# Ep 2: The Untold Story - 8 Years. 3 Failed Studios. 1 Real Product

- Show: [Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories)
- Published: 2026-01-15
- Length: 1h 26m
- Episode: 2
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/analogy-design/episodes/Ep-2-The-Untold-Story---8-Years--3-Failed-Studios--1-Real-Product-e3diqh6

## Summary

Vivek Madappa, Founder of Mobident, details an 8-year journey to create a portable dental clinic system, moving from three failed studios to a final product developed with Analogy Design Studio. The system decouples into two modules—a lightweight instrument unit and a compressor base—to achieve a total weight under 15 kilograms, enabling true portability for home visits. Madappa emphasizes the non-negotiable requirement for world-class aesthetics and engineering, partnering with German firm Festo for high-precision pneumatic components and Italian design for user trust. The episode highlights the shift from a heavy 24kg prototype to a manufacturable, scalable solution that addresses the lack of dental access for 95% of India's population.

## Chapters

- [0:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=30) Introduction: Vivek Madappa and the Mobident Mission
- [3:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=201) The Problem: Portability vs. Mobility in Indian Dental Care
- [15:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=930) Italian Design, German Engineering, and Indian Ingenuity
- [40:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=2415) The Chaos Zone: Iterations, Decoupling, and Prototypes
- [50:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=3032) Field Reality: User Scenarios, Safety, and Training
- [1:09:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=4168) The Hot Seat: Founder-Designer Dynamics and Trust
- [1:16:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=4585) Hard Truths: Misconceptions and Frugal Innovation
- [1:23:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product#t=5031) What's Next: Future Healthcare Products and Scaling

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Mobident (company)
- Analogy Design Studio (company)
- Festo (company)
- Royal Academy of Engineering (other)
- Singularity University (other)
- Frost and Sullivan (other)
- Wharton (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2E13 Relentless Empathy & Going Deep On Understanding The Problem | Ryan Eder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-03-19-s2e13-relentless-empathy-going-deep-on-understanding-the-problem-ryan-eder) (Being an Engineer)
- [18: No Cool Cheap Screwdrivers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2016-09-17-18-no-cool-cheap-screwdrivers) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [IDology #7 - Tips on outsourcing R&D and product design work](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-01-31-idology-7-tips-on-outsourcing-r-d-and-product-design-work) (IDology)
- [82: Design is Compromise](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2022-07-18-82-design-is-compromise) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [#016: From Startup to Global Brand: Scaling Engineering at reMarkable](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2025-09-17-016-from-startup-to-global-brand-scaling-engineering-at-remarkable) (Coredump Sessions)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-15-ep-2-the-untold-story-8-years-3-failed-studios-1-real-product. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories.