145: Expanding Your Startup Hardware Product Line

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!