How would you get into the biz?

Find a nitche, be ready to constantly change with the whims of the market,be prepared for $ ups and downs of said markets. Loudspeakers are something everyone has and no one needs they exist to most as a equivalent of a toaster bought with as much thought.  The small small group that cares has many marketing to them at all price levels. Even if you had the worlds best loudspeaker and price on such doesn't mean you will succeed audiophiles are name brand buyers purchases made as much to impress as for sound quality.

It's exactly the same as the restaurant business -- it's something everybody can do but not do well. Speakers are just boxes with drivers with simple electronics that cookbooks can tell you how to put together. But then you have to deal with the hurdle as to why restaurants fail: What are you offering that the hundreds of other restaurants in town don't offer at the same prices? In other words, find a niche and do it better than others.

timlub, thanks for your 9:33am post....not that I'm seriously considering launching an audio 'quest', but more for the comments and insight on current marketing and the honesty of "we don't know what 'n 'ell going to happen next either'.   I've been tasked with that endeavour for my 'real job', and it's definitely a Gordian knot to unravel....;)

As for what I do for 'giggles 'n grins' within my 'hobby', one can have dreams and aspirations....but when faced with grim Reality, I'll be satisfied for now with stunning the odd stranger or two...;)  And it's cheap thrills...*L*

" Last year I read 'Schiit Happened,' the memoir by Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat that describes the startup years of Schiit Audio. It's an easy read and it can fool the reader into thinking that starting up an audio manufacturing business isn't too hard. "

That's not a good example because these guys were very well known from other audio companies since the 90's. If Moffat designs a dac, some people are going to buy it regardless of brand name.

The Schitt book is excellent and something you really should read.
all audiophiles should read it IMO.
Jason and Mike already had reputations in the Audio world and ears to know good - Mike in particular for 2 channel thru speakers and Jason for headphones.
do you have ears and the scientific and physcoacoustic and marketing chops ?
dunno.
i think the Vandersteen internship comment is hilarious - for the last several years that would be me - learning at the feet of the master -  note unpaid ! ( I can do this I am old and retired at 55 )
Richard was  a truck driver when he invented the model 2 - probably the best selling Audiophile speaker ever at least 500K sold
refined amd honed and worked over and over and over by the frugal Dutchman for what 35 years now- can you do that ? And a serious engineering approach - watch his utube video on pistonic motion....

stick to 8 to ten key design principles largely ignored by the crowd ?

speakers as a path to rich ? Probably not but an interesting goal, I always worked at doing what I loved and taking risk in my career and moving within the firm like a mercenary

marketing is.becoming much more important

what distribution channel / business model is an essential question - can you get your product into an influential dealer with ears who can also move product ( displacing ???? )

Direct ? These are probably not $250 headphone amps right ? Can you beat Andrew Jones at $500 ?

but Fred Smith' professor gave him a C in business school for the concept of Fed Ex, so what do I know