# The Hero’s Journey Toward High-Level Hardware Execution

- Show: [Over the Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air)
- Published: 2021-12-21
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/over-the-air/episodes/The-Heros-Journey-Toward-High-Level-Hardware-Execution-e2l43qr

## Summary

Matt Barber, CEO of Vutility, discusses his philosophy on high-level hardware execution, emphasizing that success depends on having the right people and a culture that rejects toxic behavior. He explains how Vutility shifted from a direct-to-customer model to a partnership model by outsourcing visualization to focus on their core competency: gathering data at scale with modular hardware. Barber highlights the importance of incremental iteration in hardware, citing the pain of expensive form-factor changes, and shares how leadership inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey informs his approach to team accountability and growth.

## Chapters

- [0:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=50) Introduction: Matt Barber and Vutility
- [2:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=148) Execution Philosophy: People, Trust, and Communication
- [5:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=318) Culture: Rejecting Toxic High Performers
- [8:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=483) Hardware Iteration and Product Development
- [10:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=638) Lessons from Hardware Failures and Form Factor Changes
- [13:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=789) Strategic Pivot: The Partner Model and Core Competencies
- [15:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=952) Leadership Books and The Hero’s Journey
- [22:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-12-21-the-heros-journey-toward-high-level-hardware-execution#t=1327) Future of Vutility and Energy Industry Disruption

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Vutility (company)
- Vary (company)
- Tether (company)
- Honeywell (company)
- GE (company)
- Motorola (company)
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces (other)
- Good to Great (other)
- Multipliers (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [197: Go From Hardware Startup to Scale Up](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-10-12-197-go-from-hardware-startup-to-scale-up) (Product Startup)
- [147: Transition from Hardware Product Startup to Hardware Scaleup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-10-26-147-transition-from-hardware-product-startup-to-hardware-scaleup) (Product Startup)
- [#064 - To transform or not to transform your hardware company to an all agile one next year, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-11-21-064-to-transform-or-not-to-transform-your-hardware-company-to-an-all-agile-one-n) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [S3 E1: Mastering Tech Adoption and The Hardware Development Workflow with Jon Hirshtick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-09-30-s3-e1-mastering-tech-adoption-and-the-hardware-development-workflow-with-jon-hir) (The Builder Circle)
- [Scaling an IoT Business | Vutility's Stephen Prince | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2023-10-17-scaling-an-iot-business-vutilitys-stephen-prince-internet-of-things-podcast) (IoT For All Podcast)

## Citing this page

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