# Development Costs for Hardware Startups

- Show: [Predictable Designs Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast)
- Published: 2020-05-07
- Length: 27m
- Episode: 18
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-05-07-development-costs-for-hardware-startups

## Summary

John Teel, host of the Predictable Designs Podcast, outlines development cost ranges for hardware startups, advising non-technical founders to avoid large US design firms ($100k+) and instead consider small firms ($10k-$30k) or freelancers. He warns against the risks of cheap freelancers on platforms like Fiverr, citing examples of wasted money and incomplete designs, and strongly recommends hiring a technical advisor or co-founder to manage development. Teel suggests simplifying products to core functionality, using existing dev kits for early prototypes, and prioritizing customer feedback over initial profitability to minimize risk and cost.

## Chapters

- [0:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-05-07-development-costs-for-hardware-startups#t=15) Introduction and Cost Ranges for Product Development

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch

## Mentioned

- John Teel (other)
- Fiverr (other)
- STM32 (chip)
- Arduino (product)
- Hardware Academy (other)
- SCORE (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2E51 The Hardware Academy | John Teel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel) (Being an Engineer)
- [S2E37 Defied the odds:  A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-23-s2e37-defied-the-odds-a-physical-product-development-firm-that-focuses-on-startu) (Being an Engineer)
- [For Hardware Startups by Hardware People: Building The Builder Circle with Host, Sera Evcimen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-06-for-hardware-startups-by-hardware-people-building-the-builder-circle-with-host-s) (The Builder Circle)
- [219: Hiring Your First Team Members at a Hardware Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2024-03-28-219-hiring-your-first-team-members-at-a-hardware-startup) (Product Startup)
- [Cheap Respins And A Time Machine - Multiscience Mercenary Marketplace](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-05-07-development-costs-for-hardware-startups. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Predictable Designs Podcast.