# Afterschool Podcast, Episode 18 - Michael Ditullo, Chief Design Officer of Sound United (04/08)

- Show: [Core77 Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast)
- Published: 2014-04-10
- Length: 1h 07m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/corejr/afterschool-podcast-episode-1

## Summary

Michael DiTullo, Chief Design Officer of Sound United, discusses the company's strategy for exhibiting at CES, including designing a 2-story booth and hosting cultural events to promote brands like Polk and Definitive Audio. He explains how Sound United navigates the intense competition in the Bluetooth speaker market by focusing on high-quality audio engineering and premium materials like wood and leather, rather than following generic tech aesthetics. DiTullo details his approach to convincing retailers to take 'safe risks' on new designs by presenting case studies and co-designing retail experiences, while also analyzing industry trends such as the rise of wearables and the shift toward natural materials in consumer electronics.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=0) Introduction: Michael DiTullo and Sound United
- [1:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=85) CES Strategy: Booth Design and Cultural Events
- [7:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=427) Product Launch Cycles and Roadmapping
- [11:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=700) CES Trends: Wearables and Smart Watches
- [19:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=1198) Design Trends: Natural Materials and Craftsmanship
- [23:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=1430) Retail Strategy: Convincing Retailers and Co-design
- [35:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=2100) The Audio Market: Why It's Hot Now
- [45:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=2740) Hardware Apps and Headless Interfaces
- [55:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=3330) Southern California Design Scene
- [1:02:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-10-afterschool-podcast-episode-18-michael-ditullo-chief-design-officer-of-sound-uni#t=3764) Hiring and Team Leadership

## Topics

- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Sound United (company)
- Polk (product)
- Definitive Audio (product)
- BOOM (product)
- Qualcomm (company)
- AllJoyn (tool)
- Nike (company)
- Converse (company)
- Frog Design (company)
- CES (other)
- Target (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Best Buy (company)
- Magnolia (product)
- Sound Lion (company)
- In Motion (company)
- Lykos (product)
- Grain Audio (company)
- LG (company)
- Samsung (company)
- Google (company)
- Apple (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [041: Testing Stereo Components with Jay DeMerit of RockIt Logs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-02-21-041-testing-stereo-components-with-jay-demerit-of-rockit-logs) (Product Startup)
- [Building a Connected Musical Instrument with Rafael Atijas of Loog Guitars](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2022-12-22-building-a-connected-musical-instrument-with-rafael-atijas-of-loog-guitars) (Over the Air)
- [18: No Cool Cheap Screwdrivers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2016-09-17-18-no-cool-cheap-screwdrivers) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [096: How To Launch a Consumer Product at Trade Shows](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-10-06-096-how-to-launch-a-consumer-product-at-trade-shows) (Product Startup)
- [Worktrips and Workspaces - Junket Jactation Jiltedness](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-11-27-worktrips-and-workspaces-junket-jactation-jiltedness) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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