Predictable Designs Podcast
59 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -The podcast for hardware startups and entrepreneurs planning to bring a new electronic hardware product to market. We discuss all things related to developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling successful new hardware products.
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Episodes
Q&A - Best PCB Design Software, Finding Co-founders, and Avoiding Unsold Inventory
January 25, 2023 12:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBIn this episode I answer the following questions: Q1: What PCB design software do you recommend? Q2: How can I ensure that I'm able to sell my product so I don't end up with a warehouse full of unsold inventory? Q3: How can I find a technical co-founder?
The Ugly Truth About Prototyping a New Product
January 11, 2023 14:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBIn this episode you will learn the truth about prototyping a new product including the various stages and types of prototypes that are needed from idea to mass production.
Microcontroller Showdown: Selecting the Best One for Your Project
January 04, 2023 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBDo you know which microcontroller is best for your new electronic product? In this episode you will learn about the various microcontrollers available, and how to select the best one for your specific project.
How Long Does It Take to Develop a New Electronic Product?
December 28, 2022 14:00 - 8 minutes - 6.16 MBOne of the most common questions I get asked is how long does it take to develop a new electronic hardware product and bring it to market? The simple answer is: probably longer than you think. The more accurate answer depends on 3 critical variables which I reveal in this episode. Near the end of this episode I then give you some concrete estimates on how long to expect it to take to develop your new electronic product.
How to Outsource Product Development
December 21, 2022 14:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBIf you are looking to outsource the development of a new product or parts of a new product, then in this episode I’m going to show you how to do it correctly so you end up with a solid design while minimizing your financial risk.
Microcontroller or Microprocessor - Which Do You Need for Your Project?
December 14, 2022 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBJust about any new electronic product requires some sort of “brains”. The question though is what type of brains does your product really need? There are two choices: a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a microprocessor unit (MPU). In this episode you will discover how to determine which of these processor choices is right for your specific product.
The Costs to Develop & Manufacture a New Electronic Product
December 07, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this episode you will discover how much it costs to both develop and manufacture a new electronic product.
15 Steps to Develop a New Electronic Hardware Product
November 30, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBIn this episode you will discover how to develop a new electronic product in 15 steps. Download your FREE PDF cheat sheet at https://predictabledesigns.com/15steps
13 Reasons Why New Hardware Products Fail
November 23, 2022 14:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBIn this episode I share with you 13 of the most common reasons why new hardware products fail. We'll look at three categories of failures including technical, financial, and sales/marketing. Most importantly, you will discover how to prevent these same failures with your own hardware product.
WORST DAY Bringing a New Product to Market
November 09, 2022 13:00 - 11 minutes - 8.1 MBIn this podcast episode I share my story about the worst day I experienced bringing my new product to market. I also share my most exciting day, and my most terrifying day. The story goes from my relaxing life in Alaska to presenting my product to executives at a multi-billion dollar company conveniently located at the top of a very intimidating skyscraper. I hope you enjoy it!
Why You Must Simplify Your Product to Succeed
July 19, 2022 14:00 - 10 minutes - 6.97 MBIn this episode I discuss why it's critical for hardware entrepreneurs to simplify their product in order to successfully bring it to market.
Why Patents Are a Death Trap for Entrepreneurs!
July 12, 2022 14:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBJust about everyone with a new product idea immediately focuses all of their attention and money on getting a patent. But this is a HUGE mistake! In this episode you will learn what you should do instead.
Top 10 Product Design Mistakes You Must Avoid
July 05, 2022 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBIn this episode you will discover 10 serious product design mistakes that I see repeated over and over again in the development of new electronic products. These include specific mistakes with the electronics design and the enclosure design, as well as more general product development
How to Know If Your New Product Idea is a Good One to Pursue
June 28, 2022 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBDiscover 10 ways to know if your new hardware product idea is really worth the time and financial investment it takes to get it to market.
Hardware Entrepreneurs: 3 Critical Mistakes You Must Avoid
June 21, 2022 17:00 - 9 minutes - 6.55 MBThere are 3 critical mistakes that I see so many hardware entrepreneurs make over and over again. Not only will you now discover these 3 critical mistakes but you will learn how to avoid making them yourself.
How to Validate the Market for Your New Product with Ivo Kalburdzhiev of CreatorClub
April 14, 2022 20:00 - 54 minutes - 37.1 MBIn this episode you will learn a process for validating there is a market ready to buy your new product before you spend the time and money getting it developed. This is a interview/presentation with Ivo Kalburdzhiev who is the founder of Creator Club, and one of the experts available to help you inside our Hardware Academy program. If you prefer to watch the video with all of the presentation slides then you can watch the full video on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-qvBzh...
Manufacturing Strategies for New Hardware Products
April 05, 2022 14:00 - 12 minutes - 8.89 MBIn this episode I compare three different manufacturing strategies for new hardware products: offshore, domestic, and hybrid manufacturing.
Hardware Startup Incubator or Accelerator – Which One Is Right for You?
March 28, 2022 14:00 - 13 minutes - 9.2 MBStartup incubators and accelerators are two types of programs that support new companies in their early stages of development through mentoring, networking, resources, and funding. In this episode we’ll explore the differences between the two and their pros and cons.
The 4 Step Process I Followed to Get My Own Hardware Product to Market
March 10, 2022 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBI’m going to share with you the four steps I followed to fund my manufacturing, build a global sales team, and successfully sell my product in hundreds of retail stores. See the full article where I share this story: https://predictabledesigns.com/the-4-step-process-i-followed-to-get-my-own-hardware-product-to-market/
14 Ways to Get Your New Electronic Hardware Product to Market Faster and Cheaper
February 23, 2022 15:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBDeveloping a new hardware product is never quick or cheap, but today you’ll discover many ways to significantly reduce your cost and time to market. Prefer to read? If so, here is the blog version of this same content: https://predictabledesigns.com/ways-to-get-your-new-hardware-product-to-market-faster-and-cheaper/
12 Ways to Select the Best Product Idea to Bring to Market
February 17, 2022 15:00 - 14 minutes - 9.99 MBThere are many steps required to bring a product to market, but ultimately, it all starts with the product idea itself. If you have the wrong product idea, then all the other steps, no matter how well you perform them, won’t really matter. Prefer to read? If so, here is the blog version of this same content: https://predictabledesigns.com/12-ways-to-select-the-best-product-idea-to-bring-to-market/
How to Get Investors and Co-Founders for Your Hardware Startup
January 25, 2022 20:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBFinding investors and/or co-founders for your startup is never easy, but in this episode you will discover what it takes to get them interested in your project. Be sure to download the Ultimate Guide - How to Develop and Sell Your New Electronic Hardware Product.
How to Build an Audience for Your Product with Craig Rettew
June 02, 2021 22:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I speak with electrical engineer Craig Rettew about how to build an audience for your product when you have no prior online marketing experience. Craig is an amazing electronics engineer (and expert in the Hardware Academy) but he is relatively new to online marketing, but realizes the importance of building an audience for your product as early as possible.
Product Simplification, Marketing, and Crowdfunding with Miguel Hernandez of Palocam
May 18, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this episode I continue my conversation with Miguel Hernandez who is the creator of the Palocam which is a remote-control camera that can be driven up metal poles for filming sporting events from above. We discuss how he has been able to drastically simplify his product design based on the feedback he's gotten in the Hardware Academy. His design simplifications include reducing the number of custom injection molded plastic parts from 18 down to only a couple, and removing a complex, nic...
How to Execute Quickly with Miguel Hernandez of Palocam
April 27, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 43.9 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I speak with Hardware Academy member Miguel Hernandez. Miguel is the founder of Palocam which is a remote-controlled camera designed to be driven up metal poles for filming sporting events from above. Miguel has made a lot of great progress and we discuss many topics related to product development, manufacturing, and marketing. The overall theme of this interview is how to get help, collect feedback, and execute quickly. Miguel quickly imp...
Q&A with Miguel Hernandez, Creator of the PaloCam
April 21, 2021 23:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBIn this episode I answer the questions asked by Miguel Hernandez in a very detailed post from inside the Hardware Academy. The questions focus on three areas including reducing manufacturing costs, increasing sales, and funding.
Marketing Lessons Learned with Fraser Vaage, Founder of Snik
August 31, 2020 20:00 - 1 hour - 43.2 MBIn this episode I speak with Fraser Vaage who is the founder of a hardware startup named Snik that is developing a new bicycle security device. Fraser has a lot of marketing experience which is greatly benefiting his new startup. He is also fortunate enough to have as a mentor a mega-entrepreneur who sold his first company to Disney for $350 million. Fraser is also a very active member of the Hardware Academy, and in fact he has recently partnered up with another member who will handle mo...
The Importance of Defining Project Milestones with Dave Millman of SalesDev.Global
August 24, 2020 19:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBIn this episode I speak again with Dave Millman of SalesDev.Global about the importance of defining milestones for your project. We approach the importance of milestones from the perspective of enticing investors, and for making your project more manageable by breaking it down into bite-size pieces. Dave has decades of experience helping hardware startups and he specializes in helping them find their first customers. He is also one of the experts available to help you inside the Hardware Ac...
How to Define and Specify Your New Hardware Product
July 21, 2020 00:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I'm sharing another one of the lessons from a course in the Hardware Academy. The topic of today's lesson is how to properly define and specify your product. This product definition is not only required for whoever eventually develops your product, but it is also needed in order to estimate your development cost and even your manufacturing cost as soon as possible.
How to Validate Your Product Idea Before You Spend Serious Money On It
July 13, 2020 21:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs podcast I'm going to share with you various ways you can validate your product idea before you begin spending serious money to develop and prototype it. This is a critical early step that way too many entrepreneurs skip entirely or rush past.
Supply Chains and Manufacturing with Charles Lin of TechDesign
July 06, 2020 19:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBIn this episode I speak with Charles Lin of TechDesign where we discuss supply chains and manufacturing in Asia. We discuss everything from how to pick the best suppliers, understanding the supplier's mindset, advantages of manufacturing in Taiwan, and we finish up with a discussion on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on manufacturing.
From Corporate World to Freelancing to Running a Hardware Startup with Roberto Weiser of Developpa
June 29, 2020 21:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I speak with Roberto Weiser of Developpa. Roberto is an electronics engineer that started work in the corporate world but wanted more freedom. So he left his life in a cubicle to became a full-time freelance engineer. Eventually, he decided to develop his own product which is a low-cost air purifier. Roberto faced some unique challenges being located and selling in a foreign country (Thailand). He also faced various other unique challen...
Episode #22 – Hard Earned Lessons Learned with Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds – Part 2
June 22, 2020 18:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBIn this week's episode I speak again with hardware entrepreneur Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds about some of the hard earned lessons he learned getting his product to the current stage. My conversation with Wayne lasted nearly 1.5 hours so I split it up into two episodes. This episode includes the second half of our conversation as we continue to review Wayne's list of lessons he learned. See episode #21 for the first part of our conversation. See the show notes for this episode which includ...
Hard Earned Lessons Learned with Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds – Part 2
June 22, 2020 18:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBIn this week's episode I speak again with hardware entrepreneur Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds about some of the hard earned lessons he learned getting his product to the current stage. My conversation with Wayne lasted nearly 1.5 hours so I split it up into two episodes. This episode includes the second half of our conversation as we continue to review Wayne's list of lessons he learned. See episode #21 for the first part of our conversation. See the show notes for this episode which includ...
Hard Earned Lessons Learned with Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds - Part 1
June 11, 2020 22:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn my podcast today I speak with hardware entrepreneur Wayne Frick of ChirpSounds. I've worked with Wayne for a couple of years now and he was also one of the first members in the Hardware Academy. Wayne has made a lot of progress with his product but it's also been a bumpy road for him to get to where he is now. He was generous enough to want to come onto my podcast to share some of the lessons he's learned along the way. My conversation with Wayne lasted nearly an hour and a half. We rea...
6 Facts About Product Development That Hardware Startups Underestimate with Dave Millman of SalesDev.Global
June 06, 2020 22:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBIn this episode I speak with Dave Millman of SalesDev.Global about some of the various aspects of bringing a new hardware product to market that are most commonly underestimated by hardware startups. Dave has decades of experience helping hardware startups and he specializes in helping them find their first customers. He is also one of the experts available to help you inside the Hardware Academy and he has even taught a couple of live workshops. See the show notes for this episode which i...
6 Facts About Product Development That Hardware Startups Underestimate
June 06, 2020 22:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBIn this episode I speak with Dave Millman of SalesDev.Global about some of the various aspects of bringing a new hardware product to market that are most commonly underestimated by hardware startups. Dave has decades of experience helping hardware startups and he specializes in helping them find their first customers. He is also one of the experts available to help you inside the Hardware Academy and he has even taught a couple of live workshops.
Importance of Technical Advisors and Product Simplification
May 15, 2020 21:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I discuss the importance of finding a technical advisor, and how critical it is to get help upfront to simplify your product. I share a couple of stories to highlight the importance of simplifying your product. One story is about an entrepreneur that likely saved at least $50,000 by eliminating one secondary feature of his product. The second story showcases another entrepreneur that greatly simplified his product development by changing ...
Development Costs for Hardware Startups
May 07, 2020 20:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast the topic is all about development costs for hardware products. I'm going to start by giving you some cost ranges for the different strategies of developing a product. Then we'll hone in on tips and strategies for those of you that don't have the technical skills to do a lot of the development yourself but also have very limited finances to be able to outsource it.
6 Strategies to Get Your Product Developed
May 04, 2020 23:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBIn this episode I discuss 6 different product development strategies. Which strategy is best for you will depend on several variables including your skills, how much money you have to spend, the complexity of your product, and how fast you need to get the product to market. Strategy #1: Do the product design yourself Strategy #2: Design only the early prototype yourself Strategy #3: Find a technical co-founder Strategy #4: Hire freelance developers Strategy #5: Hire a development firm Str...
Questions on Outsourcing, Distribution Channels, and the Cost to Market
April 27, 2020 20:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIn this episode I mix things up a bit by answering 3 questions asked by members of my Hardware Academy. The first question is about outsourcing the activities you can't do yourself. The second question is about pricing your product for different distribution channels. The third question is about how much it costs to get a new product to market.
How to Evaluate Suppliers and Manufacturers with Mike Morena and Shawn Litingtun
April 10, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 42 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I speak with Mike Morena and Shawn Litingtun about how to evaluate suppliers and manufacturers. Mike Morena started a successful medical device company called AdhereTech back in 2012 who’s core product is a smart bottle that helps to insure patients take their medicine on schedule. The product is now used by tens of thousands of patients. Mike is also a mechanical engineer with massive experience working with manufacturers and suppliers. ...
3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing with Steve Szymeczek of Penumbra Engineering
April 02, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBIn this episode of the Predictable Designs Podcast I speak with Steve Szymeczek from Penumbra Engineering. Steve is a mechanical engineer that specializes in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. In our call we discuss the pros and cons of additive manufacturing compared to the more traditional injection molding process. Although many people consider additive manufacturing to be the future of plastics manufacturing, we look at the practical uses now for low to medium levels of product...
Succeeding in Hardware with Joshua Hsu of Introhm
March 24, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 43.4 MBIn this episode I speak with Joshua Hsu who is a co-founder of a hardware startup named Introhm that is developing a fitness product. In our call we discuss a wide variety of topics including prototyping, product validation, patents, fundraising, marketing, and sales.
Hardware Startup Horror Stories and How to Avoid Them with Dave Millman of BizDev.Global
March 23, 2020 17:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBIn this episode I speak again with Dave Millman of BizDev.Global. This time we discuss some hardware startup horror stories and how to avoid the same outcomes for your own startup. Dave has decades of experience helping hardware startups and he specializes in helping them find their first customers. He was originally my guest back in episode #2, and he has also taught a couple of live workshops inside my Hardware Academy program.
Transition from Prototype to Mass Manufacturing with Scott Miller of Dragon Innovation
March 12, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBIn this episode I speak with Scott Miller who is a mechanical engineer and the founder and CEO of Dragon Innovation. Dragon Innovation specializes in helping hardware startups transition from the prototype stage to mass manufacturing in China. They are well known for helping successful hardware startups such as Pebble and Ring. Scott is also a partner at Bolt which is an early stage investment company that focuses specifically on hardware products. Scott and I discuss his experiences wor...
PCB Assembly and Design for Manufacturing with Duane Benson of Screaming Circuits
March 03, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 42.2 MBIn this episode I speak with Duane Benson from Screaming Circuits which is a PCB assembly company located in the U.S. in Oregon that produces both prototypes and small volume production runs. Duane and I discuss the process of manufacturing assembled PCBs, how to ensure their quality, the infeasibility of at-home PCB prototyping, and then we review various Design for Manufacturing (DFM) tips to help make your project go more smoothly.
Business of Startups with Marty Zwilling of Startup Professionals
March 01, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBMy guest for this episode is Marty Zwilling of Startup Professionals. Marty has been involved with startups for many years even working with Bill Gates in the early days. He’s now a consultant and angel investor. We’re going to be discussing business plans, getting investors, the pros and cons of patents, and much more.
Concept to Market in One Year with Allen Walton of SpyGuy.com [Part 2]
February 18, 2020 18:00 - 47 minutes - 33 MBIn today’s episode I’m continuing my conversation with hardware entrepreneur Allen Walton of SpyGuy.com. Allen successfully brought his new hardware product called the Scout to market in only about one year. My conversation with Allen was so valuable that we talked for nearly two hours. So I’ve split up my conversation with Allen into two podcast episodes. In part one we spoke about his experiences of starting with an eCommerce store selling products of the same category as the Scout. We a...
Concept to Market in One Year with Allen Walton of SpyGuy.com [Part 1]
February 17, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 42.8 MBIn this episode I’m speaking with hardware entrepreneur Allen Walton of SpyGuy.com. Allen successfully brought his new hardware product called the Scout to market in only about one year. Allen has taken a rather unique path to market with his new product that has given him a big advantage. We’ll get into all of the details in my interview where we discuss all things from product validation, to development, to manufacturing, and to marketing and sales. This is a value loaded interview. In f...