In this episode of the podcast, hosts Tom Constable and Phil Staunton engage in a deep conversation with Sarah Giblin, the founder of RiutBag. They explore Sarah's journey as a solopreneur, the challenges she faced, and the lessons learned along the way. The discussion covers the importance of customer feedback, the impact of burnout, and the role of social media in marketing. Sarah shares her experiences with crowdfunding, product development, and the significance of building a community around her brand. The episode concludes with insights on navigating external challenges and the importance of extreme ownership in entrepreneurship.

Takeaways:

• The importance of listening to customer feedback in product design.
• Burnout can be a significant challenge for solopreneurs.
• Success is not linear; it involves ups and downs.
• Social media can be a powerful tool for marketing and engagement.
• Building a community around your product is crucial.
• Frugality can help sustain a business during tough times.
• Effective communication with manufacturers is key to product quality.
• Utilising platforms like TikTok can enhance visibility and sales.
• Extreme ownership is essential for personal and business growth.

Guest Bio:

Sarah Giblin is the founder of RiutBag, the revolutionary backwards backpack designed for safer urban travel. With no background in product design, Sarah turned a personal frustration into a global product, selling over 35,000 units through Kickstarter and beyond. She continues to run Riut as a solopreneur, hand-checking every production batch and sharing her journey with refreshing honesty. Explore her designs at www.riut.co.uk.

🔗 Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Sponsor Details:

This episode is sponsored by MIKA Group – global experts in taking your product from concept to mass production. With over 45 years of experience in NPI, engineering, quality assurance, supply chain, and cost reduction, MIKA Group supports entrepreneurs and businesses with everything from design and tooling to final assembly and logistics. If you're serious about scaling your hardware product, visit rc-mikagroup.com to find out how they can help.

Meet the Hosts:

Phil Staunton is the founder of D2M, a product design consultancy with over 20 years of experience bringing physical products to market. He blends deep design knowledge with commercial realism:

🔗 Visit D2M Website

📸 Follow Phil on LinkedIn

📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel

Tom Constable is a former British Army officer turned entrepreneur and podcast producer. Tom brings curiosity and challenge to every conversation, making sure no lesson goes unshared.

About the Show:

It’s Only a Prototype uncovers the real stories behind physical product innovation. No polish. No sugar-coating. Just raw, insightful conversations with people who’ve built (and broken) real things.

Perfect For:

• Product innovators & hardware entrepreneurs
• Founders scaling physical product businesses
• Heads of product, design and R&D
• Commercial leaders navigating NPD and manufacturing

Stay Connected:

🌍 Website: https://www.design2market.co.uk/its-only-a-prototype/

📱 LinkedIn: Follow us here

🎥 YouTube: Watch full episodes and clips

🎧 Subscribe: On Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more

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Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

03:00 The Journey of Sarah Giblin and Riot Bag

05:52 The Concept of Solopreneurship

08:57 Success Metrics and Early Challenges

11:53 Marketing Strategies and Customer Engagement

14:45 Burnout and Recovery

17:46 Lessons Learned from Challenges

20:45 Product Development and Customer Feedback

23:39 The Role of Social Media in Business

26:52 Navigating External Challenges

29:37 The Importance of Community and Support

32:55 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Mentioned in this episode:

Manufacturing Partner Sponsor: Mika Group

MIKA Group delivers global production and business solutions backed by 45+ years of expertise in development, project management and NPI.

MIKA Group