The Real Cost of Getting It Right

When people ask why our UpBoard costs what it does, I always want to answer with one word: testing.

Take something as basic as a HDMI cable. Not all cables are created equal, especially when you're building something that needs to look and feel seamless. I tested five different types before I found a right-angle one that didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, worked every time, and actually fit behind the screen. Same goes for the USB cords — short ones, long ones, braided ones, cheap ones that didn’t work, expensive ones that didn’t fit. And don’t even get me started on power bricks. I tested three different models to make sure they had the right wattage and amps to power the UpBoard reliably, but they also needed to be compact enough to not become an eyesore in someone’s home.

The kicker? Most of that gear ended up in a drawer.

When you're a small business (and especially when it's your first time building a product), the costs aren't just in what goes into the final product — they're in everything you tested that didn’t make the cut. That hidden development cost is real. But getting it right is worth it, and it's why I can stand behind every UpBoard I build.