# Fitbit: James Park

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-04-27
- Length: 1h 04m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park

## Summary

James Park, co-founder of Fitbit, explains how the Nintendo Wii’s motion-sensing technology inspired him and co-founder Eric Friedman to create a wearable fitness tracker. Park details the early struggles of prototyping with a balsa wood box and circuit boards, and the critical hardware failure where a display cable interfered with the antenna, which was temporarily fixed with toilet paper before being solved with rubber spacers. He discusses the company's rapid growth, the competitive threat from the Apple Watch, and the strategic pivot from hardware sales to a health and behavior-change service model, culminating in the acquisition by Google.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=0) Introduction: James Park and Fitbit
- [4:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=289) Park's Immigrant Family Background and Early Ventures
- [17:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=1052) The Nintendo Wii Inspiration and Fitbit Genesis
- [22:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=1332) Prototyping with Balsa Wood and Hardware Challenges
- [34:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=2055) Pre-orders, Manufacturing, and the Antenna Fix
- [44:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=2676) Privacy Crisis and Viral Growth
- [50:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=3055) Competition with Apple Watch and Stock Decline
- [57:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park#t=3433) Pivot to Health Services and Google Acquisition

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Fitbit (product)
- Nintendo Wii (product)
- Eric Friedman (other)
- CNet (company)
- Apple Watch (product)
- Google (company)
- Nike (company)
- Jawbone (company)

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## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-27-fitbit-james-park. 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 How I Built This.