Hubert Thieblot Classifies Startup Difficulty into Four Levels: Robotics as Insane, Hardware as Hard
Entrepreneur Hubert Thieblot classifies startup difficulty into four levels: Robotics as Insane, Hardware as Hard, Consumer Software as Medium, and B2B SaaS as Easy.
He believes that the barriers to entry vary significantly across different fields, with B2B SaaS relatively easier to achieve growth, while the robotics sector faces extremely high technical and capital challenges.
In terms of market mechanisms, entrepreneurs and investors are reallocating resources based on difficulty levels, with funds accelerating towards easily verifiable sectors like B2B SaaS, while robotics and hardware startups benefit from focusing on high-difficulty breakthroughs. Consumer software projects are under pressure due to intense competition and conversion difficulties.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Hubert Thieblot has founded hardware-related companies like Hammerhead and has deep expertise in the consumer hardware field. His difficulty classification reflects insights drawn from his hardware entrepreneurial experiences, aligning with views held by many founders transitioning from hardware to software.
In terms of capital flow, VC firms are directing more funds towards B2B SaaS in pursuit of quicker exits and higher IRR, while robotics and hardware projects require larger individual investments and longer holding periods, motivated by the need to match the risk-return characteristics of different sectors.
Similar cases include Boston Dynamics' long-term cash burn path in robotics versus the rapid scaling of B2B SaaS companies like Salesforce and ServiceNow; the current entrepreneurial market is rationally sorting sectors by difficulty in a post-high interest rate environment.
Essentially, this reflects capital concentration: entrepreneurial capital is shifting from an average distribution to an efficient allocation based on difficulty levels, as the lower technical and market validation thresholds of B2B SaaS can generate cash flow more quickly, while high-difficulty fields require support from a few long-term capitalists, leading to a clear resource stratification within the industry.
ABAB News · Law of Cognition
The higher the difficulty, the deeper the moat; the easier the path, the harsher the competition.
Choosing the right sector is more important than sheer effort; B2B SaaS is a dimensional reduction in entrepreneurship.
Outstanding entrepreneurs choose difficulty, while ordinary entrepreneurs choose ease.