Struggling to get off the ground

I've been working on a project since 2015, and although I'm disheartened, I have no plans of giving up.

I feel I've exhausted every option, and the only thing I can do is keep working nights and weekends until things one day change.

What I'm trying to build is a web-based platform with connected devices, for scientific use. This means a React-based app, with connected devices, providing users with RBAC, and social / collaboration features.

Before you respond with the typical lean startup tropes, please let me assure that I've done my homework. I know the basics, so please don't insult me with the typical armchair advice: post some landing pages, run a/b tests, run ad campaigns, gather metrics, build an MVP using a presentation maker.. And of course, fail fast! Oh yes, don't forget to fail! What a load of horse shit.

When have you EVER heard about someone in the hard sciences, having succeeded because they failed fast? "Oh ya, we developed a new type of bone implant and we succeeded because it was a huge failure, so then we ran some A/B tests and pivoted to nose implants."

I first started with 3D printed POC prototypes, and I posted demo videos to specific forums where certain portions of the target customer demographic hangout. And I sent the videos to field experts. This led to many conversations and introductions to more field experts, and after much ideation, I switched from the initial idea of a patented physical product, to a web-based service with connected devices. I tested the new idea by attending a conference and asking more field experts if they like this idea. The response was typically between warm and exuberant. Nobody expressed dislike for the idea, everyone felt it sounded generally good. A professor from Stanford liked the idea so much, he invited us to lunch so he could share with us some of his research data, and how our idea would be applicable to his work.

This was strongly encouraging. But there's still a disconnect between what people say, what they perceive, and what they do. Just because a product is good, doesn't mean it will sell.

I've done the work of finding expert advisors with established track records of success. I've worked to build a team. I have a neuroscientist, an electrical engineer, a bioengineer and product manager, and a designer (who I pay out of pocket). I've had absolutely miserable luck trying to recruit the kind of developers I need. I am a senior software engineer, BTW.

I still feel very stuck. I've talked to people about funding, we've applied to YC and other accelerator-type programs many times, and we've written two grant proposals. It seems my only option is to work nights and weekends hoping and dreaming that my hard work will pay off, that I won't be terribly disappointed. I've sunk countless thousands of dollars into this project, paying for electrical engineering contractors, and for my designer, and for professional pitch deck development, and all the many small services that add up over time, like Wix or what have you.

I am a senior software engineer, so I'm fully capable of building everything that needs to be built. The problem I have is not enough time, and too much work for one person to take on all by himself. I feel what would help more than anything, is to find at least one other react developer to work with me, but that's been damn near impossible. Unlike Rust and Elixir developers, React developers seem to have a "fuck you, pay me" sort of attitude. If I approach these other communities (Rust, Elixir, etc), developers are like, "Wow, tell me about your project", and "I wanna work on cool projects like this!". But what we need more than anything is help building the frontend. Firebase is good enough for the backend for now.