Product Startup

Paul Davis is a senior industrial designer at our very own Mako Design for almost 10 years. He achieved Honors status in his degree in Product Design Engineering and Industrial Design at Edinburgh University. Today Paul will share valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the difference between basic CAD and design for manufacturing, why design for manufacturing is so important early in the design process, and best practices for designing a product for manufacturing success.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/203-design-for-manufacturing-for-a-new-invention-product/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• Designing products for manufacturing.
• Cost-effective, good-looking, and high-quality is best!
• Concept design needs to take into account planning, parts, and logic for how the product will eventually be manufactured.
• Simplicity in design leads to quality manufacturing.
• Using manufacturing CAD software to build original CAD models heavily improves the process and reduces cost in both prototyping and manufacturing.
• Considering how you manufacture your product while building your first full CAD design is integral.
• There are many manufacturing methods that go into developing a new hardware product.
• Manufacturing draft angles, tool design, part integration, OEM parts, materials data sets, etc.
• Industrial design and conceptual mechanical engineering are interconnected.
• Simple products succeed more often than complex products for new hardware startups developing a new invention idea for the first time for manufacturing.

Paul Davis Links:

LinkedIn | MAKO Design

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Nikki Lindgren is the Founder and Managing Partner of Pennock, a PPC digital advertising agency specifically for consumer product brands. She has managed hundreds of product sales campaigns online with over twenty million dollars in ad spend per year. Today Nikki is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the types of content ads to use on TikTok for selling hardware products, how to use the new TikTok store, best practices in the effectiveness of ads, and the structure of specific content in those ads so that you can sell big.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/202-paid-advertising-for-hardware-products-on-tiktok/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• TikTok is a platform that can be leveraged immensely.
• There are tons of TikTok shops in the United States.
• User-generated content is valuable on TikTok.
• Low-fi and less fancy assets actually perform well on TikTok.
• It is easy to start a shop on TikTok for your product.
• Most of the effort should be focused on the creative aspects.
• How many seconds of someone’s TikTok ad are the audience watching?
• Think about remarketing based on how people interacted with your original product TikTok ads.
• $20 per day is the minimum ad spend on TikTok.
• The bigger players are trying a bunch of different hooks.
• Try selling 4 to 7 different types of assets to find out which form of paid advertising for hardware products on TikTok works best for you.
• The structure of a good TikTok ad for an invention are the hook, the message, then the offer.
• It is imperative to follow Ad rules on TikTok.
• TikTok has an extensive creator platform.
• Spark ads on organic first, then use the ads to push over to that long organic content.

Nikki Lindgren Links:

LinkedIn | Pennock

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Robb Green is the founder of Solving Alpha, a company with dozens of products and multiple product brands on Amazon, that also acquires other Amazon brands. He also hosts the I’m The One Podcast to help people migrate to the world of entrepreneurship. Today Robb is going to share valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the importance of properly planning for an Amazon product launch, the technical aspects of an Amazon listing, and how to succeed in launching and growing your product sales on the Amazon marketplace platform.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/201-product-listing-success-on-amazon-marketplace/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• Preparing your listing to have success.
• Amazon wants new products, and they want successful new consumer products.
• Amazon is just a marketplace / catalogue.
• Prepare your Amazon listing in advance.
• How to capture eyeballs.
• The main image is the most important thing, then the title, then a decision to make a click into your listing.
• Stack images on Amazon, then reviews, then add your story.
• Write for the algorithm, but also write for the story to sell the customer.
• Indexing on Amazon. Does Amazon find you relevant for a particular keyword?
• Ranking on Amazon. This is how to get sell-through (conversion rate) and click-through rate.
• The better you perform over your competitors, the higher your product will rank.
• Amazon ads buy you visibility on the platform but it also gives you data.
• You just need to be slightly better than an alternative product to achieve listing success on Amazon Marketplace.
• These improvements on your ads will stack onto each other.
• Search query performance data.
• Constantly improve your keywords by doing research.
• Product opportunity explorer.
• The product matters a lot, especially for reviews, but also quality matters in the long term for ratings.
• There are a lot of garbage products on Amazon, so it is easy to compete quickly.

Robb Green Links:

LinkedIn | Solving Alpha | Podcast

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Chris Peer is the author of The Great 8 Pillars of ROI-Driven Marketing. He is also the founder of SyncShow, a 20-year-old marketing company specifically for manufacturers and supply chain. Today Chris is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the 8 required pillars of building a great marketing strategy for your product, the importance of those pillars, and best practices on how to build a successful marketing machine for your new hardware brand.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/200-8-pillars-of-product-marketing-success/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• Return on Investment for marketing is critical.
• Investing on marketing early saves you a lot of money down the road.
• Drive more sales than you spend in marketing.
• Track and measure.
• 8 pillars of marketing, in order of importance.
• Goals, KPIs and industry benchmarks. An ROI-driven goal for marketing.
• Value proposition. Nail that ideal customer profile and what pain points you are solving for them.
• Your marketing strategy. Very few people have it. Where is your target market, channels that your buyers shop,
• Your marketing team.
• Your website
• Your analytics and reporting.
• Your technology stack. CRM and marketing automation.
• Templates and guides.
• Not a single pillar is a marketing tactic, this is a marketing infrastructure.
• Build marketing and sales infrastructure early in your hardware startup.
• Make sure to track first point of contact with your brand all the way through to a sale. Website, marketing, and sales are all linked together.

Chris Peer Links:

LinkedIn | SyncShow | Book

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Tim Angel is the founder of Zugu, an Amazon eCommerce iPad case that sold millions of units online. They have been perfecting the craft of direct-to-consumer selling on Amazon over the past 13 years, achieving over $30 Million Dollars in sales per year. Today Tim is going to share some valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on the power of Amazon, how to get started in selling a new consumer product on Amazon, and best practices for growing sales quickly and effectively soon after launch.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/199-selling-a-new-product-successfully-on-amazon/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• When he got the opportunity to build an invention business, he went all in.
• The only way you can fail is if you stop trying
• Amazon is an amazing platform for getting the best products a good chance in the market
• If you’re coming up with one product, it is hard to succeed on your own website, but it is much easier to utilize the Amazon platform
• Scale, conversion rates, and marketing in general
• There are a lot of 4-star products on Amazon, so if you can be a 5-star product, you get a major advantage.
• Buy products of your competitors and see how to make the best version of the product.
• Look at competitor reviews, and find out what people dislike about competitors and what they do like.
• Slowly make more and more progress.
• Place a small order on the early.
• On Amazon if you are competing on price, there is a lot of competition, if you are competing on quality, there is little competition right now.
• Post your personal story is a huge differentiator.
• Don’t do advertising until you have reviews.
• There are lots of ways to get early reviews, use those methods.
• Use your ads to let people know that you have a premium product.
• Learn the advertising system yourself in Amazon.
• A low cost product is harder to sell because of shipping, advertising, etc.
• Focus on one product category and do it well. Don’t do a bunch of things okay, do one or a few great.

Tim Angel Links:

LinkedIn | Zugu Case

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Will Haire serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Bellavix, a marketing agency dedicated to the strategic growth of emerging hardware brands on Amazon and Walmart.com. With a background in military technology and supply chain management, Will has honed his expertise over a decade in the digital marketing realm. In this presentation, Will will impart invaluable insights tailored for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers. He will elucidate the nuances of the Walmart.com Marketplace, guide you through the product listing process, and illuminate best practices for effectively launching and expanding your hardware product in this competitive space.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/198-hardware-success-on-walmart-marketplace/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• Walmart online differs from Walmart Retail Stores.
• Not all products on the website are available in physical stores.
• Online sales can demonstrate a product's value effectively.
• Many Walmart online products catch the attention of retail store buyers.
• Walmart is aggressively expanding into the e-commerce sector.
• Walmart possesses a vast infrastructure.
• There's a substantial opportunity for brands to join Walmart, especially as it's still in its early stages.
• Getting a new product on Walmart.com is now surprisingly straightforward.
• Previously, it was challenging to access the platform, but it's now more friendly to emerging product brands.
• It takes less than a week to list your product on the Walmart marketplace.
• Avoid simply mirroring listings from other marketplaces; tailor your approach to Walmart's platform.
• How Walmart presents and promotes your product is crucial.
• Different online marketplaces have varying sales metrics for the same consumer products.
• Maintain control over your product brand on Walmart.
• Walmart Fulfillment Services is akin to Amazon Prime Fulfillment.
• Transfer reviews from Shopify, if available, to your Walmart listing.
• Advertising is essential for brand scaling, especially after garnering positive reviews.
• Carefully design and engineer titles, keywords, descriptions, and bullets to match buyer intent.
• Experiment with software to find the most effective keywords for traffic and conversions.
• Utilize Pay Per Click ads and the DSP Programmatic Platform in both on and off-platform advertising on Walmart.com.

Will Haire Links:

LinkedIn

BellaVix

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

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.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/197-go-from-hardware-startup-to-scale-up/

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/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Laura is the President of FORGE, a non-for-profit organization that helps specifically hardware startups in scaling from prototyping to manufacturing growth. They have worked with over 700 physical product startups to ensure that those companies are a commercial success by ensuring new product manufacturing is done right. Today, Laura is going to share valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on how to ensure your product is designed properly and correctly for manufacturing, how to ensure your documentation is complete, and how to best approach contract manufacturers to transition your developed product into a successful first manufacturing run.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/196-common-gaps-being-ready-for-manufacturing/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• The importance of building a simplified design for manufacturing
• Design for manufacturing is required to ensure the product is ready for production, and does not need any more design to complete to what is needed for market or for reliability or for certifications.
• What to do when you haven’t tested enough the design
• There is a false assumption that manufacturers are going to fix your design problems.
• Use design firms to do design for manufacturing specifically
• The effects of a lack of manufacturing documentation
• Reaching out to partners too soon

Laura Teicher Links:

LinkedIn

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Tyler Jefcoat is the founder of Seller Accountant, which helps Amazon sellers achieve maximum profitability through bookkeeping and CFO services. He has been behind 9 figures in Amazon sales and 9 figures in exits, and that’s after he founded a company himself that grew to 120 employees before being acquired. Today, Tyler is going to share valuable knowledge for inventors, startups, and small manufacturers on what direct-to-consumer selling online is, the pros and cons of Shopify vs Amazon and eBay, and the keys to success when scaling sales through direct-to-consumer selling online.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/195-ensuring-profitability-on-shopify-and-amazon/

Here are the key takeaways from the episode:

• What is Direct to Consumer selling?
• Funneling your customers from various platforms
• Marketplace strategy to get customers to your shopping cart
• Shopify vs Amazon/Ebay
• Well designed, differentiated product sells very well on Shopify
• A direct connection to many customers that have a number of problem solved.
• Have your own website and drive Shopify to your website
• Tips to Amazon profit
• Staple products typically are better suited to Amazon
• Product design strategy to ensure success of product sales
• Which community is important for a customer buying something online.
• It’s okay to be the type of product that fits your brand
• Amazon fees are high, they take a lot of fees for each sale.
• Amazon logistics (pick, pack, delivery), also have fees
• Marketing on Amazon also has fees.
• COGS is the leading indicator to how well you can market your product
• The more margin, the more freedom you have to build an audience through advertising.
• The less margin the more you have to be efficient for getting product to move.
• 20% to 25% net margin is a very viable product. 30% is big for scaling. 15% is dead.
• Know that your accounting is giving you real-time information on profitability of your hardware product sales.
• Each of your sales channels needs to be profitable
• Each product you have needs to be profitable.

Tyler Jefcoat Links:

LinkedIn

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter

Magnus Sköld, a seasoned industrial designer with two decades of experience under his belt, has traversed a remarkable journey in the world of design. His career commenced by crafting opulent interiors for private jets exclusively reserved for international royalty. From there, he transitioned to collaborating with major commercial airlines before further honing his skills with renowned brands, including Dell and several others. For the past few years, Magnus has held the distinguished role of Senior Industrial Designer at MAKO Design + Invent. Today, we are fortunate to have Magnus join us to delve into the art of product sketching, elucidate its profound significance, and explore the diverse realms of ideation sketching crucial for shaping innovative hardware inventions.

Click this link for This Episode's Full Info Page: https://productstartup.com/podcast/194-the-importance-of-sketch-design-for-new-hardware-products/

Here are the key takeaways from this episode:

• The importance of sketch design for new hardware products
• Types of sketches: 1) Written hand sketches, 2) Digital sketches, 3) CAD sketches
• Product Evolution: Progression through different product elements, emphasizing significant changes at the outset, and refining with smaller changes as the process advances
• Design Approach: Pyramid funneled approach for efficiency and cost-effectiveness and consideration of the minimum viable product for inventions

Magnus Sköld Links:

LinkedIn

The Product Startup Podcast Links:

https://www.ProductStartup.com/

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Pinterest | Twitter | https://www.youtube.com/@productstartup

Kevin Mako Links:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Quora | Facebook | Twitter