S2E37 Defied the odds: A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako

Being an Engineer · 23 Aug 2021 · 50m · Episode 37

What this episode covers

Kevin Mako, Founder of Mako Design + Invent, explains how his firm supports hardware startups and small manufacturers by guiding products from initial concept to first production run. He details the financial journey for inventors, emphasizing the use of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to bridge the gap between prototyping and manufacturing, while advising on the importance of a 'Smart Minimum Viable Product' (SMVP) to manage complexity and cost. Mako also discusses his company's strict ethical policy of never taking equity in client products to avoid conflicts of interest, and highlights the role of his podcast, The Product Startup, in educating the hardware community.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Product Startup · 29m

    056: Mistakes, Opportunities, & Feedback for a New Product

    Filip Valica hands over the Product Startup Podcast to Kevin Mako, Founder of Mako Design + Invent, who discusses his 20-year journey serving startups and small businesses. Mako outlines key mistakes founders make, such as feature creep and procrastination, while emphasizing the importance of hustle, focusing on a core MVP, and leveraging iterative feedback. The conversation highlights how additive manufacturing and crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have lowered barriers to entry, allowing for rapid, low-cost testing and market validation.

  • Product Startup · 27m

    216: 5 Key Tips For Starting Your Product Development Journey

    Wade Harmidy, a Six Sigma Black Belt project manager at MAKO Design + Invent, outlines five critical strategies for hardware startups to increase their chances of success during the early product development phase. He emphasizes the importance of defining a clear product vision, understanding the end user, and adhering to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) principles to reduce waste and accelerate time to market. Harmidy also stresses the necessity of setting realistic timelines to avoid cutting corners and planning for the big picture, including manufacturing and business goals, from the outset.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 40m

    3: Onward

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the failure of their Obi Kickstarter campaign and how it led to a strategic pivot toward smaller, lower-risk products. They detail the development of the Apple TV Remote Stand, which they manufactured in-house using a desktop CNC router, and the iClip for Apple Watch, produced via Shapeways. The hosts analyze the financial and operational lessons learned from these contrasting approaches to product design, manufacturing, and timing.

  • Predictable Designs Podcast · 46m

    Product Design and Manufacturing with Nick Frank of Knectiv

    Nick Frank, founder of Knectiv, an Austin-based product design and manufacturing firm, explains their turnkey approach to developing electronic products for startups and enterprises. He highlights common pitfalls like failing to design for manufacturability (DFM) and underestimating upfront costs, using the rapid development of Alan Walton's 'The Scout' hidden camera detector as a case study. Frank also discusses working with Eric Hunter on an automated fish feeder, emphasizing the importance of validating demand through crowdfunding before scaling production.

  • Product Startup · 28m

    107: Using Hardware Incubators for Product Startups

    Alex Dantas, CEO of CircuitLaunch, explains how hardware startups can leverage the 40,000-square-foot facility in Oakland to transition from garage prototyping to scaling production. He advocates for the 'co-factory' model, which supports short-run manufacturing of 100-500 units, allowing founders to build tangible products early rather than spending capital on business development. Dantas emphasizes that building a working prototype is the most critical step for securing investor confidence and validating market demand before attempting to scale.

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