This is the follow up post to [my first post on home automation](/blog/2015/02/16/Playing-around-with-home-automation.html) where I had just gotten a delivery with a few home automation devices. I ordered these just to play around with and see what you can do. I figured I'll share a few of the insights I've gained so far.
The internet of things (IoT) is with out a doubt the buzzword of the year. I'm not sure what the definition of IoT but to me it's about making devices (such as dishwashers, smoke alarms, doorlocks) **connected**. Connected appliances open up for all sorts of fun stuff such as inspecting states (how long until the dishwasher is done), notification (hey, the dishwasher is done) and remote control (start the dishwasher now).
I've started to take a more serious interest in startups and the entrepreneurial world lately. As such it's hard not to stumple upon [Y Combinator](http://www.ycombinator.com/) and Paul Grahams's essays. One thing that resonated with me from the essay [How To Start a Startup](http://paulgraham.com/start.html) was the part on niche markets. He argues that a startup has bigger odds of making it in niche markets: