[02020202]

this is the modern world of monopolies and big money. they either buy you out or crush you. this is why progress is stalled these days so much in hw and sw world. it's just not worth it and requires way too much backing to succeed and be able to compete with these monopolies.

[Gigachad]

Has progress stalled? The latest generation smart watches are massively better than the last pebble. The hardware that consumers have today is borderline magic. Just because they don't throw in crazy gimmicks in to each years release doesn't mean there was no progress.

[supportlocal4h]

Pebble didn't get crushed by a big money monopoly.

Some people are willing to be "niche" and some people aren't. A company that produces 100 laptops per month for $100 profit each is not Apple. But that still means there is $10,000 per month left over after all salaries and other expenses. It's not a path to fame and glory, so few are interested. But it could sustain a very small company for a long time outside the world of monpolies and big money.

But if you've figured out how to produce 5 laptops per day, 20 days every month, you're in a strange space. That's not a garage operation. So why not 50 per day? Then the eternal quest for growth leads you back into the world of monopolies and big money.