Fast ProtoPCBA's are expensive. Until someone does the math.

"Fast ProtoPCBA's are expensive."

I hear it a lot.

Until someone does the math.

Last month I spoke with the CEO of a startup. Burn rate: €100,000 per month.

His question to me:

> "What do you think one week of waiting costs me?"

Answer: ~€25,000.

And that's per iteration.

Because your first prototype rarely works perfectly.

So you get: * ❌ build * ❌ wait * ❌ find the bug * ❌ reorder * ❌ wait again

And you repeat that.

But hey — you saved €500 on your PCBA's.

Most teams optimise on price per board.

While the real costs sit in the time between iterations.

So yes — fast ProtoPCBA's are expensive.

Just like a fire extinguisher…

Until you actually need one.