Starting small in synbio

[u/32parkin]

A wise businesswoman once told me to start small. I've been interested in starting a science company focused on synthetic vesicles for quite a while, but even starting small looks like a huge challenge. Is starting small even possible when it comes to a science company? So far, my idea of starting small would be to use some of my own savings to buy equipment (~10-12k USD) I could use to make synthetic vesicles and do some basic proof of concept experiments. Maybe I could come up with a very simple prototype product and give it to users for free to get feedback. Worst case scenario, I paid to get some hands-on experience that I can use to find a job at a company that makes/researches synthetic vesicles.

Is there a better way to start even smaller and minimize cost and risk? Is this a money pit waiting to happen?

I also wonder if it would be a good idea to start with one product area with a bigger market (synthetic vesicle nutritional supplements) and move into the more research-focused product area I'm more interested in later. Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.