# 152: Three Main Problems When Scaling a Hardware Startup

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Length: 22m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Brad Pedersen, co-founder of Pila and creator of the Lomi smart waste appliance, shares lessons from his 27-year career in hardware, including a previous failed toy business. He identifies people, systems, and cash as the three critical areas that must be continuously reinvented to scale a hardware startup successfully. Pedersen emphasizes hiring specialists who are smarter than the founder, implementing robust operational systems early, and managing cash flow creatively to avoid the pitfalls of rapid growth.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=0) Introduction and Brad Pedersen's Background
- [3:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=229) The Three Scaling Pillars: People, Systems, Cash
- [6:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=418) Hiring Specialists and Overcoming Founder Bottlenecks
- [11:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=669) Building Operational Systems and Data Integrity
- [12:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=760) Category Design and Team Standards
- [17:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup#t=1023) Cash Flow Management and Funding Strategies

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Lomi (product)
- Pila (company)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- Last Dance (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [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)
- [#010: From Pebble to Intel: can hardware startups beat the big players?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/coredump-sessions/2025-06-11-010-from-pebble-to-intel-can-hardware-startups-beat-the-big-players) (Coredump Sessions)
- [Surviving Conventional Wisdom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-08-16-surviving-conventional-wisdom) (Oxide and Friends)
- [#066 - How to apply lean startup principles to hardware, with Ash Maurya of Leanstack, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-01-16-066-how-to-apply-lean-startup-principles-to-hardware-with-ash-maurya-of-leanstac) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [#025 - How to benefit for your startup from the one and only hardware accelerator of Southern California, with Shaun Arora of Make in LA, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-10-025-how-to-benefit-for-your-startup-from-the-one-and-only-hardware-accelerator-o) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-01-152-three-main-problems-when-scaling-a-hardware-startup. 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 Product Startup.