, if you want automatic blinds installed (which are pure luxury), that costs about $500 per window if you're going for an integrated solution, or $250-$300/window if you're doing something aftermarket.

And this is a bigger painkiller than automatic blinds are, especially for the elderly, wheelchair bound folks, etc.

The blinds themselves cost in the hundreds for each window, so a few hundred bucks for this wouldn't shock anyone. You can probably go much higher than that.

It sounds like you don't know your market well enough to be making the claims you're making.

Stop being an inventor and talk to actual people that will either buy this or can distribute it (the hundreds of blind-installation companies around the country come to mine...)

You had this same problem with another product too

 

[danielfrenkel]

You're imposing an unnecessary business model here that is overcomplicating things.

If you need to sell this for $400+ for it to be profitable then sell it for that.

This isn't a viable IOT business model, at least not IMO.

For comparison, if you want automatic blinds installed (which are pure luxury), that costs about $500 per window if you're going for an integrated solution, or $250-$300/window if you're doing something aftermarket.

And this is a bigger painkiller than automatic blinds are, especially for the elderly, wheelchair bound folks, etc.

The blinds themselves cost in the hundreds for each window, so a few hundred bucks for this wouldn't shock anyone. You can probably go much higher than that.

It sounds like you don't know your market well enough to be making the claims you're making.

Stop being an inventor and talk to actual people that will either buy this or can distribute it (the hundreds of blind-installation companies around the country come to mine...)

You had this same problem with another product too

Everyone I know has said they would never pay $400, but again, I have not talked to blinds installers which is what I will do. You are right, I do not know the market well enough at the moment and did not think to talk to the installers themselves

 

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[Strategery]

Trekkies might go for it lol

 

[PizzaOnTheRoof]

These would be great for elderly people who are not strong enough to open sliding doors any more.
I actually had this idea myself,. Might be something you could engineer, design, then sell to a company that would add this to their existing line of products for seniors. Just a thought.

OP listen to this 100%.

Both of your inventions sound more like accessibility devices than smart home devices.

I would 100% patent this, optimize the design and function, and go for a licensing agreement with a larger company and distribution network.

 

[ApparentHorizon]

Are these patented? Are you interested in licensing them out and collecting a royalty. Or even selling the full rights?

 

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[Stargazer]

Everyone I know has said they would never pay $400, but again, I have not talked to blinds installers which is what I will do.

Everyone you know can open a door so no reason for them to think too deeply about your question.

I just Googled for this type of thing and the first two I click on have prices equal or exceeding $400

Autoslide Automatic Slider Door Opener | Pet Door Store

Autoslide automatic sliding door opener. Can be used with motion sensors, pressure mats, and collar keys. Optional locking motor for security

www.petdoorstore.com

Smart Pet Door | Automatic Dog & Cat Door | Wayzn

Transform your sliding glass door into an automatic dog & pet door with Wayzn. Enjoy convenience and security, right from your phone. Perfect for all small pets including cats & dogs.

wayzn.com

I won't link the others but prices are all over the place.

So a market exists in the US. Nothing unique in your idea like almost all ideas.

Now look how dreadful their websites are.

This is an area you can do much better in. @Fox can probably recommend someone in his group to chat to you if you do not know how to do a decent site.

Additionally and already mentioned, are the other distribution channels which I suspect the above are doing.

Dan

 

[danielfrenkel]

Are these patented? Are you interested in licensing them out and collecting a royalty. Or even selling the full rights?

I have a provisional patent at the moment and would like to license. Have not found anyone yet though, but as others have said, looking into accessibility companies is probably where I should be looking

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

I have a provisional patent at the moment and would like to license. Have not found anyone yet though, but as others have said, looking into accessibility companies is probably where I should be looking

Private message me the terms and costs.

What I want to know: Cost per each device. What your royalty is. What the warranty is. If I have to manufacture it. Etc.

I'll talk to a couple people and see what they think.

 

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[ApparentHorizon]

I have a provisional patent at the moment and would like to license. Have not found anyone yet though, but as others have said, looking into accessibility companies is probably where I should be looking

DM me the same info you're sending AgainstAllOdd, and I can do the same.

 

[Jon L]

I think your products are awesome. They're just not marketed well. I really like the idea of bringing in a partner, or licensing the product to someone that will pay you royalties.

I could easily see that door opener device used at a retirement community.