# 156: The Evolution of Sales Channels for Hardware Products

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2022-12-30
- Length: 23m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Ben Drury, founder of Yoto, explains how his connected hardware toy company evolved through five sales channels to reach nearly 500,000 units sold. He details the strategic progression from a modest Kickstarter campaign to direct-to-consumer website sales, then to Amazon, and finally to major retailers like Target and Best Buy. Drury emphasizes that early channels like crowdfunding and direct sales are essential for ironing out bugs and building demand before approaching retailers who operate on long planning cycles. He also highlights the importance of hiring experienced supply chain and operations staff to manage the complexity of scaling production and navigating international logistics.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=0) Introduction and Yoto Background
- [2:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=139) Kickstarter and Early Manual Production
- [4:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=278) Direct-to-Consumer Website Strategy
- [8:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=532) Amazon as an Extension of Direct Sales
- [10:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=638) Entering Mass Retail and Long Cycles
- [15:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=945) Scaling Operations and Hiring Expertise
- [19:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products#t=1182) Emergence of Specialty and Education Channels

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Yoto (product)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Pentagram (company)
- Amazon (other)
- Target (other)
- Best Buy (other)
- MoMA (other)
- Indigo (other)
- Mastermind (other)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- Huawei (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#015 - How to benefit for your hardware project from the first major crowdfunding platform, with Sandy Diao of Indiegogo, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-01-015-how-to-benefit-for-your-hardware-project-from-the-first-major-crowdfunding-p) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [#020 - Executing lean and agile retail growth for your startup or SME, with Benjamin Ertl of Retailbound, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-04-05-020-executing-lean-and-agile-retail-growth-for-your-startup-or-sme-with-benjamin) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [#051 - Connecting the (hardware) dots, with Greg Fisher of BSG and Hardware Massive, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [13 Reasons Why New Hardware Products Fail](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-11-23-13-reasons-why-new-hardware-products-fail) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Advice Line with Perry Chen of Kickstarter](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-06-12-advice-line-with-perry-chen-of-kickstarter) (How I Built This)

## 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/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products. 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.