147: Transition from Hardware Product Startup to Hardware Scaleup
Morgan Teachworth, VP of Engineering & Supply Chain at Cisco (formerly head of hardware at Meraki), explains how hardware companies must redefine 'customer' as they scale from startup to enterprise. He details the transition from selling directly to end-users to managing a complex ecosystem of wholesalers, distributors, and installers who become the primary stakeholders. Teachworth emphasizes that maintaining 'simplicity' in design and manufacturing is critical to preventing feature creep and losing touch with core values as organizations grow into large incumbents. He argues that cross-functional engagement, such as sending all employees to interact with products or sales teams, is necessary to keep the entire organization aligned with user needs.