How do you know the company is digging a huge hole? The only holes I hear are being dug are the holes in Texas and Belize.
I'm a Sr Mechanical Engineer and I develop sensor and communication products for the Dept of Defense. I have a secret clearance. First it takes months to concieve a product, then the product requires designing and layout, then you require interface with the electrical engineers for printed circuit board (PCB) layouts and component placement. Then the details are worked out and detail drawings and assembly drawings are created to support the many that will be built months later. Then we need to wait a week for part quotes. Do you know how long it takes just to have a mold fabricated to injection mold plastic parts? 9-10 weeks.
Then the test parts come out of the mold and we look at them for knit lines, sink marks, etc. Then we troubleshoot the mold for those imperfections and test the plastic part runs again. Then we test fit the mating parts. Then we need to order all the other COTS (commercial off the shelf) parts that go into the final assembly, then the other fabricated parts are placed on order in parallel, then we test fit those parts, then we test the final assembly for shock and vibe, or EMI, etc, etc. If something doesn't go 100% during this process then we lose schedule and take two steps back. It can take a year or better to get a quality manufactured product to market. DOD firms work with government funding and we know how fast the government moves so that adds delays. From what I've learned of the oil exploration business; my business setbacks don't compare to the number of setbacks an oil exploration company must go through. The inital analysis, the government EPA crap, the logistics of procuring, moving and repairing equipment. All the specialized parts involved. The investors that need to be brought in for unforeseen delays that require additional financing. I can't imagine and I give Treaty a big pat on the back for what they have accomplished so far. Those who work at fast food restaurants can't understand this concept!
