In 2017, Michael Corr launched Duro Labs with a vision of bringing software-style agile workflows to hardware development. Five years later, the market finally caught up. But surviving that gap between vision and market readiness wasn’t just about having enough runway – it required a delicate balance of conviction, adaptation, and timing that offers valuable lessons for founders building ahead of the market.
The Early Signs That Led to Early Entry
“I kind of saw that the industry was starting to turn. More and more people like myself were trying to adopt software practices into how they’re building hardware,” Michael explains. This observation led him to believe 2017 was the right time to launch. In hindsight, he admits, “I think in hindsight, maybe if I win Europe too, there would have been a little bit more momentum in the market.”
The challenge wasn’t that the problem didn’t exist – it was that the majority of potential customers weren’t ready to embrace a new solution. As Michael recalls, “I can’t tell you how many calls I had with prospective customers who were yelling at me that what we were providing was not a true PLM, because we didn’t have these buttons or these processes that they had been using for 30 years.”
The Hidden Cost of Being Early
When you’re early to market, the problem isn’t just about waiting for customers to catch up – it’s about surviving long enough to see your vision validated. “There was a period where I was concerned that maybe the market wasn’t as big as I thought it was and that maybe there were still too many people that were looking for the old workflows and the old data models,” Michael shares.
This period of doubt is particularly challenging because it forces founders to question whether they’re actually early, or simply wrong. The distinction can be the difference between perseverance and pivoting too late.
Finding Signs of Life in a Dormant Market
Rather than focusing solely on current market demand, Michael looked for underlying shifts that would eventually drive adoption. He observed that “you’re starting to see that software centric culture of your workflows and agile workflows and get flow coming into the hardware space.”
Even more telling was the source of innovation in hardware: “You’re seeing that culturally, some of the best hardware products are now being developed by software companies where not the Apples or the Samsung, but companies like Google and Facebook and Amazon who are originally software companies are now developing very impressive and very formidable hardware products.”
The Conviction to Stay the Course
What kept Duro going through five years of market education? Michael points to a clear vision of the future: “The fundamental thing that kept me going is I really see the future and I see this, like, utopia of a much better place for hardware designers, engineers, and manufacturers to get to. And I want to see it through. I want to get to that greener pasture.”
This vision wasn’t just about building a successful company – it was about fundamentally transforming how hardware products are built. “I have so many ideas of how durable can contribute to that future. And so that’s really what’s kept me going, is until we reach that point, I don’t want to stop.”
Building the Support System for the Long Wait
Surviving a long wait for market readiness isn’t just about personal conviction. Michael emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with people who share and support your vision: “What’s helped me get through that is various things, certainly. I’ve got great teammates. I got a great co founder, Connor. We built a fantastic team. The product customer base really inspired me.”
Even personal relationships played a crucial role: “My wife also is an entrepreneur herself. And so we kind of commiserate and share notes of our own respective businesses. And it’s just nice find people to surround yourself with that inspire you and help motivate you to keep going.”
The story of Duro Labs offers a masterclass in navigating the challenges of being early to market. The key isn’t just having enough runway to survive until the market catches up – it’s about building the support systems, maintaining conviction through doubt, and finding the early signals that validate your vision. For founders building ahead of market readiness, these lessons could mean the difference between giving up too soon and staying the course until their market moment arrives.