How This $6 Part Almost Broke Me

You wouldn’t think a $6 part could bring you to your knees.
But let me tell you — it can.

A few weeks back I was building the next batch of UpBoards. I’ve done this plenty of times before. Same recipe: recycled screens, custom-built mini computers, Tasmanian oak frames, tested components I trust. Everything was coming together fine, until it wasn’t.

Out of nowhere, the software started crashing. Operating systems were corrupting. Boards that had been running perfectly were suddenly dead in the water. I checked the power supplies. Rebuilt three brand new computers. Swapped HDMI cables, screens, power adapters. I even pulled apart perfectly good boards just to rule things out. Nothing made sense.

Two days.
Two full days.

And I’m not going to lie, there were moments where I seriously thought: Maybe I’m done.
Maybe this whole idea was held together with dumb luck.
Maybe I’m not cut out for this.
Imposter syndrome hit hard.

Because if I couldn’t fix my own product, what would happen if a customer had a problem? That’s the stuff that keeps small business owners up at night.

Finally, after chasing ghosts for 48 hours, I found the culprit: a batch of faulty microSD cards. The one component I almost never question. I’ve used the same brand and model dozens of times without an issue. But this batch? Garbage. A $6 card that took down the whole system.

But here’s where the story flips.

Because of how I’ve built the UpBoard — modular, fully replaceable parts, easy to access, I was able to swap components in and out quickly while diagnosing. I didn’t need a soldering iron or some obscure repair tool. Every part is designed to be serviced. And that’s exactly why I built it this way in the first place.

So while that $6 card nearly broke me, it also proved that the design works.
If anything ever goes wrong for a customer, we can fix it — fast.

Working with electronics means you’re always one small part away from a headache. But knowing you’ve built a product that can take those hits and keep going? That’s what makes it worth it.