I Lived in a Van to Build My Wearable Startup - Before the $6.5B Headlines

I’ve been lurking here for a while, mostly building quietly, but I think this is the right moment to share the story. Not a launch. Not a pitch. Just a behind-the-scenes thread.

Last year I started building a mental health wearable, something discreet, screenless, and voice-powered. It listens to your voice and picks up emotional strain before the breakdown hits. Stress, grief, burnout - it flags the signal, not just the steps.

No funding. No team. No fancy accelerator.

Just me, my wife, our five kids and a van.

We drove across the U.S. while I coded from parking lots, rewired prototypes in the dark, and pitched investors from a folding table in NYC. 100+ preorders came in before a single dollar of ad spend.

Then, a few weeks ago, the $6.5B hardware bombshell hit, Altman and Ive are building something eerily close to what I’d already been shipping.

It felt surreal. Frustrating. But also validating as hell.

I’m not here to rant. Just wanted to drop into the mix for others who are building without permission. Especially the ones doing it the raw way, no hype, no shortcuts, just vision, obsession, and duct tape.

AMA if you're building wearables, voice tech, or just grinding in stealth mode.