Hardware Podcasts

IDology #6 - Product development costs analysis

IDology · 18 Jan 2023 · 1h 07m · Episode 6

What this episode covers

Mikołaj Wiewióra, a senior designer at the industrial design studio MindSailors, explains how the firm structures budgets for product development, alternating between fixed-price conceptual phases and time-and-materials execution for mechanical and prototyping stages. He details the headcount and timeline for each stage, noting that complex products with kinematics or embedded electronics require larger teams and longer durations, while simpler enclosures are faster. Wiewióra emphasizes that prototyping iterations are essential to avoid costly tooling errors, contrasting a rapid six-month market launch with a stalled nine-year project caused by poor client-side project management. The discussion highlights that successful budgeting requires treating the design studio as an integrated partner with swift communication rather than an external vendor.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MindSailors
Also
Mikołaj Wiewióra, Voytek Hołysz

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