Atoms vs. Bits: Why Every Founder Should Build Both

Key Takeaways

  • The Divide: Silicon Valley loves software (Bits) because it scales. The real world runs on physical goods (Atoms).
  • The Lesson: Building software teaches you speed. Building physical products teaches you quality.
  • The Synthesis: The best brands of 2026 will be "Hybrid"—physical goods with software-like community loops, or software with the soul of a luxury good.
  • My Experience: How shipping a linen shirt improved my code, and how coding an app improved my supply chain.

In the startup world, there are two tribes.

The "Bits" tribe (SaaS, AI, Crypto) believes that if it cannot be scaled to a million users with zero marginal cost, it is not a business. They value speed, iteration, and "breaking things."

The "Atoms" tribe (Fashion, Hardware, CPG) believes in the tangible. They value craft, texture, and durability. You cannot "iterate" a shirt once it is in the customer's hands.

I belong to both tribes. I run a fashion brand (HACOY) and I build software (Milio, Energy Apps).

Most people tell you to pick one. "Focus," they say.

I disagree. I believe that building in both worlds gives you a competitive advantage that a specialist will never have. Here is why every founder should try to ship at least one physical thing and one line of code.

01. What Atoms Teach Bits (The Gravity of Quality)

In software, we have become lazy. "Ship it now, patch it later." If there is a bug, we push an update.

In fashion, there are no patches. If I ship a shirt with a torn seam, that customer is gone forever. The physical world has gravity. It demands perfection on the first try.

Bringing this mindset to software is powerful. When I build tools now, I don't just want them to "work." I want them to feel finished. I want the UI to have the "texture" of a well-made garment.

02. What Bits Teach Atoms (The Speed of Feedback)

Fashion is slow. You design a collection in January to sell it in August. The feedback loop is 6 months long.

Software is instant. You deploy, you see analytics, you adjust.

I apply this "SaaS thinking" to HACOY. We don't do massive seasonal drops anymore. We do "Sprints." We release small batches, measure the response immediately (like a software A/B test), and then iterate. We run our supply chain like a codebase: modular, efficient, and constantly refactored.

03. The Hybrid Future

The most interesting companies of the next decade won't be "just" software or "just" brands.

  • Whoop is a strap (Atoms) that sells data (Bits).
  • Tesla is a car (Atoms) that is actually a computer (Bits).
  • HACOY is clothing (Atoms) designed for Energy Management (a system).

If you are a software founder, go try to manufacture a coffee mug. You will learn respect for logistics.

If you are a brand founder, go try to code a landing page. You will learn the power of leverage.

The Verdict

Don't let investors box you into a category. The magic happens in the middle.

Build things you can touch. Build things you can click.

The principles of quality are universal.

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