# Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide

- Show: [It's Only a Prototype](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype)
- Published: 2025-05-15
- Length: 55m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/phil-staunton/episodes/Against-All-Odds-Overcoming-Huge-Setbacks-to-Sell-5-Million-Worldwide-e3h2eom

## Summary

Rob Law, founder of Trunki, explains how he turned a student design project into a global brand selling 5 million units, detailing his journey from a disastrous Dragons' Den pitch to securing UK manufacturing. He discusses the strategic decision to buy a failing factory, the costly but PR-positive loss of a high court IP battle, and the lessons learned from the failed 'Journey' crowdfunding campaign. Law also outlines his current approach with Zeepy, using AI for rapid iteration and 'slow innovation' to build sustainable products without heavy upfront investment.

## Chapters

- [0:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=9) Introduction: Rob Law and Trunki Origin Story
- [1:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=104) University Inspiration and Early Licensing Struggles
- [7:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=467) The Dragons' Den Pitch and Overnight Success
- [15:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=957) Scaling Production and Buying a UK Factory
- [19:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=1185) IP Strategy and the High Court Battle
- [22:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=1369) The Journey Crowdfunding Failure
- [30:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide#t=1847) Using AI and Slow Innovation with Zeepy

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up, established companies

## Mentioned

- Trunki (product)
- Dragons' Den (other)
- Zeepy (product)
- Journey (product)
- Indiegogo (other)
- John Lewis (company)
- Carlton (company)
- Mookie (company)
- Unilever (company)
- Dove (product)
- Domestos (product)
- Rexona (product)
- Sainsbury's (company)
- Amazon (company)
- ChatGPT (tool)
- Google Maps (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Scrub Daddy: Aaron Krause. How a Failed Experiment Became a Billion-Dollar Sponge](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-03-16-scrub-daddy-aaron-krause-how-a-failed-experiment-became-a-billion-dollar-sponge) (How I Built This)
- [S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-13-s3-e7-building-bootstrapped-hardware-that-sells-with-christian-reed) (The Builder Circle)
- [Away: Jen Rubio](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-03-18-away-jen-rubio) (How I Built This)
- [3: Onward](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-28-3-onward) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [TRX: Randy Hetrick (2018)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-08-27-trx-randy-hetrick-2018) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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