# 176: How Hardware Founders Should Represent Their Product

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2023-05-18
- Length: 14m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Mike Fata, a serial entrepreneur with over $500 million in hardware sales and three nine-figure exits, explains the concept of 'founder product market fit' to host Kevin Mako. Fata argues that founders must leverage their personal passion and authentic story to build communities, citing his own journey with Hemp Harvest and his book, Grow: 12 Unconventional Lessons for Becoming an Unstoppable Entrepreneur. He advises hardware startups to use trade shows, LinkedIn networking, and nonprofit involvement to connect with niche markets and scale their brands without relying on traditional sales tactics.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=0) Introduction: Mike Fata and Founder Product Market Fit
- [1:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=93) Mike Fata's Origin Story and Health Passion
- [2:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=137) Defining Founder Product Market Fit
- [4:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=257) Building Community Through Authenticity
- [7:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=471) Networking Tactics: Trade Shows and LinkedIn
- [9:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=540) Leveraging Nonprofits and Giving Back
- [11:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product#t=677) Lessons from Grow: Quality and Branding

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Hemp Harvest (company)
- Grow: 12 Unconventional Lessons for Becoming an Unstoppable Entrepreneur (product)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- LinkedIn (other)
- Amazon (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 39 - Starting a Hardware Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2025-05-15-ep-39-starting-a-hardware-company) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [S1 E7: Level Up Your Hardware Product Pitch with Haje Kamps](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-06-27-s1-e7-level-up-your-hardware-product-pitch-with-haje-kamps) (The Builder Circle)
- [#035 - How a hardware startup’s product goes viral, with Christian Smith of TrackR, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-08-16-035-how-a-hardware-startups-product-goes-viral-with-christian-smith-of-trackr-us) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [Hardware Entrepreneurs: 3 Critical Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-06-21-hardware-entrepreneurs-3-critical-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Hardware Development with No Prior Experience with Kris Christopher of Grow Nanny](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-01-07-hardware-development-with-no-prior-experience-with-kris-christopher-of-grow-nann) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## 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/2023-05-18-176-how-hardware-founders-should-represent-their-product. 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.