Pre-Orders, Batches and Backer Updates: Software for Hardware Startups

Mythex lets a hardware startup build a pre-order store that puts every order into a production batch, a backer portal where customers see their batch and ship date and change their address until it locks, and inventory that tracks components, finished units and serial numbers across factory, transit and warehouse. Describe your product and runs in chat, see the live preview, and publish it.

Three production runs and one spreadsheet

A hardware company sells before it can build at scale. It launches with crowdfunding or pre-orders, then spends months on tooling, certification and production runs that slip. Every customer wants to know when theirs ships, and the answer depends on which batch they fell into, which lives in a spreadsheet merged from a crowdfunding export, a store export and a support inbox. People move house during the wait. A component with a long lead time can stop a whole run, and a fault common to one batch hides inside dozens of separate support tickets.

Every order assigned to a batch with an estimated ship date
Address changes by the customer until the batch locks
Components, finished units and serials tracked by location
Pre-orders compared with what the factory can make
Support tagged by batch and serial number
Region versions such as plug type and certification

What you can build for hardware startups

Pre-orders that know their batch

Each pre-order is assigned to the next batch with room, with its estimated ship window shown at checkout. Region versions carry their plug type, and in-stock accessories are kept apart from pre-orders so nobody waits four months for a spare cable.

Build a pre-order store for my hardware product. Batches have a unit capacity and an estimated ship month; each order goes into the first batch with space and shows that month at checkout. Offer EU, UK and US versions with the right plug. Sell in-stock accessories separately from pre-orders, with a note that they ship separately.

A backer page that answers 'where's mine?'

Customers log in to see their order, batch and estimated ship date, change their shipping address until the batch locks, and register their serial number for warranty once it arrives.

Make a customer portal for my hardware startup where backers and pre-order customers see their order, batch number and estimated ship date, can change their shipping address until 14 days before their batch ships, and register their device serial number to see warranty status. Let me import our crowdfunding backer export as CSV.

Components, units and serials across three locations

Components with lead times counted apart from finished units, stock at the factory, in transit and at the fulfilment warehouse, and each unit's serial number and firmware version.

Create an inventory app for a hardware startup. Track components with supplier, lead time and quantity per build, finished units by location (factory, in transit, fulfilment warehouse), and each unit's serial number, batch and firmware version. Warn when components on hand cannot cover the next batch.

Pre-orders against production

Orders by batch and region beside units produced, in transit and shipped, plus support tickets per hundred units shipped by batch, so an oversold batch or a bad run shows early.

Build a dashboard for my hardware startup showing pre-orders by batch and region against batch capacity, units produced, in transit and shipped, and support tickets per 100 units shipped for each batch.

A production updates page people can trust

The product with specs, compatibility and what is in the box, a dated production update log, setup guides and firmware notes, and a waitlist or pre-order button.

Create a website for my hardware product with specs, compatibility and what's in the box, a production updates page where I post dated updates, support pages for setup guides and firmware release notes, an FAQ, and a pre-order button.

Backers, retailers and support in one place

Backers, pre-order customers and retail buyers kept apart, distributors with their terms, and support history per customer and serial number.

Create a CRM for my hardware startup with customer types (backer, pre-order, retail buyer), distributors and retailers with terms and countries, and support conversations tagged with batch and serial number. Show the most common support tags per batch.

Before the crowdfunding launch

A prelaunch landing page with a short demo video, the problem the product solves and an email signup that asks one question, such as which colour or configuration they would buy, tells you what to tool first and whether day one will move. Early bird pricing with an honest unit count does the rest.

Demo video above the fold
One configuration question on signup
Early bird units shown honestly

Wholesale and where to buy

Send retailers proforma invoices and take payment or a deposit before shipping until you know their payment record. A where-to-buy directory by country helps customers who want to see the product first; keep it current.

Questions

Can I import my crowdfunding backers?

Yes. Export backers as CSV and upload it; Mythex can map the columns and assign each backer to a batch.

Can customers change their address themselves?

Yes, through the portal, until a lock date you set for their batch.

Can I take pre-order payments?

Yes, with a payment processor in your company's name. Read its rules on charging for goods that ship months later, since some limit how long you can hold a pre-order charge.

Can it connect to my fulfilment partner?

If the partner offers an API or CSV exchange, orders can be sent and shipping status brought back. Otherwise export orders as CSV.

Can my engineers edit the code?

Yes. Pro, at $25 a month, unlocks code editing, the terminal, project export and GitHub push. The Free plan, which needs no card, lets you build and view the code read-only.

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