Hardware Podcasts

Kickstarter, Copycats, and Comebacks: RiutBag’s Rise

It's Only a Prototype · 1 Jul 2025 · 1h 08m

What this episode covers

Sarah Giblin, founder of RiutBag, explains how she launched a secure backwards backpack as a solopreneur with no design background, using Kickstarter to fund production and TikTok for marketing. She details the critical role of customer surveys in defining the product's 15-inch laptop capacity and the importance of hand-checking every unit in her Chinese factory to ensure quality. Giblin also discusses overcoming severe burnout and depression after facing copycats and financial peril, emphasizing the need for frugality and 'extreme ownership' to sustain the business.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
D2M, MIKA Group, Ryanair
Products
RiutBag
Also
Kickstarter, TikTok, SquareSpace, SurveyMonkey

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