Hardware Podcasts

Etsy: Rob Kalin

How I Built This · 30 Oct 2023 · 1h 21m

What this episode covers

Rob Kalin, co-founder of Etsy, explains how he launched the marketplace in 2005 to solve his own difficulty selling handmade furniture, leveraging early web community tools like Get Crafty. He details the initial fundraising from Spencer Altman and the operational challenges of 2005, including buying hardware and using PayPal, while establishing a community-driven business model distinct from eBay. Kalin describes the cultural clash with professional CEO Maria Thomas, his subsequent return, and his sudden firing by the board in 2011, which led him to return to his roots as a maker in the Catskills.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Etsy, eBay
Products
Get Crafty, PayPal
Also
Spencer Altman, Jared Tarbell, Maria Thomas, Fred Wilson

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Core77 Podcast · 55m

    Afterschool Podcast, Episode 1 - Rich Brilliant Willing

    Theo Richardson, Alex Williams, and Charles Brill, co-founders of the Brooklyn design studio Rich Brilliant Willing, discuss their journey from RISD graduates to running a furniture and lighting company. They explain how the 2008 financial crisis pushed them to bypass traditional licensing models and instead design and manufacture their own products, such as the XL Perch and Delta Fabric lamp series, to maintain speed and control. The founders detail their collaborative process, the shift from seasonal trade show launches to a more continuous product release strategy, and the challenges of maintaining their creative partnership while scaling the business.

    Starting a product companyIndustrial & consumer product design
    8 chapters

  • Core77 Podcast · 1h 27m

    Afterschool Podcast, Episode 19 - Craighton Berman, Founder of Manual (04/16)

    Craighton Berman, founder of the brand Manual, discusses his transition from independent design studio to launching the Manual Coffee Maker (MCM) via Kickstarter. He details the product's design, which uses borosilicate glass and bamboo to create a ritualistic pour-over experience, and explains his strategy for scaling production and managing the crowdfunding campaign. Berman also reflects on the broader industry shift toward quality materials and the role of platforms like Kickstarter in enabling micro-entrepreneurship in industrial design.

    Industrial & consumer product designCrowdfunding & preorders
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 56m

    40: Mwahaha Session

    Lenore Edman, co-founder of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories (EMSL), discusses her company's journey from a hobbyist blog to a bootstrapped business selling electronic kits for art and education. She details specific products like the LED Menorah, Watercolor Bot, and Bristlebot, explaining how they lower barriers to entry for electronics through solderless options and engaging designs. Edman emphasizes the importance of the maker community, particularly Maker Faire, and their strategy of serving educators and artists with low-cost, shield-compatible hardware like the Diavolino.

    Starting a product companyIndustrial & consumer product design
    10 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 59m

    389: Blobs Are Not Stressful

    Carrie Sundra, founder of Alpenglow Industries, discusses her transition from dyeing yarn to building 'frivolous circuits' and tools for makers. She details the design and crowdfunding of the SkeinMinder and SkeinTwister, explaining how she bypassed Kickstarter for the latter by using her own website and the now-defunct Celery payment processor. Sundra also covers the engineering challenges of her FUnicorn board, the PS-I Hate You soldering kit, and her live-streaming efforts to promote representation for women in hardware.

    Crowdfunding & preordersPCB design & layout
    8 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 59m

    72: This Is My NASA Phone

    Emile Petrone, founder of Tindie, explains how his two-person startup serves as a marketplace for indie hardware, connecting individual makers with buyers and larger companies like NASA and Samsung. He discusses the platform's evolution from an Arduino-centric community to a broader hub for Raspberry Pi and other electronics, highlighting success stories like the Arduboy and AirPi weather station. Petrone details Tindie's business model, including its 5% fee, escrow system, and community-driven 'markets' feature, while noting the challenges of scaling a niche platform that facilitates everything from bare PCBs to finished robots.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceStarting a product company
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.