# 165: Iterative Design Processes & Tools for Hardware Development

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2023-03-02
- Length: 23m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Kyle Dumont, founder of AllSpice and former hardware developer at iRobot, explains how hardware startups can adopt software-style iterative design processes between manufacturing runs. He details the importance of involving diverse stakeholders—including customers, engineers, and contract manufacturers—and using revision control tools like AllSpice Hub to organize feedback. Dumont emphasizes that integrating version tracking with collaboration features allows teams to prioritize changes and avoid the silos common in legacy waterfall models.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=0) Introduction: Kyle Dumont and AllSpice
- [1:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=71) Kyle Dumont's Background: iRobot and Harvard
- [4:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=280) Iterative Design vs. Waterfall Methodologies
- [8:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=506) Identifying Feedback Loop Stakeholders
- [11:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=672) The Foundation: Revision Control and Git
- [14:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=877) Collaboration and Traceability in AllSpice Hub
- [17:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=1073) Prioritizing Issues and Design Reviews
- [20:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development#t=1234) AllSpice Features and Future Automation

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- iRobot (company)
- Harvard (other)
- AllSpice (company)
- AllSpice Hub (product)
- GitHub (tool)
- GitLab (tool)
- Jira (tool)
- Confluent (tool)
- SVN (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [VC-Backed Hardware Design Collaboration is the (All) Spice of Life](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-05-30-vc-backed-hardware-design-collaboration-is-the-all-spice-of-life) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Hardware Revision Control with Kyle Dumont](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-08-17-hardware-revision-control-with-kyle-dumont) (The Amp Hour)
- [T-25-007 : Valentina Ratner - Mechanical Engineer to SaaS for Hardware CEO](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2025-03-21-t-25-007-valentina-ratner-mechanical-engineer-to-saas-for-hardware-ceo) (TRADEOFFS)
- [Git for Hardware Engineers with Valentina Ratner and Kyle Dumont](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2023-06-06-git-for-hardware-engineers-with-valentina-ratner-and-kyle-dumont) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Hardware-Software Co-Development with Tobias Kästner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2026-04-01-hardware-software-co-development-with-tobias-kastner) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)

## Citing this page

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