Hardware Podcasts

EMS@C-Level 2022 Season, episode 3 - Mike Konrad on Thirty Years of Aqueous Technologies

EMS@C-LEVEL · 18 May 2022 · 44m

What this episode covers

Mike Konrad, founder of Aqueous Technologies, recounts the 30-year journey of building a company focused on aqueous cleaning for the electronics industry. He details the transition from solvent-based cleaning due to the Montreal Protocol, the initial development of his first machine while employed, and the subsequent lawsuit from his former employer. Konrad also discusses the strategic pivot to zero-discharge technology, the lessons learned about ego and growth, and the shift from traditional advertising to industry education.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Aqueous Technologies, Koh Young, CloudNC, SMTA
Also
Montreal Protocol, Nepcon West

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Hardware to Save a Planet · 37m

    Keeping Microplastics Out of Nature: A Discussion with Adam Root, Founder of Matter.

    Adam Root, Founder of Matter, explains how his company captures microplastics from washing machines using a novel filtration technology called regenerative pressure convection. He details the transition from a consumer product, Gulp, to industrial applications, highlighting the technical challenge of filtering nanometer-scale particles without clogging. Root discusses the business model of recycling captured fibers into new materials and the urgent need for legislation and education to stop pollution at the source before it overwhelms ocean ecosystems.

    Materials & manufacturing processesDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    10 chapters

  • How I Built This · 52m

    method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan (2018)

    Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method, explain how they disrupted the cleaning industry by combining chemical engineering with industrial design to create non-toxic, aesthetically pleasing products. They detail their journey from mixing ingredients in a San Francisco group house to securing a pivotal partnership with designer Karim Rashid and landing a major deal with Target. The founders discuss the operational challenges of scaling production, including a costly failure with their Block personal care line, and their eventual sale to Ecover to expand their sustainable mission.

    Starting a product companyIndustrial & consumer product design
    10 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 33m

    Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender

    Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender, co-founders of Seventh Generation, recount the company's evolution from a Vermont-based mail-order catalog to a major eco-friendly household brand acquired by Unilever. They discuss the strategic pivot from catalog sales to retail distribution, the operational challenges of sourcing recycled paper products, and the intense, often bitter, partnership dynamics that led to Newman's ousting and later Hollender's firing. The episode highlights their contrasting leadership styles, the importance of written agreements in co-founder relationships, and the company's journey through early production hurdles, recession, and eventual scale-up.

    Starting a product companyManufacturing partners & offshoring
    11 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 04m

    An Interview with Scott Miller (2nd)

    Scott Miller of Dragon Innovation, now a subsidiary of Avnet, discusses the company's evolution from a startup to an enterprise-level 'product as a service' provider. He details how Dragon helps non-traditional customers, such as avocado growers, navigate hardware development by leveraging Avnet's global resources and supply chain data. Miller emphasizes the importance of early BOM health assessments to mitigate risks like long lead times for components like multi-layer ceramic capacitors, and explains how the 'fish on the plate' model shifts financial responsibility for obsolescence to the provider.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    10 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 12m

    Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company.

    Chuck Surack, founder of Sweetwater, explains how he built a billion-dollar pro audio retailer by prioritizing deep customer relationships and technical expertise over price competition. He details his journey from a mobile recording studio in a VW van to becoming an authorized dealer for Kurzweil synthesizers, specifically the K 250, which allowed him to create and sell digitized sound libraries. Surack emphasizes the importance of 'Sweetwater University,' a rigorous 13-week training program for sales engineers, and his leadership philosophy of empowering employees to solve customer problems without asking permission. The episode covers his decision to buy back the company from investors, expand product lines to include guitars with strict quality control, and eventually sell a majority stake to Providence Equity while maintaining his core service values.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EMS@C-LEVEL. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.