# Kickstarter, Copycats, and Comebacks: RiutBag’s Rise

- Show: [It's Only a Prototype](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype)
- Published: 2025-07-01
- Length: 1h 08m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/phil-staunton/episodes/Kickstarter--Copycats--and-Comebacks-RiutBags-Rise-e3h2eon

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=9) Introduction and RiutBag Overview
- [3:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=193) From Financial Services to Solopreneurship
- [8:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=481) Kickstarter Campaigns and Early Sales
- [29:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=1789) Customer Surveys and Product Validation
- [17:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=1078) Burnout, Copycats, and Financial Crisis
- [23:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=1403) Recovery, Frugality, and Extreme Ownership
- [42:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=2526) Factory Quality Control and Manufacturing
- [51:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-07-01-kickstarter-copycats-and-comebacks-riutbags-rise#t=3070) TikTok Marketing and Algorithm Strategy

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- RiutBag (product)
- Kickstarter (other)
- TikTok (other)
- D2M (company)
- MIKA Group (company)
- Ryanair (company)
- SquareSpace (other)
- SurveyMonkey (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Away: Jen Rubio](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-03-18-away-jen-rubio) (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)
- [3: Onward](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-28-3-onward) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [2: Launching](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-05-2-launching) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [024: Aligning passion & business with Terry Lin of Forever Home Blankets](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-10-25-024-aligning-passion-business-with-terry-lin-of-forever-home-blankets) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

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