# 037: Launching a Minecraft-Inspired Product with Ruth Stone of Boxhead Crafts

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2017-01-24
- Length: 33m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts
- Listen: https://theproductstartup.com/037-ruth-stone-boxhead-crafts/

## Summary

Ruth Stone, founder of Boxhead Crafts, explains how she launched a Minecraft-inspired blank boxhead product by leveraging existing marketplaces like Etsy and eBay rather than building a standalone website. She details the manufacturing challenges of creating a sturdy, cube-shaped cardboard box in the UK, noting that initial small batches were loss-leaders used to test demand. Stone discusses her pricing strategy, which prioritizes affordability for direct-to-consumer sales over wholesale margins, and her marketing focus on positioning the product as a way to reduce children's screen time through offline crafting.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=0) Introduction: Ruth Stone and Boxhead Crafts
- [2:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=140) Inspiration and Initial Market Testing
- [5:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=302) Manufacturing Challenges and Prototyping
- [8:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=504) Go-to-Market Strategy: Etsy, Amazon, and Social Media
- [12:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=734) Product Positioning and Party Packs
- [16:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=978) Product Design Decisions and Customer Feedback
- [19:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=1154) Pricing Strategy and Wholesale Considerations
- [22:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=1372) Ruth Stone's Entrepreneurial Background
- [28:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-24-037-launching-a-minecraft-inspired-product-with-ruth-stone-of-boxhead-crafts#t=1687) Advice for Inventors and Final Thoughts

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Boxhead Crafts (company)
- Minecraft (product)
- Mojang (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Etsy (other)
- Amazon (other)
- eBay (other)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Parachute Home: Ariel Kaye](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-02-05-parachute-home-ariel-kaye) (How I Built This)
- [Minted: Mariam Naficy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-04-minted-mariam-naficy) (How I Built This)
- [Product Design with Simone Giertz](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-06-07-product-design-with-simone-giertz) (The Amp Hour)
- [Founder Feature: Becca Wright of Piedmont Pennies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-17-founder-feature-becca-wright-of-piedmont-pennies) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [KiwiCo: Sandra Oh Lin](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-25-kiwico-sandra-oh-lin) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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