A few weeks ago, I heard Nathan Seidle talk at MIT about founding and growing SparkFun Electronics (an on-line supplier of microcontollers and related electronics prototyping and hacking items).

He was smart, funny and engaging, and it was very inspiring.

Interesting bits:

• He started in 2003 to provide a better on-line ordering experience for certain parts (moral:  good UI + UX can win)

• They had 65 employees and did $10m in 2009, will be close to doubling revenues this year.

• They’ve been very scrappy, opting (for example) for developing their own solder-mask and reflow techniques, instead of buying expensive machines.

• Their #1 product is Arduino

• They don’t compete on selection (with Digikey, Mouser, Jameco, etc.)  Instead, they research the “best of X” and sell that one product.  Their customers are usually building small quantities (like one).

It was a reminder that you can build an interesting and meaningful company (a) doing what you love, and (b) without venture capital (he started with about $6-7,000).