The DIY tech scene is about to become a little more legitimate with the introduce of a new marketplace called Tindie. The currently in-the-works site, created by Urban Airship engineer Emile Petrone, will be a platform for buying and selling homemade gadgets.
While Kickstarter has become a hub for crafty tinkerers, it’s more of a sounding board than anything else. “Kickstarter was actually part of the inspiration,” says Petrone. “‘After a project has been funded, where can I buy the gadget?’ There really wasn’t a good answer for that question. Tindie will be that place where these small producers can sell their gadgets and continue to grow their projects or business.”
Petrone used Reddit to introduce the idea, which has since spawned quite a bit of feedback as well as interested sellers. A few possible “for sale” items include an Angry Birds-playing robot, an LED Arduino stoplight, as well as what Petrone calls a “dueling breathalyzer.”
If the impetus for Tindie isn’t obvious, it should be. The DIY movement has transcended knitting and soap-making, and more and more consumers either want to better understand or completely construct their own hardware – and we’re learning that it can pay off. “If you think about it Woz and Steve Jobs were doing hardware hacking and that created the most valuable company in the world,” Petrone says. “What other companies will come from this current wave of hardware hackers? Only time will tell.”
The site is pretty bare bones at the moment while Petrone prepares for its launch. He says it’s coming “soon,” but also notes that the response been so great that he expects it might be ready within a week or two.
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