Product Startup

115: How to Successfully Design & Launch a Toy Invention

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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 vertical.

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!

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            Product StartupBy Kevin Mako of MAKO Design + Invent
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