Podcasts about product startup podcast

Jon (JonDavids.com) was a featured guest on The Product Startup Podcast in May 2024. Here's the audio from that episode! And follow Jon across social: X (Twitter) | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | YouTube 

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. MAKO Design and Invent, Est 1999, is the first company providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to startups, small manufacturers, & home inventors. Kevin is president, and also the host of The Product Startup Podcast. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Prioritize energy. Everyday, put in a little bit of effort on the most important things towards getting your product launched, and you'll get tremendous drive and momentum over the coming months. 2. The number one thing when you think about developing your product is FOCUS! In hardware, it is important because it is difficult at the end of the development cycle to make quick adjustments if you haven't focused. 3. Crowdfunding is a phenomenal tool for hardware startups. You are putting your finished product prototype out for people to see, and the people who are interested in pre-purchasing your product will help give you money to fund the production run. Get a FREE product consultation, a design and engineering review, and get personally mentored by Kevin Mako for any hardware startup that hires MakoDesign - One Time Offer for Fire Nation Sponsors HubSpot With HubSpot's customer platform you can spend less time switching between systems, and more time on growing your business. Visit HubSpot.com to learn how HubSpot's customer platform can help you grow your business Airbnb Have you ever considered hosting on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think… Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2021. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. MAKO Design and Invent, Est 1999, is the first company providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to startups, small manufacturers, & home inventors. Kevin is president, and also the host of The Product Startup Podcast. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Prioritize energy. Everyday, put in a little bit of effort on the most important things towards getting your product launched, and you'll get tremendous drive and momentum over the coming months. 2. The number one thing when you think about developing your product is FOCUS! In hardware, it is important because it is difficult at the end of the development cycle to make quick adjustments if you haven't focused. 3. Crowdfunding is a phenomenal tool for hardware startups. You are putting your finished product prototype out for people to see, and the people who are interested in pre-purchasing your product will help give you money to fund the production run. Get a FREE product consultation, a design and engineering review, and get personally mentored by Kevin Mako for any hardware startup that hires MakoDesign - One Time Offer for Fire Nation Sponsors HubSpot With HubSpot's customer platform you can spend less time switching between systems, and more time on growing your business. Visit HubSpot.com to learn how HubSpot's customer platform can help you grow your business Airbnb Have you ever considered hosting on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think… Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host

In this episode of The Future Of, Micah Willbrand, Chief Product Officer and VP of Enterprise at NEC Corporation of America joins Jeff Dance to discuss the future of advanced biometrics, including some common types of advanced biometrics currently in use, main ethical concerns, and how advanced biometrics will evolve in the next ten or twenty years.

In this Best of The Future of Robotics podcast collection, we'll learn about the future of different robotic applications, markets, and technology verticals. Together, we'll chat with leaders and experts in the field of robotics and discuss how we can shape the future human experience. A robot is described as an automatically operated machine that performs a series of activities independently and completes tasks that are typically completed by humans.

Michael Solomon is a Marketing Professor at Saint Joseph's University, has written over 30 books, and teaches the Engage marketing course on Teachable. He is also a fellow writer with me at Forbes Magazine. Today Michael is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on what the AIDA marketing method is, how to understand each step of the marketing funnel, and how to best ensure you convert potential customers into product sales. Today you will hear us talk about: AIDA Model 4 Stages of Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action It doesn't happen overnight Marketing is a funnel Selling attributes where customers are buying benefits Focus on the problem to identify the solution Simple is better, both in product design but also in new product marketing Attention is arguably the most critical part of marketing Attention requires both Novelty and Relevance Make your hardware message clear There is a sensory overload for information, so you need to stand out with your initial messaging Having an interested physical product consumer is the holy grail, put a lot of value onto the fact that you have a person interested in your product. Consumers are always looking for ways to minimize risk in the purchase Unique Selling Proposition. What is the one thing that sets you apart from the competition? Again USP is based more on Benefits than Features. The Interest phase is primarily cognitive, Desire is the emotional phase. To create desire, show people what will happen in their lives if they use your product. Think of your ad as a makeover to that person's life The overlooked importance of early adopter customers The 80/20 rule of revenue The call to action may be a feedback loop The number of touchpoints to make a sale Invest in the relationship to sell long term Think of the value of the customer beyond the first sale It is 7 times more expensive to attract a new customer than to re-sell to a prior customer EPISODE LINKS: Michael Solomon Links: Course | LinkedIn | Past Episode The Product Startup Podcast Links: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | YouTube Mako Design Links: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter Kevin Mako Links: Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Irwin is currently the lead industrial designer for Origyn consumer appliances, a division of the multinational company Haier. He was the past Senior INdusdtrial Designer at Amazon for their shopping cart products. He is also a fellow lecturer in the design industry. Today Robert is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can first understand how to manage your product design and prototyping team, then work with them to develop physical prototypes to perfect your product for both manufacturing and the end-customer. Today you will hear us talk about: Empathy in the design process with various stakeholders Listening to your potential customer, but also to your design team and other product development stakeholders. Be careful about compartmentalizing features, they need to all come together via a hardware product prototype. Iterative loop in design, engineering, and prototyping your hardware product Good prototyping relies on great design, and design that is done right to start with. After a professionally built CAD design is done as far as you can push it, then build a physical prototype of the invention, but keep that first prototype relatively rough and simple, such as through 3D printing. You don't need to make a fully functional prototype to start getting feedback Never skip the iterative process in developing the product, and ensure to use multiple prototypes that increase in complexity and quality as you get closer to manufacturing. You are de-risking the failure of the product by properly developing your product. Fail early and fail often EPISODE LINKS Robert Irwin Links: LinkedIn Past Episode The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Future Of – Jakob and Marc join Jeff to discuss the history of UX, the present state of affairs, and future trends that will shape the field in the next 30 years. The field of UX has rapidly evolved in the past four decades, and it's growing exponentially. When Jakob Nielson started in 1983, he estimated there were around 1000 people who did UX, and today there are over two million. Nielson estimates that there will be approximately 100 million UX professionals by 2050.

Mike Morton was an Industrial Design Senior Principal at Dell for many years, and before that similar roles at HP and SunBeam, along with working with many physical consumer product inventors and startups along the way.  He has also been a mentor at Capital Factory and Techstars, in addition to working with Mako Design too.  Today Mike is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the importance and best practices around the different types of prototypes, how important prototyping is to the product development process, and how to use prototypes to ensure a product is successful both in the market and in manufacturing. Today you will hear us talk about: The importance of physical product prototyping for an invention idea to go into production with Rough product prototype Mechanical product prototype Refined product prototype Pre-production prototype or production sample prototype Prototype early and often Test your prototypes out for both problems AND opportunities Some of the best designs and engineering ideations come out of the prototyping phases. Never skip prototyping steps, but rearrange them or do side prototypes to best suit the needs of your product. Bring in manufacturing as you start getting into the more serious mechanical prototypes, especially as you get into pre-production or refined prototypes. Manufacturers want you to be successful, it helps everybody. EPISODE LINKS Mike Morton Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-morton-design/ Past Episode: https://www.makodesign.com/podcast/064-preparing-and-executing-your-products-first-production-run/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Cermak has spent over 30 years helping hardware companies educate, navigate, and conquer selling their products at hardware tradeshows. He is also the Founder of Trade Show University, an organization that educates and consults small businesses on winning at trade shows, including his new video series which answers 7 key questions on how to tackle a trade show. Today Jim is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can plan for launching or scaling your hardware product at a hardware trade show, and how to maximize success when it comes to managing your tradeshow booth at the show. Today you will hear us talk about: Trade shows are one of the most efficient and effective ways to get your product exposure. Figure out why you want to go to a trade show Pick the right trade show to launch or scale your product Understand what you have to sell. Be clear in your messaging at the Trade Show Be big and bold Speak the hardware buyers' language Plenty of pre-show marketing for your invention idea at the trade show Get appointments or stop-ins ahead of time Reach out to the show and see what extra showcase placements they have available. Sometimes they are even free. Ask people at the show to give a quick testimonial about your product. Tips for being on the floor of the show Have your qualifying questions ready, be very specific. As a team, find out what the top questions you are getting asked are, have your top 20 tradeshow questions for your invention idea. Do not work the tradeshow by yourself, even if you're just an inventor. Take a video of yourself after a great tradeshow conversation EPISODE LINKS Jim Cermak Links: Website: https://tradeshowu.biz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcermak/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morgan Teachworth was the head of Hardware at Meraki, a company that was acquired by Cisco for $1.2 billion dollars, and is now the VP of Engineering & Supply Chain there. He has been involved in the development of hundreds of physical mass-manufactured products leading to approximately 16 million units of his products being sold around the world in his 15-year tenure with the organization. Today Morgan is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the difference between developing a product to sell as a startup to then developing products to sell as a growing scale-up brand, and what you can do to best strategize for this kind of explosive hardware company growth in the product space. Today you will hear us talk about: How the customer changes as you scale your hardware product business Your customers become your salesforce in the very early stages Your next tier of customers are the wholesalers, distributors, resellers, etc. What are some new stakeholders Think about the factory, the installers, the resellers,  Micro stakeholders and macro stakeholders You can tune the product design, the packaging, the product experience, the manufacturing, all around multiple stakeholders Simplicity is an important part of design considerations, but also in all other stakeholders this should be considered too. Keep your product simple, it's actually easier to do as a small physical product business than it is as you grow, so start now. As you grow, you become the big incumbent now that other small innovators are trying to take on. Cross-functional initiatives help as you scale. EPISODE LINKS Morgan Teachworth Links: Website: https://meraki.cisco.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mteachw/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Corr is the Founder of Duro PDM, a product development management tool for centralizing the entire communication process of development to production. They have thousands of users improving their design for manufacturing process. Today Michael is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand what Design For Manufacturing is, what is required to fill the gap between product development and your first production run, and how to communicate effectively with all manufacturing stakeholders, especially on a first production run. Today you will hear us talk about: What is DFM Design for Manufacturing How do you efficiently and effectively manufacture Hand-based manufacturing vs automatic manufacturing in PCB / electronics parts Design both for functionality AND for manufacturing Think about manufacturing at the early phases of development Increase the amount of DFM work as you get closer to production The further along the manufacturing process, the more it will cost to fix the problem. Each product has its own nuances and unique elements that should be ironed out Manufacturers have your best interest in mind, but they don't know the product nearly as well as you do. Incorporate your manufacturers into your processes, especially as you get closer to manufacturing. Make sure that communication channels are into your manufacturing process. Be sure you have transparency and trust in the failures that are occurring in manufacturing. This can be done in a social contract, or a technical contract. Communication for DFM should be in real time, and also fully disclosed. EPISODE LINKS Michael Corr Links: Website: https://www.durolabs.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgcorr/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Hussain Almossawi has worked as a senior hardware director or designer at Ford, Adidas, and Apple for many of their hardware brands.  He is also the author of The Innovator's Handbook, and the Founder of the creative agency Mossawi Studios.  Today Hussain is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can develop new hardware products beyond their first innovation, how to scale your brand beyond being a one-hit wonder, and how to best figure out what your next hardware innovation should be. Today you will hear us talk about: What options are there beyond your first invention Expand your existing innovation Create an evolution of your product Create accessories for your product Pros and cons of each category How do you decide which way to expand your hardware product Look at semi-related industries to see how they expand, this is the very realistic ways that other industries have expanded.  What can you use from this? Always ask what-if questions (blue sky).  These are the crazy ideas. Tips and tricks for innovating a hardware brand Intersect ideas and technology to innovate your hardware product Be a curious sponge Feedback, in combination with blue sky ideas and similar industry ideas. You don't have to reinvent the wheel every time you evolve. Be laser-focused on your development, focus on the one key feature. First principles method of product development. Keep your product simple, and keep the next innovation of your product simple. EPISODE LINKS Hussain Almossawi Links: Website: https://mossawistudios.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173785080X/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussainalmossawi/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Chris Moe is the Co-Founder of Cartograph, a digital marketing agency with over 150 million dollars of client sales per year on Amazon. They have grown a number of CPG brands from zero to millions of dollars in sales, and many of them in just a few months. Today Chris is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand what Amazon Marketplace is, how to launch your new hardware product on Amazon, and how to understand the algorithms and marketing avenues to increase your Amazon sales. Today you will hear us talk about: How does Amazon work for selling a new invention hardware product? Using Amazon to sell products is very seller friendly. Make sure that you are ready to launch, and make sure that the timing is right. Have the first wave of product market fit. A lot of the time product negative feedback may just be messaging, not even in a flaw of the product. Pricing is a “triangulation exercise”. If you are cashflow constrained, make sure you price at the right price. Taking a low-price strategy likely doesn't make sense for an inventor on Amazon. How does Amazon actually work? How to launch (pricing, competition, timing). How to scale. Amazon Marketplace for inventors, hardware startups, and small emerging manufacturing brands. Fulfillment by Amazon Network (this is how you get that Amazon Prime Badge) The difference between standard shipping size, and oversize shipping size. Invest back another 20% or so into advertising on the platform. How the Amazon algorithm works Paid ads on Amazon Amazon reviews, along with content (the Moat on Amazon). EPISODE LINKS Chris Moe / Cartograph Links: Website: https://www.gocartograph.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismoe1/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Don Skaggs founded the manufacturer US Biotex Corporation, which he started on a farm back in 1991 and grew to over 150 products in production over 22 years before being bought out.  Don has also been the President of the Inventors Network Kentucky for nearly 20 years now.  Today Don is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can start their own manufacturing facility locally for their invention idea, then how to grow and scale, and what benefits there are for taking this production path. Today you will hear us talk about: See if customers would buy samples, and learn from them. Bootstrap to find out what works. Start with a small batch so that you can test the market. It's easier to manufacture locally than you think, just start with a basic part of the manufacturing process. Design using as many Original Equipment Manufactured parts as possible. As you scale production, there are a number of benefits from running your own manufacturing operation. Your own manufacturing gives you a lot of solutions. Find an innovation where it's common in one industry, but not discovered in another. Stay close to R&D and close to marketing and sales, so that you can put the two together. Time, money, and wisdom. Learn from your mistakes, and from your customers. When you're small, you can connect marketing, sales, R&D, and production. Find the intersection of what you are passionate about, and what you are good at. EPISODE LINKS Don Skaggs / KY Inventors Network Links: Website: https://www.kyinventors.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donskaggs/details/experience/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EmpoweredInventing The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Mike Deigan is Vice President at Global Link Sourcing.  He has been working for 10 years on sourcing products and consulting on products for 15 years before that. Global Link has helped with manufacturing well over 100 products for hardware companies, leading to tens of millions of their sourced products selling around the world.  Today Mike is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand how to prepare your product's development to get it ready to present to overseas manufacturing partners and the pros and cons of sourcing through an agency and sourcing direct with manufacturers in China and elsewhere. Today you will hear us talk about: Preparing your product to work with overseas manufacturing Concept design vs design for manufacturing A design that you can truly use to go to production with Going direct vs through a sourcing company Logistics, time, finding a real factory, financial benefits The problems with finding a manufacturing partner through Alibaba or similar Rectifying issues with a manufacturer. EPISODE LINKS Mike Deigan / Global Link Sourcing Links: Website: http://www.globallinksourcing.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-deigan-25b02918/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Scott Brogan is the founder of Company Expert, a sales process consultancy that has workred with over 100 emerging brands. He has spent over 30 years in sales, including working for 7 Fortune500 companies in sales capacities. Today Scott is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can start to build a process around identifying partner companies to sell to, preparing how to give your pitch, and how to improve your sales process over time to rinse and repeat. Today you will hear us talk about: How do you start selling a first product to  A system and a process for sales Sales is solving problems for your end-customer Leveraged sales partner play Start with a goal Figure out who specifically you want to call, then how to position yourself to that buyer. Write down your sales process and strategy Competitors are, distribution, strengths, weaknesses, threats Who within a prospective buyer company should you be calling What are the buyer's pain points and opportunities 7 people are usually involved in a purchasing process The multiple stages of competency in sales Start the sales process by learning at the beginning Feedback loop in sales. Always write down objections that are asked, and how you respond. Enthusiasm is powerful and can help you overcome mistakes as a new seller Have the personal story of why you made this product ready Bringing the science into sales. The sales industry is not mature, there are lots of improvements you can capitalize on. EPISODE LINKS Scott Brogan / Company Expert Links: Website: https://companyexpert.com/ Tools: https://companyexpert.com/product-sales/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottpbrogan/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Nigel Southway is the author of two books, the most recent is called Take Back Manufacturing, and his original was called Lean Manufacturing. He has spent 55 years in the manufacturing space. He was the chair of a chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, which I was also a part of starting over 10 years ago. Today Nigel en is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can decide between offshore and onshore manufacturing, what the pros and cons are for each choice, explain short-run manufacturing for new products, and how we can bring back manufacturing to local communities. Today you will hear us talk about: Look at local vs offshore carefully Run the numbers of manufacturing Benefits of on-shore manufacturing Technology that is enabling local manufacturing for new physical products Short run manufacturing Take back manufacturing: Political, Educational, and Technology The difference, on average, is only about 10% EPISODE LINKS Nigel Southway / Take Back Manufacturing Links: Website: https://nigelsouthwayauthor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelsouthway/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Marc Inkol is the President of Explorer Research, a North American shopper research consulting firm that works with emerging physical product brands and massive product companies like Walmart, Kraft, Google, Pepsi, Uniliver, and many others. Mark has spent 30 years in the retail industry including leading divisions at Kraft and Maple Leaf. Today Marc is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can develop and position your product for big success at retail stores, how to captivate buyers while on the shelf, and how to scale your brand via retail stores. Today you will hear us talk about: Consumers have the power now A consumer buys 200 to 300 products out of a food store per year You have to be very clear on what your selling proposition is. Products should be both unique and meaningful Features are not primary Simple design is better 15% of a shelf is viewed, package is seen for only 2 seconds 5 or 6 words max is what they see Constantly innovate on fewer than broader and more Packaging, supply chain, You only can say three things on your packaging: Who you are, what you sell, and why better Color, Shape, and Size for packaging. How do you engage people in the product. 10-15 seconds once they have actually picked up your product Clear seller proposition EPISODE LINKS Marc Inkol / Explorer Research Links: Website: https://explorerresearch.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-inkol-4944723/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Stew Redwine is Vice President Creative Services at Oxford Road, one of the leading audio advertising agencies in the world. They ran the ads behind unicorn physical product success stories such as Quip Toothbrushes, Theragun, Tommy John, and many more. Today Stew is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on what audio platforms are out there to advertise your product on, how to get started in the audio advertising space for hardware products, and how to make a great audio ad to make your product invention the next big success. Today you will hear us talk about: What are audio ads for hardware products? The different platforms for audio: Podcasts, radio, XM radio Crisp, clear, and clever messaging Self serve audio advertising programs (Gumball and Podcorn) True Native Media for a more concierge service The key things to have in an audio ad A person is not fully convinced until they can feelthe product has been demonstrated 9 key things for a highly successful audio ad for a new physical product invention You don't have to stress about being perfectly clever. 180 word max for a 60 second ad. Most podcast consumption happens around the episode drop. EPISODE LINKS Stew Redwine / Oxford Road Links: Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewredwine/ WhitePaper: https://soundsprofitable.com/update/copywriting-ads-that-sell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stewredwine/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Matt Selbie is the President of Opiniator, a software platform that collects real-time feedback from product customers.  He has spent over 25 years researching, strategizing, and implementing customer feedback programs. Today Matt is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should properly collect customer feedback, when to do it, how to do it, and the importance of it, along with breaking down clear actionable steps you can use for maximizing the right kind of feedback at your product launch. Today you will hear us talk about: Companies don't consider feedback in their corporate strategy for their physical hardware products Ask the right people. Ask as close to the experience as you possibly can. Ask the right product feedback questions, figure out exactly what you specifically want to find out. The fallacies in customer feedback. Breaking down the feedback into clear actionable questions. It is better to focus on clearly data-driven answers rather than general intent open-ended questions. Ask two questions about one feature on your product.  Vulnerability analysis. Think about feedback not just for product development, but also for how to sell. Feature creep without consulting customers Hardware product feedback at a product launch Give the respondents the eventual data Qualify the respondents. Make the feedback 2 minutes or less. Retail store camouflage of your product The one thing to make someone consider buying EPISODE LINKS Matt Selbie / Opiniator Links: Website: https://opiniator.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewselbie/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jem Bourouh is a Partner at Accelerated, one of Europe's leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce advertising agencies. Jem has won many awards, and has had 7 products hit 7 figures in sales in just the first 30 days of their campaigns. Today Jem is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the different types of Google advertising for a new hardware product, the structure and tools needed to launch your first campaign, and tips for maximizing the success and growth of your Google ads campaigns to sell directly to end customers. Today you will hear us talk about: The many types of Google ads channels How can people sell things via Google ads Transactional campaign Navigational campaign Informational campaign Why Google Ads Start with keyword recommendations What do you need to sell on Google Ads Google Quality Score for hardware products Landing Page Experience Expected Click-Through Rate Ad rank for your ad Top of funnel, middle of funnel, bottom of funnel What are some trends happening today with Google adwords for physical hardware products Once you figure out these tools, you have a huge competitive advantage. Start with a low budget, experiment, and continue refining. EPISODE LINKS Jem Bourouh / Accelerated Agency Links: Website: https://www.acceleratedagency.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jem-bourouh/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jake Schmidt has sold over five hundred million dollars in products online for customers. He is the CEO of Structured Agency, a digital marketing firm that specializes in performance marketing for hardware brands direct to consumer. In his early years, he was the online sales guy behind the fidget spinner, which they ended up leveraging to then get into major retailers like Best Buy. Today Jake is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the different strategies to marketing online, what platforms are most successful and how that is changing, and how to spin up simple at-home ads that convert into real customers for your new physical product. Today you will hear us talk about: Performance marketing agency, which is driving revenue for your brand. Paid Media Push vs Pull marketing Retention marketing: Email and SMS Marketing Community building: Content Marketing It all starts with a quality product Social media likes unique content, meaning new invention ideas are promoted much heavier. TikTok is similar to what Instagram was 5 years ago Repurpose your content to amplify the digital creative work you are doing. Show the value proposition within 2 seconds Keep the product simple, so that you can sell it extremely quickly Authentic video ads are easy to shoot, and the market loves them right now, and that opportunity may not last. Consider coupon websites, affiliate selling programs, etc. EPISODE LINKS Jake Schmidt / Structured Agency Links: Website: https://www.structured.agency/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-schmidt-a495b513b/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjakeschmidt The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Bill Dickinson has spent over 35 years selling business to business, building sales teams, and working with CEOs on optimizing their sales processes for many hardware suppliers.  From building access machines to communication equipment to IT components, Bill has helped build a number of companies to multi-millions in new sales.  Today Bill is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should apply sales to getting your product going, start with your first sales hire or sales partner, and scale your product business through sales teams, especially when selling to other business like retailers, distributors, and wholesalers. Today you will hear us talk about: Sales is critical to any hardware start-up or scale-up, from selling yourself, selling the business, selling  Hiring for personality is better than hiring for product or industry knowledge What type of product are you selling What methods are you going to use to sell Sellers need a quality product, at a fair price, that has great service and/or support. Before you start selling, first ensure you have a need. Timing, luck, and skill, in that order, when doing cold calling. Make sure you have a product that is at least a little bit different, and unique. Spend time and effort finding detailed lists. Relationship selling.  Build credibility and trust early, and in a small way. If you can make the purchaser's life simpler, they will buy a lot more, and more new products 3 sales streams - Straight sales, existing customer sales, and business development Some new, existing, and future. More connections to a buyer, the higher the probability of an eventual sale. EPISODE LINKS Bill Dickinson Link: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-dickinson-31678a67/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jacob Anson is the CoFounder of AgencyJR, a firm that has helped sell tens of millions of dollars worth of product for product companies. Today Jacob is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand email marketing, learn the different types within, and know how to use email marketing effectively. Today you will hear us talk about: What is email marketing How does it fit into overall digital advertising Email lists from buyers, email lists from almost buyers, and email lists from cold lead generation How do you do email marketing well Cold leads need to be advertised harder and more aggressively Warm leads need to be nurtured as a community Paid ads are the key to generating leads and their emails For products that are repeat purchases, keep the profit low For one-time buy products, add more value Simplicity is key to promoting value Think of 3 tips to solve a problem, then promote the product There are a variety of offers you can provide The "Value-value-sale" system List segmentation Focus on paid ads to get those emails, then ensure to use automation. The two easiest automation programs are checkout abandonment and a popup on your online sales channel. EPISODE LINKS Jacob Anson / Agency JR Links: Website: https://www.agencyjr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-r-anson-a92597186/ Software: https://www.klaviyo.com/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Todd Drouillard is the Science and Technology Business leader at HED, which is one of the world's leading architecture firms for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution center buildings. Todd has been in architecture for 25 years, has his Masters in Architecture, is an AIA director, and is on the Construction Code Commission Board of Directors in Michigan. Today Todd is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers are changing the way they move products to their end customers, and what inventors with construction-related inventions can do to succeed in getting their innovations to market. Today you will hear us talk about: Warehousing innovation is becoming increasingly more important to the success of a scaling hardware product business Construction inventions and innovations are happening very quickly in new building design, fabrication, and maintenance. How do you get your construction product into the market to get into new or renovated buildings. Less labour, more product. This is prefabrication, and there is a lot of room for new construction inventions in this space. Product manufacturing and architecture are merging To pitch your construction innovation, show that it reduces risk, increases quality, is more reliable, is easy to install. A big advantage when designing your product, is to either make it easy to work with other products, or include what used to be multiple products into one There are lots of problems on a construction site, solve them with your construction inventions. EPISODE LINKS Todd Drouillard / HED Links: Website: https://www.hed.design/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-drouillard-aia-b9a7a629/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jos Harrison is the global head of design and brand experience at Reckitt, the firm which owns many big brands including Lysol, Veet, Finish, Durex, and more. He has been in the design industry for over 25 years. Today Jos is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can learn what ESG is, why doing good for the world is beneficial for an emerging hardware product, and how to start with implementing ESG in your emerging or scaling business. Today you will hear us talk about: WDefining ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Why ESG is important for a small hardware business Why ESG is important for the world. How hardware startups can do ESG well, and how to do it early on What can hardware startups and scaleups learn from big organizations that do this well. The idea of a consumer is old, that is changing. Manufacturing options, packaging, materials all can be done smart for sustainability and environmental reasons Think about iterative design to become more and more ESG friendly over time Educate your users Buyers are willing to pay more now, for a product that lasts longer; however, there is a caveat in selling Small business have a huge benefit over big corporate, as society believes that startups were there to solve a core problem. EPISODE LINKS Jos Harrison / Reckitt Links: Website: https://www.reckitt.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josharrison/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Tim Bucciarelli is a Director at IronPlane, an eCommerce agency that works with many large product brands. Tim has been a leader in the eCommerce space for almost 30 years. Today Tim is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand what eCommerce is, how to choose a great eCommerce platform for your current and future product needs, and how to do a good job of building out your platform, especially around business to business sales. Today you will hear us talk about: What is eCommerce How do you choose the right platform to sell online Back end platforms explained, and how they connect to front end How do you do it well Understand your customer Understand investment Wordpress and WooCommerce is an easy way to get started online Shopify is a SaaS, a central piece of software BitCommerce is a SaaS that is a bit more opened up Adobe Commerce / Magento is larger and more customizable EPISODE LINKS Tim Bucciarelli / IronPlane Links: Website: https://www.ironplane.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-bucciarelli/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

John Carter was the Chief Engineer for Bose for over 12 years, most notably being the name behind noise-canceling headphones.  After that, he founded TCGen, and has spent 22 years working with some of the biggest hardware brands in the world on improving their product development processes.  He is also a fellow writer with me at Forbes. Today John is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use best practices from the leading hardware development teams in the world to improve your product design, launch, and scaling journey by understanding what it takes to succeed in the long run, utilizing customer feedback, getting to market fast, and many other development secrets. Today you will hear us talk about: To figure out how to make a great product, he worked all around the world to find out how the best in the world did hardware product development. How do you know what areas you should focus on for innovation Innovation is not free, it takes a tremendous amount of work, sustained effort, and a budget. Focus on one key innovation. Don't share with customers too early, design through the concept first. How do you reduce risk that is out there. Don't feature creep Get to market, then reiterate and improve. Principles of agile development and how it applies to hardware consumer products. Empower your team The importance of industrial design Try rotating feedback in hardware EPISODE LINKS John Carter / TCGen Links: Website: https://www.tcgen.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcartertcgen/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Piotr Zajac is the CEO of Untitled Kingdom, a 55-person mobile app development company that focuses on apps for physical hardware connected devices. They have built and launched over 75 full-scale apps for hardware products. Today Piotr is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand how to best manage the design and development of your hardware device's app, and what are the best practices for making a connected device's app great. Today you will hear us talk about: IoT, MedTech, and FemTech Building an app for your hardware product Think about your end-users Onboarding new users with your application Intution takes time to develop to your user base Create a habit in your user Buy their hands, their hearts, and their brains Feedback is key Quality of apps, FDA Certification, ISO Certfication Quality is much more valuable, and far less expensive, in the long term Security Technology protocols Simplicity in your features You can change the world with your product ideas EPISODE LINKS Piotr Zajac / Untitled Kingdom Links: Website: https://www.untitledkingdom.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zajacp/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Tom Pupo is the founder and head of Moonlighter Fab Lab Miami, which Mako Design just partnered with on a new 8,000 square foot hardware makerspace right down Miami Beach. Tom has a Masters Degree in architecture, and been running makerspaces for many years. Today Tom is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on what a makerspace is, what makes one great, and how hardware startups can benefit from them in many ways beyond just space and machinery. Today you will hear us talk about: What does a hardware makerspace do What makes a space great What are the benefits Space, tools, people Design, prototype, test, get feedback, and redo Coworking, fabrication lab, and STEAM learning centre Learning design thinking in the design process A makerspace is such a pure experience to get to learn about the product development hourney EPISODE LINKS Tom Pupo / Moonlighter Miami Links: Website: https://moonlighterfablab.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpupo/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Mark Maybury is the Chief Technology Officer at Stanley Black and Decker. He is also a member of the Defense Science Board and was a Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force. Today Mark is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on what makes a consumer product great in 2022, and how to consider these things from the design phase, through to production, then onto scaling up. Today you will hear us talk about: What makes a great new product in your industry Innovative, valuable, and scalable Environmentally and socially Big companies look at innovators and inventors to be the change master Scaling a hardware startup business There are many parts to scaling, not just sales. Pitching to Stanley black and decker Genuine need, real value created, and a great team (humility) Secrets of innovation Observe carefully, listen deeply, think outside of the box, experiment with purpose, and collaborate. EPISODE LINKS Mark Maybury / Stanley Black and Decker Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mark-maybury-28532/ Website: https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/ Submit to Stanley: https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/submityouridea Accelerator: https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/article/stanleytechstars-accelerator-announces-open-application Stanley Ventures: https://www.stanleyventures.com/ Stanley Impact Challenge: https://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/social-responsibility/people/impact-challenge The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Dougal Grimes is the Vice President of Innovation and Inventors Relations for SpinMaster Toys. He leads a team of people who review product pitches from inventors just like you. Before this, he worked for over 10 years as a leader in many different roles at Hasbro. Today Dougal is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can best pitch to large product brands like SpinMaster, and what you can do to best prepare for, deliver, and expand your product's success with this type of partnership. Today you will hear us talk about: Developing the toy idea out A great idea can come from anywhere Big ideas come from the mass market, not in-house design teams The process of meeting inventors is quite freeform Pitching the idea well is important, and applies to all type of industries Have a quick pitch, then a proof of concept physically, then prove feasibility of manufacturability, that it is safe, that it is viable, and possibly that it has intellectual property protection. Look for toy fairs, conferences, reach out via LinkedIn, find the invention submission areas of the company. Remember, a product pitch is a promotion. Don't lead with the technical aspects, lead with the features. Remember, you are bringing a solution to a company when you pitch. The inventors vision and passion can help push a product through to greater success even after a licencing deal is struck Timelines for toy inventors getting to market EPISODE LINKS Dougal Grimes / SpinMaster Links: Website: https://www.spinmaster.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougalgrimes/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Ryan Lewendon is the Co-Founder and Partner at the law firm Giannuzzi Lewendon LLP. They have 30 lawyers, 1,500 product companies they work with, and hundreds of finance deals run by them per year, in addition to a number of other legal and advisory services to scaling product companies. Today Ryan is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can raise their first big fundraising round of 1 million dollars or more, how to plan for it, execute on it, then spend the money smart when it comes in. Today you will hear us talk about: How to prepare for big-league funding Make sure you have a well-vetted product before going to production How to make sure you have the right investors Work on the right terms Explain why this round is so important SAFE agreements or Convertible notes agreements for physical consumer products How to raise that funding How to scale with those funds when you get them Build out your human capital, and start with the people where your weaknesses are. Remember, your investors are very experienced in this. Build out your supply chain Build out your distribution network and partners If you are going to raise more rounds, when do you start planning the next fundraising round EPISODE LINKS Ryan Lewendon / Giannuzzi Lewendon LLP Links: Website: https://gllaw.us/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lewendon-3ba01111/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiannuzziLewendon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giannuzzilewendon/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GiannuzziGroup The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Gil Bar-Lev is the founder of Homeroots, a North American Business to Business product marketplace that connects new innovative furniture products with furniture stores, distributors, and buyers. Earlier in his career he was the one who brought together Amazon and Toys R Us, back in 2002. Today Gil is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can successfully build a hardware product business, then how to start and scale selling through B2B marketplaces online. Today you will hear us talk about: Have passion about what you love in your hardware product startup If you develop a product, go all in. Never give up, if you are passionate about your product Figure out your target audience Create differentiation, or an improvement Willingness to listen Pivot if needed, after listening to customers It's hard to get feedback The quality of a new hardware product is critical. Stay competitive by keeping quality high The industry in business-to-business sales could be multiple times the size of the sexy sales channels like direct to consumer. The first order is so amazing Don't price to low originally, as you may lose a lot of interest from bigger buyers as you created too little margin Leverage relationships with these buyers when you start getting connected Encourage a feedback loop and channel Don't get defensive of feedback, try genuinely to help. EPISODE LINKS Gil Bar-Lev / HomeRoots Links: Website: https://www.homeroots.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbar-lev/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

John McEleney is the Co-Founder of OnShape, a leading cloud-based 3D CAD Design software used by almost two million product designers worldwide. He was one of the early innovators at SolidWorks and ended up being CEO there for 7 years before eventually founding OnShape. Today John is going to share some valuable knowledge on what inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can look forward to in modern CAD design tools, and how to best use those tools to get new innovative products to market in an agile way, learning from customers, and thus best ensuring product-market fit. Today you will hear us talk about: Building products is all about iteration Cloud-based CAD software is making it far easier Don't worry about opening and working with it Control your CAD, and control parts of it Everything is saved step by step Continue to test and try Collaborate with peers in real-time Figure out the product-market fit quickly Getting products into customer's hands so that you can observe Does your product solve a problem or delight a user EPISODE LINKS John McEleney / OnShape Links: Website: https://www.onshape.com/en/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmceleney/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Alexander Manu is the author of many design thinking books, and is a lecturer at OCAD University, where I've also had the chance to lecture a few times. He was also the head of a big design studio called Axis for 25 years starting in 1980. Today Alexander is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should attempt to disrupt and capture an industry, all done by identifying, transitioning, and defining the category for yourself so that your product can be unbeatable. Today you will hear us talk about: The iPhone changed everything, but most people misunderstood what the iPhone really was. When you want to be competitive in hardware, you want to define the market yourself. Be courageous, trust your gut, think about the long term. You want to be the first, the best, or the only. Understand what it is You are not designing hardware, you are designing behavior enablers Is it inside out, or outside in. The first step in disruption is Transition You cannot judge disruptors by existing lenses, as it's new. Every product is a cultural transformation What is the nature of transformation Define the category for yourself As a hardware startup you need to overcome the natural industry baises Think far down the road, what will your disruption change in the future? Makes it very hard to compete (WD-40, Kleenex) When you disrupt, you need to unlearn. Always aspire to be the best, especially these days. Don't compromise on quality. Price is no longer an issue, both in the product, but also in the cost of designing it right. EPISODE LINKS Alexander Manu Links: Website: https://www.alexandermanu.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-manu-458b7b3/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Karin Lindner is the author of the book Make Manufacturing Sexy. She was also an instructor at Sheridan College, and consults many manufacturers on human resources and performance. Today Karin is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the the people needed to succeed in building a hardware company, and the critical mindset both you and your team needs to be the best. Today you will hear us talk about: Creativity in manufacturing Figure out what you want in a team to start Find out what people are personally interested in Ask lots of questions to all of your hires, stakeholders, vendors, partners, etc. Make people feel special. Build an org chart, but build it upside down, with the President serving everyone else and so on upward. Mindset - Think about what you want, not what you don't want. Figure out what kind of a team you would like to create Build resilience and grit. EPISODE LINKS Karin Lindner / Make Manufacturing Sexy Book Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinlindner/ Website: https://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Mindset-Passion-Production-Executive-ebook/dp/B007Z4UJ7I The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kelly Schmutte is a dual degree graduate and a lecturer at Standford University at d.School.  She has also worked at IDEO and on product development of many hardware products, including designing and running her own product called PerfectFit, one of the world's leading professional dance shoes, and is the co-author of the design book Navigating Ambiguity.  Today Kelly is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand ambiguity and unexpected circumstances within the product development journey, and how to maximize the value of your product through prototyping and testing before going into manufacturing. Today you will hear us talk about: Defining ambiguity - The quality of being open to more than one interpretation How does it apply to hardware product design Framing the problem, then asking why that problem is important How do you then go about solving the problem. What is some of the academic research around ambiguity in design How do you use this in hardware design The importance prototyping Prototype to learn at first, then prototype to figure it out, then prototype to perfect it and validate it. EPISODE LINKS Kelly Schmutte / Navigating Ambiguity Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-schmutte-a29b614/ Website: https://perfectfitpointe.com/ Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/623448/navigating-ambiguity-by-andrea-small-kelly-schmutte-and-stanford-dschool-artwork-by-reina-takahashi-photographs-by-andria-lo/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Leidy Klotz has his PhD in Behavioral Science and is a professor at the University of Virginia. He is the Author of the New York Times bestselling design book called Subtract. His research has been featured in many publications including the front cover of Nature magazine. Today Leidy is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can both understand what it means to think about subtraction in your product development process, and also learn what the best practices are for ensuring world-class subtraction thinking for your product. Today you will hear us talk about: Science explains why we don't think of subtraction This is a problem baked in evolution Simple is hard, and requires improved cognition Balance Bike / Construction Cinder Blocks How do you do Subtraction better Give yourself Reminders Next time you have a design decision to make, try and think just as much about subtraction as you do about addition Build subtraction into your design process Put design rules into play for being great at subtraction First you have to think of it, then you have to choose it. Highlight in your design what is not there EPISODE LINKS Leidy Klotz / Subract Links: Website: https://www.leidyklotz.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leidy-klotz-a00b01150/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Leidyklotz The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Peter-Paul Van Hooken is the Founder of FrontFundr, one of North America's top platforms for equity crowdfunding for startups and small scaling businesses. He is a TedX speaker on Investment Crowdfunding, is a member of the Securities Commission, and is an advisor to both the Private Capital Markets Association and the National Crowdfunding and Fintech Association. Simply put, Peter-Paul is the person to talk to when it comes to crowdfunding capital for a hardware startup. Today, he is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use crowdfunded equity platforms to raise capital to grow a hardware product business. Today you will hear us talk about: The difference between equity crowdfunding and product crowdfunding Equity funding requires work, which starts with prep. Throughout the campaign, continue to talk to your potential updates via updates. Ideally you have a great product to show, but even better, show some sales. Post campaign, it is important to keep your community excited by keeping them up to date with what is going on. Create trust with your audience by being honest with your progress. Reach as many people as possible through a platform Build and leverage your community, be clear on your key messages with your product, choose the right media to amplify your message, organize events, identify influencers within your industry. EPISODE LINKS Peter-Paul Van Hoeken / FrontFundr Links: Website: https://www.frontfundr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterpaulvanhoeken/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontfundr/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontfundr1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/frontfundr The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Tom Gray is the Founder and Executive Producer of the Make48 TV Show, a show where contestants have 48 hours to come up with an invention idea and build a prototype to showcase it to the judges. The show is on PBS, Amazon Prime, and many other networks around the world. I will actually be one of the judges on the upcoming season, so stay tuned for that release date in coming months! Today Tom is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can grow from being an inventor, maker, tinkerer, or product ideator into being a real product business success via either product licensing or starting a product manufacturing business. Today you will hear us talk about: Two choices: License or build a startup Licensing still requires you to move down the 4 things to present an invention idea Your first prototype is never the final one, do a few to get it right Make sure to have a quick and clean video Sales sheet, just one page Some IP protection, done well Small stepping stones in developing the product EPISODE LINKS Tom Gray / Make48 Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-gray-a0948a77 Company: https://make48.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gomake48 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gomake48/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Make48 The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

The internet has evolved over the years, and the fruit of this evolution is the Metaverse. We exist in a time where a significant change in the history of humanity is happening, and our real lives are bound to spill over to the Metaverse. In this episode of The Future Of, we look into the Metaverse and the implications of this transition on society at large.

Dan Klitsner is the inventor of the super-popular toy Bop It, along with over 300 other toy inventions of his that are out on the market. Bop It alone has sold more than 30 million units. Dan has been in the product game for over 25 years with over 500,000 followers on social media. Today Dan is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use best practices from his success in the toy industry to build and launch a successful toy product, and how those lessons can apply to success in any hardware product verticle. Today you will hear us talk about: Failures are the best way to lead to success Toys blended with industrial design Toys are generally creating opportunity, where products solve a problem Don't just think of products as a problem solving tool Everything is RITE (a formula for how to evaluate your idea) Relationship, Idea, Timing, Execution Meetings that are failures, they can be learned from A great idea is only one part of the puzzle Pretend that your idea is only a 5 out of 10, then improve it Timing is not luck, you can gauge this via research Relentless listening to everyone and everything throughout your product journey Knock on the right doors, and enough doors, to find a good fit Listen to your prospective buyers EPISODE LINKS Dan Klitsner Links: KID Group Website: http://www.kid-group.com/ Bop It Website: https://bopitforgood.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-klitsner-4b0bb52/ Instagram: @bopitinventor TikTok: @bopitinventor The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Magnus Skold is a 20-year industrial designer.  He started in designing ultra-high-end interiors for private jets for international royalty, then worked with commercial airlines, then worked with Dell and a number of other brands, and then for the past few years, is a senior industrial designer with me at Mako Design.  Today Magnus is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should think about the importance of a minimum viable product when developing their first product for the market.  How MVP is important for cost, simplicity, modern design, production smoothness, and even onto benefits and feedback from end-users. Today you will hear us talk about: MVP design defined Levels of complication Has it been thought through Free vs costly choices Keeping things clean/tidy/elegant Matching the aesthetic of the environment Nothing more, nothing less Purity of purpose The true costs of complexity EPISODE LINKS Magnus Skold Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/permagnusskold/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Bob Christopher is the founder of Pleo, a massively successful robot dinosaur kids toy with hundreds of parts.  This is one of his many products and product companies over a long and successful history in the product innovation world.  He was also the director of innovation at Panasonic, and sits on a number of advisory boards at hardware accelerators.   Today Bob is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand what it takes to design and develop complicated mechanical and or electronic consumer products, with many development lessons he has learned along the way. Today you will hear us talk about: Being close with your design and development team Engineering for half full, not half empty Define what the end experience should be Test and refine Prove your worth to the manufacturers Ensure your different types of designers work together Be willing to learn, both the founder, and the designers Build and break your prototypes Listen to your stakeholders, especially further down the development process before you go to market. The journey is part of the fun EPISODE LINKS Bob Christopher / Pleo Links: Website: https://www.pleoworld.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ugobe2/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Andra Keay is the Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics which supports the innovation and commercialization of robotics technologies. She has headed up Venture Capital rounds, is a fellow lecturer, TedX speaker, and an XPrize judge. Her office is also just down the hall from our Mako Design California office at CircuitLaunch. Today Andra is going to share some valuable knowledge to help inventors, startups, and small manufacturers understand how robotics is becoming a mainstream part of new electronic mechanical products, the future of the consumer robotics industry, and tips for anyone thinking about a robotic product or even incorporating basic robotics into their new hardware product. Today you will hear us talk about: Robotics industry today Robotics 2.0 A lot of hardware development is included in this topic Commercialization of robotics Robotics founders are slow to commercialize because they spend too much time researching, but then slow to execute Three stools of robotics hardware companies going to market Funding, product-market fit, manufacturing People underestimate the value of spreading hardware to the world Hardware is long-lasting, takes a while, but has profound value when done well EPISODE LINKS Andra Keay / Silicon Valley Robotics Links: Website: https://svrobo.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andra-keay/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKRT4z1I9fAn8LUgUaOQACA Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobotLaunch The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Yohan Jacob is the Founder and President of RetailBound, an agency that helps emerging hardware brands get into major retail stores and sales channels.  RetailBound has been around for 14 years and has worked with over 4,000 product companies.  Yohan himself has spent 30 years in the industry, including being a major buyer for Sears and Office Max.  The last episode we talked about how to get into retail store chains, and today Yohan is going to give best practices on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can scale up their product sales once they land a retailer by building a buyer relationship, enhancing product exposure, reviewing your placements, and more. Today you will hear us talk about: Buyers want three main KPIs: 1. Drive sales 2. Improve profits 3. Turn more times in the store Three ways to increase sales: 1. Marketing / PR / Influencers 2. Training 3. Ensure the product is on the shelf Marketing calendar of the retailers Tools the retailers have to help drive sales Adding value as you grow Push hard for sales in the early days, worry less about cash flow or profit How profits grow as you scale your product EPISODE LINKS Yohan Jacob / RetailBound Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yohanjacob/ Website: https://retailbound.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retailbound Twitter: https://twitter.com/retailbound The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Have you ever had an idea for a great product that you're just SURE would change the world and make you a millionaire? If only you knew where to start! Well on today's episode that's exactly what we're going to discuss with our guest Kevin Mako. Today your host Darren Cabral, sits down with Kevin Mako, the founder and CEO of Mako Design + Invent. Kevin is a pattionate entrepreneur who's built an incredible team and business. Today he shares his story and experience over the past 20+ years building Mako Design + Invent, and helping hundreds of inventors and entrepreneurs bring their products to life and into the hands of consumers. His company is one of the first firms to provide world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, they are the leading one-stop-shop for helping entrepreneurs develop physical products from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. Mako Design + Invent operates as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). Kevin Mako's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevmako/ Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ Also, if you're interested in learning more about product design and development Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Scroll down to learn more about Mako Design + Invent! Podcast: https://www.makodesign.com/podcast/ MAKO Design + InventMAKO Design + Invent Home Est. 1999. Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, & Prototyping for Enterprise and Startups.

Tim Uys has spent 25 years as a senior leader and lecturer in the industrial design and mechanical engineering world. He has worked for Nike Golf, Dell, Qualcomm, Ironman, and many others while the director of design for IDOne, which was one of the top Austin design firms back in the early days before it was acquired. For the past 6 years, Tim has been the head of design for our very own Mako Design out of our Austin, Texas office. Today Tim is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand the importance of design for manufacturing, 3 big tips on how to succeed in doing it, and where DFM fits into the overall product development process. Today you will hear us talk about: Concept design Engineering Prototyping Design for Manufacturing Keep positive and think nimbly about your project going into production Have a clear idea of what is important to your product, in priority Speed, quality, cost, features Perfection is the enemy of success How to communicate from final engineering and prototyping to the manufacturer Bill of materials Materials specifications CAD Prototype 2D drawings Animations EPISODE LINKS Tim Uys Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-uys-382b934/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Join us on The Future Of, where in each episode we'll talk about the future with experts from different industries, markets, and technology verticals. For example, we'll discuss the future of robotics, the metaverse, space travel, cars, construction, work, transportation, voting, gas stations, buildings, education, and so much more.

Marco Torres has been selling online for clients for 25 years and has sold over a billion dollars through direct-to-consumer internet marketing. He has 75,000 followers on his two Facebook Groups dedicated to online selling and affiliate marketing, and is the owner of Marketing Boost, a company which helps thousands of clients with free upsell coupons to their customers. Today Marco is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use a single landing page sales funnel to launch a new invention product or to improve an existing product's online sales, and some tips and tricks to best optimize conversions. Today you will hear us talk about: Landing page / sales funnel Different sections Remove navigation and unnecessary stuff Adding credibility to the page Sell benefits, not features. How does it solve the customer's problem? Testimonials Overcome their objections Add a guarantee to remove risk Don't have too much to get them distracted FAQs - Frequently asked questions Affiliate marketing Putting an incentive in addition EPISODE LINKS Marco Torres / Marketing Boost Links: Website: https://marketingboost.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/6101960marcotorres/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/marketingboostofficial/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144488025586731 The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kapil Kane is the Director of Innovation at Intel and founded Intel's internal hardware invention incubator. Prior to that he was a Product Design Lead and Manager at Apple. He is also a fellow keynote speaker, and he has done two TedX talks. Today Kapil is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can learn from how the biggest hardware companies in the world prioritize and qualify new invention ideas. He is even going to walk through the step-by-step pillars that all Intel incubator innovations go through to prepare their idea for market success. Today you will hear us talk about: Developing engineers to think in the business way Think about the market value Business model canvas Look for assumptions in your plan Identify pain points Validation plan Testing MVP / Prototypes Customer discussions (get out of the building) Financial case You need to have a lot of conviction to the product you are building. Think about solving problems, not saying it cannot be done 3 things you need to succeed: Technology, User experience, Business model In hardware, when pitching, don't just talk, show what you have built Are you coachable or not. EPISODE LINKS Kapil Kane Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kapilkane/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kevin Mako is the Founder and President of MAKO Design + Invent, a product design firm that takes physical products from the idea stage all the way to store shelves. Kevin is also the host of The Product Startup Podcast, which is the number one podcast of the hardware product development industry. Kevin is an international keynote speaker, the Founder of The Generation Fund, a registered charity for Canada's top high school students, and a Mentor for Ryerson Innovation. In this episode… The process of innovation has been evolving over the years, mostly driven by advancements in technology. Better research and development, stronger and faster communication, and support from accelerators have skyrocketed product ideation and development. Technology has also made it easier to crowdfund using a prototype, get a product tested, and receive feedback from customers. This means that it's easier for entrepreneurs to iterate or improve their products. However, when starting a business, it is very important that an entrepreneur knows and understands the end goal. You can't focus solely on product development: you also have to consider the strategies you'll use to protect the product and sell to your target customers. According to Kevin Mako, this is how you create a valuable business. In this episode of the Innovations and Breakthroughs Podcast, Rich Goldstein interviews Kevin Mako, the Founder and President of MAKO Design + Invent, about the process of coming up with a concept, developing the idea, and selling your product. Kevin also shares his tips for selling a product and explains how technology has made it easier to create a prototype, develop the actual product, and get investor funding. Stay tuned.

Alex Dantas is CEO of CircuitLaunch, one of California's top hardware accelerator facilities.  CircuitLaunch is an almost 40,000 square foot hardware innovation space and makerspace for inventors, hardware startups, and hardware companies.  Mako Design is also a long-standing partner in the space.  Today Alex is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can utilize facilities like Circuitlaunch to develop their invention product ideas, then scale them to the big leagues.  He is also going to give his advice on what really works to ensure startup success given the hundreds of startups he has watched come through their doors. Today you will hear us talk about: Alex's background of persistence in the USA The power of hardware incubation facilities for hardware startups Makerspaces are evolving into co-facturing The value of hardware labs for product startups The value of education around hardware communities Short-run manufacturing for North American hardware startups EPISODE LINKS Alex Dantas / CircuitLaunch Links: Website: https://circuitlaunch.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexrfdantas/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

EA Csolkovits has founded multiple product businesses, which in total, brought 75 new products to the market in the health and wellness space. He has been in the business of building hardware teams for 40 years, is the founder of GIVERS University, is a radio host, is an author, and is even a fellow plane private pilot. Today EA is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, product startups, and small manufacturers on the importance of building great product business teams early on, and how specifically to choose great product team members for building and scaling your hardware business. Today you will hear us talk about: Categories of team members The importance of mentorship The importance of the inner circle Get a mentor that has been successful Relationships are the most important in a fast-moving world The single most important thing you can do to succeed is to develop a great team Don't listen to what people say, see what they do. There are 3 different categories of team members Key points to develop your inner team Decide, Invite, Seed, Convene, Establish, Rotate, and Numbers EPISODE LINKS EA Csolkovits / GIVERS University Links: Website: http://www.giversuniversity.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giversuniversity/ YouTube: https://YouTube.com/GIVERSuniversity The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Welcome back everyone. Today, I'm very excited to introduce Rich Goldstein to the show. Rich Goldstein is the founder of Goldstein Patent Law. He has landed over 2,000 patents for his clients over the last 25 years. He is also the author of the book the ABA Consumer Guide to Obtaining a Patent. Today Rich is going to share some valuable knowledge to inventors, hardware startups, and small product manufacturers on the types of patents you can obtain for an invention, tips and tricks along the way, and how to continue to protect your intellectual property as your hardware product evolves over the years. Now onto the episode... Today you will hear us talk about: Utility vs Design vs Provisional  Time constraints of each type of patent Steps that you need to take to preserve your rights Over time, what do you do to protect with your ongoing development? You want to make your claims specific enough, that it is still relevant to the marketplace Filing a continuation in part to an improvement to your product over time Filing a continuation, slightly different than a continuation in part EPISODE LINKS Rich Goldstein / Goldstein Patent Law Links: Website: https://goldsteinpatentlaw.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwgoldstein/ Podcast: https://goldsteinpatentlaw.com/podcasts/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Bryon Bhagwandin is a 20-year medical device entrepreneur with over a half dozen products in the market. He has won a number of awards, including the Top100 in R&D Magazine. He also has a PhD from the University of Washington in Medical Devices and Hardware. Today Bryon is going to share some valuable knowledge for hardware startups, inventors, and small manufacturers on the difference between a medical device and a wellness device, and if going the medical device route, what are the steps and best practices to get certified. Today you will hear us talk about: The difference between medical devices and a wellness device What are the benefits of a medical device (you can't market into the clinical space without FDA approval) Benefits of a wellness device over a medical device What are the steps to get cleared as a medical device Safety Efficacy processes / user data of the prototypes Manufacturing process If you are already in the market with a wellness device, create a new improved medical version of the device. EPISODE LINKS Bryon Bhagwandin Link: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryonbhagwandin/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Patrick Daly is the author of the book Just Start Up. He has built over 20 products from invention idea to market over the past 25 years. Today Patrick is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can get their first products sold by selling directly to other businesses such as wholesalers, retailers, distributors, or other brands, and then how to accelerate your ongoing product development and sales through those channels. Today you will hear us talk about: How do you start selling B2B (Networks and referrals) Watch out for exclusive deals, they are great, but there are ways to protect yourself Speed is critical (startups should be speed boats) Speed boats vs Super Tankers Retain your identity, even with licensing or white label sales Only then, switch to reaching out to cold prospects, but do it via phone Think of innovation at all levels (Different Selling Point) Listening to your buyers Planning forward Connecting engineering with sales EPISODE LINKS Patrick Daly / Just Start Up Book Links: Website: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Start-Up-Building-Startups-ebook/dp/B095KZRS2W LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricknoeldaly/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Scott Evans is the Director of Inventionworks at the University of Texas, just a few blocks away from our Mako Design Austin office. Inventionworks is a 23,000 square foot product design and development facility with lots of fun machines and a team of 40 experts to help get student inventions off the ground. In addition, Scott has spent 25 years in the prototyping and product manufacturing industry. Today Scott is going to share some valuable knowledge on how student inventors and startups can start their invention idea journey, and how to maximize the value of what colleges and universities have to offer. And today isn't just about students, but also how anyone in the industry can get involved with their local schools both to help and to learn from them. Today you will hear us talk about: Look around campus (student to student, faculty, entrepreneurial programs) Product development in combination with an entrepreneurial mindset How can people in the community be helpful for universities hardware incubators Continuous learning, regress back to the role of a student to learn Blur the lines between education and professional practice EPISODE LINKS Scott Evans / Inventionworks Links: Website: https://inventionworks.engr.utexas.edu/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-scott-evans-34a6512/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Nic Beique is the Founder and CEO of Helcim, a North American payment processing company that has over 10,000 small business clients, and processes over four billion dollars of transactions per year. In fact, Mako Design is one of his clients. Today Nic is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should understand the importance of payment processing, and how to best use it to improve the experience for both your end customers and your business-to-business wholesale transactions. Today you will hear us talk about: High level of what payment processing is Why does payment processing matter to small hardware manufacturers? Tips for small new products and existing manufacturers Direct to consumer online, in-store, and B2B The new wave of wholesale direct sales EPISODE LINKS Nic Beique / Helcim Links: Website: https://www.helcim.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-beique-45084424/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helcim/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Helcim Twitter: https://twitter.com/Helcim The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Donna Griffit helps write pitches for hardware startups and small manufacturing companies to raise millions of dollars in funding. Before working with small product businesses, she used to do corporate pitch investment decks for Samsung, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Visa, and more. She has raised over $300 million for hardware companies alone. Today Donna is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should think about how to write a perfect investor pitch through storytelling, and what specific story model to use to land the big bucks. Today you will hear us talk about: There's simply a lot of funding activity right now. The importance of telling a story. The formula for a great story. Relevance is key, why should an investor invest today as opposed to later. Find how you fit in three trends: Social, regulatory, and big things happening in or around your space. Bring undeniable value to the potential investors. Stories have both resonance and a structure, both are key. Use your personal story as part of the story. The framework: The pain/need/opportunity, then the hero, then the business potential, then the vision for the future. EPISODE LINKS Donna Griffit Links: Website: https://www.donnagriffit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnaabraham/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Steven is the Founder and CEO of FundThrough, a North American accounts receivable firm that has provided billions of dollars in bridge financing to help small businesses scale.  His firm is also a fellow recipient of the Best Places to Work Award.  Today Steven is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can understand how big buyers like wholesalers, distributors, and retailers use credit terms when purchasing your products, and what you can do to bridge the gap between delivering your product and getting paid, something which is quite important for a small and scaling consumer product business. Today you will hear us talk about: Bridge Financing, Accounts Receivable financing It allows you to pay your suppliers The clock doesn't start ticking on you getting paid until the invoice gets through. Get your invoices paid faster How bridge financing helps with scaling Small businesses that land a big sale Larger customers have a lot more control on how they get paid Use Quickbooks Online, makes financing very easy EPISODE LINKS Steven Uster / FundThrough Links: Website: https://www.fundthrough.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenuster/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Amy is the Founder of Mozzafiato, a large e-commerce health and beauty product store.  She has over 1,000 products on her platform, and it only launched a year ago.  Before this, she spent 20 years as a university executive and an attorney.  Today Amy is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can join with other emerging consumer products to create bundles of products to sell online, thus giving your product much broader market access and bigger potential sales. Today you will hear us talk about: Press launch for a new brand, and for social credibility. Create a group of products that doesn't compete with anything else. How a new product can get into people's hands that they never would have been able to on their own. Can market your product in a different way when bundled. Powerful partnerships with other great brands that compliment your product brand. Margins can be good as perceived value is high. Shipping savings. Subscriptions when bundling. EPISODE LINKS Amy Parsons / Mozzafiato Links: Website: https://mozzafiato.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybuildingmozzafiato/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAmMozzafiato/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammozzafiato/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChi6mU-l-gFdYkKJz5_gm7w The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Will Russell is the Founder of Russel Marketing, a New York marketing agency that specializes in launching new consumer product inventions. He is also a fellow writer with me for Forbes. Today Will is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers learn to identify the main consumer buyer objections when purchasing your product, then how to overcome those objections when you launch your product to the market for the first time. Today you will hear us talk about: What are the types of buy objections when selling B2C Omnichanel product launch strategies Lots of the strategies today can be used in many sales strategies, including B2B How to create launch systems Cost, positioning, brand, technical, apathy EPISODE LINKS Will Russell / Russell Marketing Links: Website: https://russellmarketing.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willrussellmktg/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jim Cermak is the Founder of Trade Show University, an organization that educates and consults small businesses on winning at trade shows. He has been both in the trade show industry for 30 years, but also in the consumer product development and marketing business for many years. He also is the host of the Trade Show University Podcast. Today Jim is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can first choose a great show to exhibit at, then how to do a great job at landing big sales at the show itself. Today you will hear us talk about: So many big products had their first big hit at a trade show. What is a trade show and how do they work? Figure out which is the right show you should be at. CES, National Hardware Show, etc. The people who are there are really wanting to be there. Trade Show Roadmap EPISODE LINKS Jim Cermak / Trade Show University Links: Website: https://tradeshowu.biz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcermak/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Dan Soviero is the Founder of Signature Athletics, a highly successful sports gear company selling products all over the world.  Dan is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient, and like me, started his business while back in school.  Today Dan is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use the power of truly understanding a customer's pain point, and using that understanding to create and sell highly successful products. Today you will hear us talk about: A popular concept vs a problem solving concept. Used the process of creating value to create more products Tried whitelabelling to other brands, but couldn't best solve the end-client's pain points. Used innovation from the end-client. Use one sentence to solve a pain point for your end-customer. You can come up with an invention idea by focussing on a problem and thinking hard about how to solve it. EPISODE LINKS Dan Soviero / Signature Athletics Links: Website: https://signaturelacrosse.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-soviero-signature-athletics-3945b0a8/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

If you're a business owner, of thing you are always doing is learning how to scale your business and increase your revenues. In this episode, we touch base on the tools you need and best practices to implement. Joined by Kevin Mako, Founder of Mako Design, winner of 20+ Entrepreneurial Awards, worked with 1,000 product startups, keynote speaker, founder of Mako Design, host of the Product Startup Podcast, Make48 TV Show speaker. Connect With Kevin https://www.makodesign.com/podcast/   Follow the Podcast on Instagram  Join Milestones, Motivation & Money on Clubhouse  Join the Milestones, Motivation & Money Facebook Group Book Angel to speak here Be a guest on the Podcast, Apply here  Order the Ballin On A Budget Workbook Order Upfront: An Entrepreneur's Quick Start Guide Have a podcast? Need to Create Promo Graphics?  Get 2 Weeks FREE of Headliner Looking for Podcast Guests? Or Wanting to be a guest on other podcasts?  Check out this podcast matching service

Yohan Jacob is the Founder and President of RetailBound, an agency that helps emerging hardware brands get into major retail stores and sales channels. RetailBound has been around for 14 years and has worked with over 4,000 product companies. Yohan himself has spent 30 years in the industry, including being a major buyer for Sears and Office Max. Today Yohan is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers get into the big retailers, including the 3 major tips on what retailers are looking for these days, and furthermore, how to succeed and scale once you are on the shelves with your invention. Today you will hear us talk about: The difference between retail and marketplaces Three traits retailers look for: Unique, capitalized, nice people. Three metrics retailers look for: 1. Revenue, profitability, inventory turns 2. Past sales history 3. What are you going to do to build awareness It's not just about sell-in, but it is about sell-through. EPISODE LINKS Yohan Jacob / Retail Bound Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yohanjacob/ Website: https://retailbound.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retailbound Twitter: https://twitter.com/retailbound The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Toccara Karizma is the Founder and President of Karizma Marketing which is Hawaii's leading digital marketing agency. She has spent 14 years in the industry, building many 7 to 9 figure product brands through online marketing and sales. Today Toccara is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use the internet to sell directly to end-customers. She talks about how an inventor can broadcast your messaging to the world, the types of purchase audiences, how to research other brands around your product, and using video and influencers to increase your invention sales. Today you will hear us talk about: Never has it been easier to grow a brand online. Ecommerce skyrocketed over COVID Paid ads vs organic. Sales psychology The Cow method. Customer's own words. Research other brands and what they are doing, then use the reviews on those to start using the keywords both positive and negative. Using micro-influencers to sell Using video to sell 4 types of audiences for selling products direct to end-buyers Facebook ad library, and getting access to it. EPISODE LINKS Toccara Karizma / Karizma Marketing Links: Website: https://karizmamarketing.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toccarakarizma/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Taylor Ryan is the founder of Klint Marketing, a mid-size marketing company that has worked with many consumer product companies. He is a six-time startup founder himself as well. Today Taylor is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should use video to showcase their hardware invention, and some best practices when creating your first product showcase video. Today you will hear us talk about: What, why, and how for an invention explainer video. The importance of a physical consumer product video. Highlighting the founder, team, story, etc. The first few seconds of your product video. The value of using an invention video for getting to market. EPISODE LINKS Taylor Ryan / Klint Marketing Links: Website: https://klintmarketing.com/ Website: https://growthsecrets.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorryan/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Will Ford is the Co-Founder of LaunchBoom, the world's largest crowdfunding agency. He also has built multiple successful companies prior to LaunchBoom. Today, Will is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use smart testing before launching their product on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, and how to use that testing for both marketing feedback and product development feedback. He will also talk about the upcoming Crowdfunded Summit, a completely free online crowdfunding conference with over 20,000 attendees, a conference which I will also be speaking at on Oct. 5. Today you will hear us talk about: Mitigating your crowdfunding risk by focusing on pre-launch testing Using feedback from testing to make your product launch optimized Using feedback from testing to improve your product prior to launch The Free Crowdfunding Summit coming up Oct. 5, 2021 EPISODE LINKS Will Ford / LaunchBoom Links: Crowdfunded Summit: https://crowdfundedsummit.com/ Website: https://www.launchboom.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-ford-6b48a94/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/launchboom/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kevin started Mako Design + Invent in high school, then incorporated in University where Kevin was section class president at the Ivey Business School (Harvard's sister school). He then studied overseas at Hong Kong University for supply chain management & manufacturing. He then went full time at Mako Design + Invent in 2007 after nervously turning down the pick of the litter job offers. Still, to today, Mako Design has no debt, no financing, and no shareholders - a true grassroots organic startup story. Watch the YouTube HERE: https://youtu.be/vWmo1Xxu36A ABOUT OUR GUEST   Kevin Mako is the world's leading expert on hardware startups. Founder of MAKO Design + Invent (makodesign.com), the pioneer firm for providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to inventors, product startups, & small manufacturers. Masters of Engineering lecturer, sits on a number of entrepreneurship & education boards, and holds the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award designation. Host of The Product Startup Podcast, the hardware development industry's leading podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to Educative Sessions on YouTube! ►► https://www.youtube.com/c/EducativeSessions   ABOUT EDUCATIVE   Educative (educative.io) provides interactive and adaptive courses for software developers. Whether it's beginning to learn to code, grokking the next interview, or brushing up on frontend coding, data science, or cybersecurity, Educative is changing how developers continue their education. Stay relevant through our pre-configured learning environments that adapt to match a developer's skill level. Educative provides the best author platform for instructors to create interactive and adaptive content in only a few clicks.   More Videos from Educative Sessions: https://www.youtube.com/c/EducativeSessions/   Episode #74: "'Timing' in Building a Hardware Design Startup" with Kevin Mako | Educative Sessions

Luke Levene got into augmented reality and virtual reality back in 2014. He was an early adopter to build both hardware and software to disrupt the real estate industry. Today, he is the Vice President at XR Applied Technologies, a leader in VR and AR integration. Today Luke is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can think about integrating AR and VR, and how they can educate and sell new technologies in emerging markets. Many of these lessons are relevant for any type of product that is new or disrupting an industry, as most hardware inventions aspire to do. Today you will hear us talk about: Using virtual reality and augmented reality in consumer product development for invention ideas. VR/AR improves collaboration, experimentation, and imagination How to sell disruptive technologies and inventions in established old industries like Luke did with early VR/AR technology. EPISODE LINKS Luke Levene / XR Applied Technologies Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-w-levene/ Website: https://xrapplied.com/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kevin Mako is the Founder of MAKO Design + Invent, a product development firm that provides end-to-end physical consumer product development. What really sets Kevin's company apart is that it's tailored to inventors, product startups, and small manufacturers. Mako Design is a 30-person team with offices in Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto, has developed over 1,000 products for clients and has earned over 25 design and business awards including Red Dot, Inc5000, Entrepreneur360, Indigo Gold, Creative Pool Gold, Best Places to Work, Lux Magazine Best Design Firm in North America, and many others. Kevin lectures at the Masters of Engineering program at Ryerson University, sits on a number of entrepreneurship and education boards, and holds the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award designation. He is the host of The Product Startup Podcast, the hardware development industry's leading podcast.The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us. Books/Resources recommended for hardware inventors:  1)          The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone2)          The Common Path to Uncommon Success: A Roadmap to Financial Freedom and Fulfillment3)          Mako blog: https://www.makodesign.com/blog/Co-Host Rafael Testai

Joseph Fung is the Founder of Uvaro, one of the leading training platforms in the world on training how to be a great salesperson for your product.  He has spent 20 years as a leader in the field, selling everything from small ticket price items to multi-million dollar single transactions. Today Joseph is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use simple processes to ensure highly effective sales pitches, which applies not just to selling your product, but in pitching every part of your product business to all of your different stakeholders. He will then dive into best practices on hiring your first great salesperson to expand your sales capabilities. EPISODE LINKS Joseph Fung / Uvaro Links: Website: https://uvaro.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephfung/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephfung/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephfung The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Jacob Rothman is the CEO of Platform88, a manufacturer that helps startups with their first production runs in Asia.  Platform88 is a division of Jacob's 8 manufacturing conglomerate called Velong Industries, which has 1,500 employees.  Today Jacob is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should factor in manufacturing and product sustainability, how to do sustainability well, and what types of sustainable options are out there for your physical product. Today you will hear us talk about: Built an 8 factory manufacturing conglomerate in China, now with 1,500 employees. Look at the world as a planet, not as individual countries. Big companies are being a part of this, not just for sales, but for improving the world.  Target, Metro in Germany, Walmart, Woolies.  Buyers at these places care, they are getting younger and more actively involved in sustainability, so are the end-buyers. Sustainable Materials: Algea/organic materials, ocean plastics, recycled stainless steel, recycled trash. Make the manufacturing environment sustainable (power, waste management, education). EPISODE LINKS Jacob Rothman / Platform88 Links: Website: https://platform88.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/platform88_shanghai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanghaiplatform/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Paul Rowan is the Co-Founder of Umbra, a household product company that designs, manufactures, and sells hundreds of consumer products all over the world. You likely have at least one of their products in your home right now. Paul ran Umbra for 37 years, starting the entire company with just one product. Today Paul is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use both strategic purpose and higher purpose to create a great first product and your first product business. From there, how do you leverage those principles to scale into a global product brand as he did with Umbra. Today you will hear us talk about: Purpose, and how to find it in your business Professionalism - Start early and make it quality. Started with one idea, so put everyone in the market. Get connected to your first customers. The first product doesn't need to be perfect, it needs to be professional and of reasonable quality. Come up with something of a necessity for yourself. It is far easier to come up with an idea that solves a pain point that you have. Those customers will want more products from you, especially if you do the first one well. Once you get rolling, do more and more products so that you don't worry about the few products that fail when you have many that succeed. As you are scaling, you can work with your vendors, employees, customers to perfect exactly what that purpose and vision for the company is. Every person along the line is a stakeholder and involved in your product. Look at new technology. That can be a huge advantage to your product EPISODE LINKS Paul Rowan / Umbra Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-rowan-976927b/ TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feoQvELLWRY Umbra: https://www.umbra.com/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/ Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/ About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Michael Solomon has been teaching marketing for 40 years.  He currently is a marketing professor at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.  He has written almost 30 books including many marketing textbooks.  His most recent book is called The New Chameleons, and is all about modern marketing lessons.  Today Michael is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can learn the fundamentals of modern-day marketing, and learn how to apply these marketing tactics to your new invention products. EPISODE LINKS Michael Solomon Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsolomon/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/New-Chameleons-Connect-Consumers-Categorization/dp/1398600040/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+New+Chameleons&qid=1627326873&sr=8-1 The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent   Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/   Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/   Thanks for tuning in! See you next time. About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Kevin Mako is a leading expert on hardware startups.  He is the Founder of MAKO Design + Invent, the pioneer firm for providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to inventors, product startups, and small manufacturers.  Est 1999, Mako Design is a 30-person team with offices in Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto, has developed over 1,000 products for clients and has earned over 25 design and business awards including Red Dot, Inc5000, Entrepreneur360, Indigo Gold, Creative Pool Gold, Best Places to Work, Lux Magazine Best Design Firm in North America, and many others.  Kevin lectures at the Masters of Engineering program at Ryerson University, sits on a number of entrepreneurship and education boards and holds the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award designation. He is the host of The Product Startup Podcast, the hardware development industry's leading podcast.

Ben Drury is the Founder of Yoto Play, a connected hardware toy product for kids.  Yoto just recently raised $17 million in Series A financing.  Before that, Yoto launched their physical product via a successful crowdfunding campaign.  Today Ben is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers grow and scale their products after they finish their crowdfunding campaign in order to get to big time worldwide sales. Today you will hear us talk about: Going from 750 units to 50,000 units. Launching via crowdfunding. Start with a starter product as a stepping stone scaling. Using crowdfunding success to scale after a campaign. Use crowdfunding to learn, it's far better than traditional test marketing. Think about leveraging your hardware to sell secondary add-ons. Be connected with your first customers, get a few units out there, then use this traction to raise funding. Using the crowdfunding success and feedback to create a better product for your next version, and figure out how to make it cheaper now that you can produce at scale. Give a big discount to your Version 1 customers to get them to Version 2. EPISODE LINKS Ben Drury / Yoto Play Links: Website: www.yotoplay.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bedrury/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yotoplay_us/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/yotoplay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yotoplayUS The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent   Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/   Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/   Thanks for tuning in! See you next time. About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Brett Fox has a long history of raising millions of dollars for both his own startup and for many other founders.   Brett also sat as an entrepreneur in residence for a major Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm.   Today Brett is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can raise seed funding and venture capital funding - How to eventually raise millions of dollars to grow and scale your product after you have first got to market. EPISODE LINKS Brett Fox Links: Website: https://www.brettjfox.com/mako/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/foxbrett/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent   Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/   Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/   Thanks for tuning in! See you next time. About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Steve Grundahl founded Midwest Prototyping back in 2001. Today they are one of the biggest private facilities in the United States for additive manufacturing of new physical products. Steve also just hosted the Kansas version of Make48 at their Wichita shop. Today Steve is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can use 3D printing and additive manufacturing to actually produce your first production runs, and the advantages of manufacturing this way. EPISODE LINKS Steve Grundahl / Midwest Prototyping Links: Website: https://midwestproto.com/ LinkedIn for Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-grundahl-91aa234/ LinkedIn for MidWest Proto: https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-prototyping/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestproto/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwestproto/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/midwestproto Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3iFkFFyuEryAS8XTcQacg The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent   Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/   Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/   Thanks for tuning in! See you next time. About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

Rob Irwin just wrapped up almost 3 years working as the lead industrial designer at Amazon creating the Amazon Shopping Cart.  Before that, he worked for many years as a freelancer, with agencies, and at large corporations doing industrial design and leading physical product design teams.  Today Rob is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can ensure that your product development goes smoothly and creates the best version of your product by knowing how industrial design and product engineering can best work together. EPISODE LINKS Robert Irwin Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertirwinid/ The Product Startup Podcast Links: Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent   Mako Design Links: Website: https://www.makodesign.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/   Kevin Mako Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/ Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/   Thanks for tuning in! See you next time. About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about Mako Design + Invent!

President of MAKO Design and Invent, Est1999, the first company providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to startups, small manufacturers, & home inventors. Host of The Product Startup Podcast. Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Prioritize energy. Everyday, put in a little bit of effort to the most important things of getting your product launch, and you'll get tremendous drive over the coming months. 2. The number one thing when you think about developing your product is FOCUS! In hardware, it is important because it is difficult at the end of the development cycle to make quick adjustments if you haven't focused. 3. Crowdfunding is a phenomenal tool for hardware startups. You are putting your finished product prototype and have people who are interested in these to pre-purchase your product, then use the money to fund the production run. Get a FREE product consultation, a design and engineering review, and get personally mentored by Kevin Mako for any hardware startup that hires MakoDesign - One Time Offer for Fire Nation Sponsors: HubSpot: Listen, learn, and grow with the HubSpot Podcast Network at HubSpot.com/podcastnetwork! BLUblox: Get 20% off BLUblox blue light blocking glasses at BLUblox.com/fire or enter code FIRE20 at check out!

President of MAKO Design and Invent, Est1999, the first company providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to startups, small manufacturers, & home inventors. Host of The Product Startup Podcast. Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Prioritize energy. Everyday, put in a little bit of effort to the most important things of getting your product launch, and you’ll get tremendous drive over the coming months. 2. The number one thing when you think about developing your product is FOCUS! In hardware, it is important because it is difficult at the end of the development cycle to make quick adjustments if you haven’t focused. 3. Crowdfunding is a phenomenal tool for hardware startups. You are putting your finished product prototype and have people who are interested in these to pre-purchase your product, then use the money to fund the production run. Get a FREE product consultation, a design and engineering review, and get personally mentored by Kevin Mako for any hardware startup that hires MakoDesign - One Time Offer for Fire Nation Sponsors: HubSpot: Listen, learn, and grow with the HubSpot Podcast Network at HubSpot.com/podcastnetwork! BLUblox: Get 20% off BLUblox blue light blocking glasses at BLUblox.com/fire or enter code FIRE20 at check out!

In part 3 of our Masterclass Series on "Building a Strategic Marketing Plan for Your Business," host Eric Dickmann talks with Kevin Mako, Founder and President of MAKO Design + Invent and host of The Product Startup podcast, about finding product-market fit and competitive differentiation for your products and services.Kevin Mako is the Founder and President of MAKO Design + Invent, the pioneer firm for providing world-class end-to-end physical consumer product development tailored to inventors, product startups, and small manufacturers.  Est 1999, Mako Design is a 30-person team with offices in Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto, has developed over 1,000 products for clients, and has earned over 20 awards including Red Dot, Inc5000, Entrepreneur360, Indigo Gold, Creative Pool Gold, Best Places to Work, Lux Magazine Best Design Firm in North America, and many others.Kevin lectures at the Masters of Engineering program at Ryerson University is the host of the Product Startup podcast and is a keynote for The Make48 TV Show on PBS & Amazon Prime. He sits on a number of entrepreneurship and education boards, invests in small service-based businesses, and holds the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award designation.For additional resources on this episode and from our other episodes in this Masterclass Series, visit https://fiveechelon.com/masterclassFor more information about Eric Dickmann and The Five Echelon Group, visit https://fiveechelon.com/For more information about Kevin Mako and Mako Design + Invent, visit https://https://www.makodesign.com and to listen to The Product Startup Podcast, visit https://www.productstartup.com/Episode #54Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEMarketing Automation with HubSpot Try HubSpot's all-in-one marketing software to simplify campaign management and drive new leads.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Filip Valica is the host of The Product Startup Podcast. He is a mechanical engineer with a passion for designing, building and improving products. We discuss the pros and cons of creating your own product, how to work through the design process to create something that your customers will want to buy! This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy