Ask HN: What can a IoT company do to deliver a user first product

[stenius]

I'm diving into an IoT project and I've been mulling over how to build and maintain trust with my future customers, especially in the long term. The dream is not just to launch a product but to create something that stands the test of time and changes in ownership, should it be acquired down the line. I'm all for transparency and am considering open-sourcing the cloud components right off the bat.

At the same time, I'm wondering what else I can do to reassure users that they won't be left in the lurch, regardless of how the project evolves or if it changes hands. Is there a framework or set of practices I could adopt or any documentation I could put in place from the get-go that might help ensure continuity and reliability for users?

As an aside, this would be a "medical" device to help unobtrusively keep track of loved ones.

[spdustin]

Use MQTT for all interop, and allow config to be changed via captive on-device portal. Put OTA keys in escrow if you insist on restricting firmware updates, so keys can get freed if SHTF.

[stenius]

I was actually thinking about MQTT after I posted this.

I'm leaning towards just allowing the mqtt server you connect to to be changed, so that you can point it at whatever in the future, and all messages are plain text and documented.