What are the different kinds of hardware startups?

I’m trying to figure out what direction to go in to maximize my chance of impact and success.

It’s a good question. In general we see observe 3 categories that were pointed out by Matt Witheiler.

  1. Portfolio - companies that build an array of products, often based on the same foundational technology (ie. GoPro).
  2. Platform - companies that build a hardware product as a gateway to deliver a broader range of services (ie. Nest).
  3. Ecosystem - companies that build tools and services to support the explosion of hardware companies.

You can find more info here.