Hardware Every Young Startup Should Invest In

Guest author Scott Gerber is the founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council.

The early stages of a startup can seem like the exact wrong time to invest in hardware of any kind. But certain technology is worth the upfront cash. (And quite a few of the items on this list can probably come right out of your pizza budget.)

I was curious about what equipment passes muster even when budgets are tight, so I asked nine successful entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what their first major hardware investments were and why. Their answers are below.

1. MacBook Pro

I’ve put so many hours on my MacBook Pro working anywhere, anytime. When you’re doing a startup, you need to put in a lot of hours, and you’ll find that it’s best if you can squeeze in work anywhere you can. For instance, after a meeting at a coffee shop, I might spend another 15 minutes getting caught up on emails and other busywork because I’m already there with my laptop. At night, I might find myself at home with Netflix going on in the background and my laptop propped up in front of me as I’m doing work.

—Andy Karuza, brandbuddee

2.