Ask HN: Is hardware more risky than software?

Although I'm generally decent at both, I prefer hardware. I think the potential of hardware is unreached. I'm looking for opportunities in the hardware world and I'm coming up short compared to the software world. Where's the Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinter, Instagram of the hardware world?

Once I leave Apple, everyone else looks like copycats or slaves to other people's whims. Few seem to be pushing the boundaries of what's possible. The equivalent in the software world would be the highly innovative world of Enterprise Software.

Is there no money flowing into the hardware world? Why does today's hardware seem so stale (except for war stuff)?