Building hardware - easier than ever - harder than it should be

Building electronics has never been easier, cheaper, or more accessible than the last few years. It's also becoming a precious skill in a world where commercially made electronics are the latest victim of enshittification and vibe coding. And yet, while removing technical and financial barriers to building things, we've not come as far as we should have in removing social barriers. The electronics and engineering industry and the cultures around them are hostile to newcomers and self-taught practitioners, for no good reason at all. I've been teaching advanced electronics manufacturing skills to absolute beginners for a decade now, and they've consistently succeeded at acquiring them. I'm here to tell you why it's not as hard as it seems, how to get into it, and why more people who think they can't should try.