From: thepipeline_xyz
Building hardware products presents unique and significant challenges compared to software development [00:07:30]. Nix, from the Pulse team, vividly describes the process as “chewing glass that is on fire” [00:08:09].
Key Difficulties in Hardware Development
Unlike software, where issues can often be resolved with a quick update, a mistake in hardware can necessitate a complete restart of the production process [00:08:17]. The Pulse team spent an entire summer in stealth, navigating the demanding “gauntlet of production” [00:08:45]. This intensive period involved:
- Supplier Management
- Finding suitable suppliers [00:08:52].
- Testing their capabilities [00:08:55].
- Benchmarking them against competitors [00:08:57].
- Design and Logistics
- Developing appropriate designs [00:08:59].
- Handling complex logistics, fulfillment, and delivery [00:09:04].
- Customizing branding [00:09:09].
These steps cannot be short-circuited; they require thorough execution from beginning to end [00:09:11]. The commitment required is significant; one of Pulse’s co-founders relocated to China full-time to oversee manufacturing, with the agreement not to return until the final wearable leaves the production line [00:09:32], [00:10:07].
Advantages of Building Hardware
Despite the difficulties, building hardware offers several strategic advantages for a startup like Pulse:
- Creating a Moat
- It establishes a competitive barrier, preventing other teams like Whoop or Oura Ring from displacing them by, for example, revoking API access [00:10:34].
- Unique Features and Ecosystem
- The Pulse wearable includes an NFC chip, allowing for direct crypto wallet integration [00:10:49]. This feature supports a “proof of pulse” narrative, verifying one wallet per human without doxing the user [00:10:56].
- It enables Pulse to offer its API and SDK to other teams interested in building software on top of their device [00:11:14]. Pulse views its wearable as an infrastructure piece that other teams can leverage [00:11:26].
Design and Market Inspiration
The Pulse team extensively researched the existing wearable market to understand why users gravitated towards products like Whoop, Oura Ring, UltraHuman Ring, Fitbit, and Apple Watch [00:12:25]. They identified flaws and glean insights from these existing solutions [00:12:43].
While many users adopt wearables like Whoop primarily for sleep tracking, Pulse aims to go beyond basic health and fitness [00:12:57]. Pulse is designed as a “lifestyle wearable” focused on enhancing productivity [00:13:57]. This includes tracking not just sleep and exercise, but also diet, stress levels, sun exposure, socializing, and overall fulfillment, all contributing to a user’s productivity [00:13:23]. This broader scope differentiates Pulse from competitors [00:14:02].
Data Collection and Automation
Pulse leverages various sensors on the wearable device to automatically detect user activities:
- Accelerometer: Tracks acceleration and deceleration, indicating movement, lifting, or placing objects, which helps infer physical exercise like weightlifting or running [00:30:29].
- Temperature Sensors: Provide environmental data to determine if a user is outdoors or indoors (e.g., detecting a significant temperature spike in a hot yoga class) [00:30:48].
- Heart Rate Monitor: Essential for identifying activities like running, where heart rate typically elevates and remains consistent [00:31:06].
By analyzing these biometrics, Pulse aims to automatically track about 50 common fitness and lifestyle activities, including swimming, running, boxing, weightlifting, yoga, and Pilates [00:31:24].
Beyond specific activities, Pulse also monitors general lifestyle data, such as prolonged sitting, and can nudge users towards more energetic and productive behaviors [00:31:55].
Crypto-Native Approach and Data Ownership
Pulse integrates a crypto-native approach to address issues prevalent in traditional wearable data management. While existing wearables sell user data without reward [00:05:30], Pulse uses crypto rails to ensure transparency in data brokerage [00:06:17].
This means users are notified if a third party, like a university, wants to acquire their data for studies and can decide whether to license it [00:06:24]. Crypto rails provide transparency regarding what data is shared, for how long, and its intended use [00:06:56].
Furthermore, Pulse prioritizes data security by encrypting as much data as possible on-chain using MPC-powered encryption [00:35:51]. This design ensures that only the user can decrypt their data, preventing third-party access, including from Pulse itself [00:36:08]. Utilizing fully homomorphic encryption, users can gain insights from their data without risking exposure to third parties, thereby mitigating risks of data hacks that have affected traditional platforms [00:36:32].
This model, described as “live to earn,” differentiates Pulse by rewarding users for contributing their day-to-day life data, regardless of their health activities [00:33:02]. The goal is to build a comprehensive “Health Digital Twin” by exploring incentives for users to contribute other data like blood work, DNA, and electronic health records [00:33:41].