Alabama Launchpad Winner Built a Better Breadboard
Key Takeaways
Joseph Rusk applied to Alabama Launchpad with one minute left before the deadline.
His $2,500 finalist stipend funded his first 1,000 units and real product testing with kids.
The Breadboard Company turns a confusing, 400-hole circuit board into a beginner-friendly kit shaped like a slice of bread.
Rusk is building his company in Alabama, not moving to a bigger startup market.
A Confusing Breadboard Sparked The Idea
The Breadboard Company exists because standard beginner electronics kits do not work well. Auburn’s Electric Circuit Analysis class is one of the school’s toughest courses. Most students walk in without ever having touched a real circuit. Rusk had an edge. His grandfather was an electrical engineer and taught him the basics early. He knew most beginners do not get that head start, and most beginner kits do not give it to them either.The 400-Hole Problem
A breadboard has around 400 holes. Plug a part into the wrong one, and it will not work. Beginner kits rarely explain which hole does what. “There’s about 400 holes in a breadboard, and it’s really hard to understand exactly where to plug in each hole.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard CompanyA Product Shaped Like Its Name
A breadboard got its name from an old trick. Hobbyists used to hammer nails into a wooden cutting board and wrap wires around them to test circuits. The name stuck even after real tools replaced the cutting boards in the 1960s. Rusk leaned into that history. He built plastic templates shaped like a slice of bread that fit over the board, plus packaging shaped like a loaf. “I thought it’d be really funny if it looked like a slice of bread. So I made it look like a slice of bread.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard CompanyWhat is a breadboard used for? A breadboard lets you build and test electronic circuits without soldering anything. Engineers, students, and hobbyists use it to try out resistors, capacitors, and other parts before making a permanent version. Why is it called a breadboard? Early hobbyists hammered nails into a wooden cutting board and wrapped wires around them to test circuits by hand. The name stuck even after a real tool replaced the cutting board in the 1960s. Who is The Breadboard Company for? The kits are built for beginners, especially kids and first-time electronics students who find standard kits confusing.
He Applied To Alabama Launchpad With One Minute Left
Rusk almost missed the deadline for Alabama Launchpad entirely. Before Launchpad, he entered a competition called Tiger Cage. He did not place in the top five, but won a special category award worth $5,000. A week later, his boss Aisha sent him a link to Alabama Launchpad. He almost let the near miss at Tiger Cage stop him from trying again.The Last-Minute Application
Rusk decided to apply anyway. He submitted his Alabama Launchpad application with one minute left before the deadline, then emailed the program manager to confirm it went through. “I literally applied for it at 11:59 the night it was due. I had a minute left.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard CompanyWhat is Alabama Launchpad? Alabama Launchpad is a startup accelerator and seed funding program run by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Since 2006, it has invested more than $6.4 million in 124 startups. How do you apply to Alabama Launchpad? Applicants submit a business application, a 90-second founder video, a pitch deck, and a $150 application fee. Launch Advisors review every application and help choose the finalists. What if I do not think I am ready to apply? Rusk felt the same way next to competitors with employees and patents. His advice: do the research, then apply anyway. Every pitch competition, even the ones you lose, makes you better at the next one.
The Alabama Launchpad Stipend Funded His First 1,000 Units
Every Alabama Launchpad finalist gets a $2,500 stipend. Rusk used his to fund his first real product run.Buying In Bulk
Rusk orders his parts in bulk. Buying in small batches costs far more per unit than buying at scale. The stipend let him order his first 1,000 units instead of a handful. “Without the launchpad funds, I wouldn’t have been able to buy at that quantity.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard CompanyTesting With Real Kids
Rusk used the funding to test his kits with kids in afterschool and summer programs before selling a single unit. He is finishing his packaging and instructions now, and connecting his website to Shopify.What does the Alabama Launchpad stipend pay for? Every finalist gets $2,500 on top of mentorship. Rusk used his to buy his first product batch and test it with real kids before launch. Does The Breadboard Company sell kits yet? Not yet. Rusk is finishing his packaging and instructional materials first, and plans to launch through his website and Shopify at the start of the school year.
Rusk Is Building In Alabama, Not Leaving
Rusk is not moving his company to a bigger startup market once it grows. His family is in Alabama, and he has lived there his whole life. He points to Auburn, Huntsville, and Birmingham as proof the state already has what a growing company needs. “This state offers everything that I need as an entrepreneur.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard Company Winning Alabama Launchpad also changed his plans after graduation. He planned to work as an electrical engineer. Now he is staying in Alabama to run his company instead. “Originally I was going to go be an electrical engineer, whereas now I’m going to go be an entrepreneur.” — Joseph Rusk, Founder, The Breadboard CompanyWhy do Alabama Launchpad winners stay in Alabama? Winners like Rusk cite family, lower costs, and a growing ecosystem across Auburn, Huntsville, and Birmingham as reasons to build in-state instead of relocating. What does Alabama Launchpad look for in applicants? Launchpad scores applicants on product quality, the customer problem, market opportunity, customer validation, traction, team quality, and the company’s economic impact on Alabama.
