By Yurii Zinchenko, CEO and Founder of Raceprosim.
The best ideas don’t come from textbooks or trend reports. They’re born where your own worlds collide. For me, that overlap was racing, IT and a bit of hands-on production. When I started Raceprosim, I wasn’t a motorsport engineer, but I knew cars and how they should feel. I wasn’t a mechanical designer, but I could quickly learn digital tools. That combination let me see simulators not just as gaming setups but as machines that could replicate the sensations of a real cockpit—down to suspension feedback, ergonomics and chassis stiffness.
That’s the first lesson I share with new founders: Look at the intersections of your own experience. That’s where opportunities reveal themselves in ways others miss and where solutions feel natural rather than forced.
From Vision To Prototype
The first simulator I built was designed to solve a personal problem. I wanted a tool that could deliver the closest thing to driving a race car. That meant focusing on steering feedback, driver position and structural rigidity, along with functional aesthetics.
Design, for me, is about function over decoration—strength, ergonomics and aerodynamics. If the design doesn’t work, it’s not beautiful. That philosophy shaped my first prototype and continues to guide me.
I wasn’t a trained engineer, but software gave me leverage. With CAD tools like Autodesk Fusion, I could model frames and components, simulate stresses and prepare files for fabrication. Apps like Polycam let me scan real seats and pedals so the digital designs fit precisely. Generative design features suggested stronger, lighter geometries than I could sketch myself. What once required a full engineering department, I managed alone with a laptop.
I didn’t own machines or a workshop. Instead, I treated online networks as my production floor. PCB manufacturers turned around circuit boards in days. Platforms like Protolabs Network delivered CNC-milled aluminum and laser-cut steel parts in a week. For uncertain designs, I used 3D printing overnight before committing to metal. Hardware iteration can be as fast as software when you take advantage of distributed manufacturing.
Learn From Real Users
When I felt reasonably satisfied with the prototype, I took it straight to my target audience: racers. I showed up at track days not just with a simulator but also with a track-prepped Miata I was driving myself. Credibility matters. People trusted my simulator more because they saw me perform on track.
Setting up the rig in paddocks brought constant feedback. At first, I didn’t get sales, but I got something more valuable: insights from real drivers. Every comment shaped the next iteration. Each session was a lab. Early exposure to real users will always teach you more than private theorizing.
My first paying customers were the same people I met at those track events. Each wanted something different: seats, pedal layouts, dimensions. That meant every build was a new project. On the one hand, it limited my output. On the other hand, it forced me to solve a wide variety of problems quickly. Those one-off projects became my real education.
Before moving toward batch production, I had to build enough unique rigs to know which features mattered, which components could be standardized and what the “core product” should be. In hardware, custom projects can be stepping stones toward scalable designs.
At some point, iteration has to give way to strategy. There are two paths. Mass production means streamlining, standardizing and scaling for reach. Exclusivity means focusing on small runs and differentiation for higher margins. Both are valid, but the right choice depends on your resources, market and vision. Early on, don’t rush the decision. Let projects teach you.
Running Lean And Choosing A Path
Technical progress was only half the battle. Running a company as a solo entrepreneur required discipline and automation. Accounting software categorized expenses automatically. Online storefronts and CRMs kept sales organized. Project management tools tracked each build.
Today, AI-powered tools go even further. They can generate documentation, automate customer responses and provide instant insights from financial data. For solo founders, this is game-changing. The right stack of modern tools makes a one-person shop operate with the professionalism of a full back office.
Passion And Tools Matter Most
Building simulators has shown me the power of combining diverse skills, modern tools and a belief in action over perfection.
For anyone starting a hardware venture: don’t be intimidated. Use the overlaps of your own experience. Build with what you know, use tools to fill the gaps and get your product into the world as early as possible. You can’t join the race unless you put yourself on the track.
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