197: Go From Hardware Startup to Scale Up

Roland Siebelink, with a background in scaling companies from 10 to over 1000 employees, started his journey in the 90s with internet hardware. With over 30 years of experience, he's aided numerous hardware startups and tech firms in transitioning from startup to scale-up. As the CEO of Midstage Institute for almost 8 years, he specializes in helping startups grow. Today, Roland will share insights for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the timing of transitioning from startup to scale-up, navigating high-growth transformations, and ensuring success in scale-up hardware companies.

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

Transitioning from a startup to a hardware scale-up

The growth journey of a new product development company

Identifying the right time to stop acting like a startup

Shifting focus from exploration to exploitation when traction is visible

The potency of a small proof of market for new hardware brands

Prioritizing growth and exploitation in scale-ups, not just exploration

Recognizing that gaining traction as an inventor is just the beginning of the scaling process

Emphasizing the building of a business, not just a product

Consider involving someone with a scaling mindset for technical or inventor-focused roles

Transition from being the smartest person in the room to hiring even smarter people

Acknowledging the non-binary transition from startup to full-scale corporation with a middle stage

Implementing processes as a means to scale efficiently

Utilizing the 80/20 principle to achieve optimal results

Maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit during mid-stage growth

Leveraging the competitive advantage of being a lean startup with a strong vision

Avoid launching a second business prematurely

Identifying opportunities within a small niche in a larger market

Initial focus on visionaries and early adopters within the market segment.

Roland Siebelink Links:

LinkedIn

Midstage Institute

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

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Mako Design Links:

https://www.makodesign.com/

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Kevin Mako Links:

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Producer: 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.