# An Interview with Zach Dunham

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2017-07-03
- Length: 1h 22m
- Episode: 350
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/350-an-interview-with-zach-dunham/

## Summary

Zach Dunham, an outreach lead at Kickstarter, discusses his experience building and crowdfunding 'The Public Radio,' a single-station FM device that utilized a mason jar enclosure and a Raspberry Pi for testing. He details the challenges of scaling from garage assembly to 2,500 units, the critical role of US-based contract manufacturer Worthington Assembly for DFM feedback, and debugging Class D amplifier noise with help from Todd Bailey. Dunham also outlines Kickstarter's new Hardware Studio initiative, a partnership with Avnet and Dragon Innovation designed to help creators navigate manufacturing and supply chain complexities before launching.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=0) Introduction: Zach Dunham and Kickstarter
- [1:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=62) Zach's Background and The Public Radio Project
- [9:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=570) Building and Shipping The Public Radio
- [13:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=833) Manufacturing Challenges and US-Based Partners
- [26:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=1595) Kickstarter's Role and Hardware Studio Initiative
- [36:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham#t=2190) Advice for Hardware Creators and Community

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- The Public Radio (product)
- Kickstarter (company)
- Worthington Assembly (company)
- Raspberry Pi (chip)
- Silicon Labs (chip)
- Dragon Innovation (company)
- Avnet (company)
- Todd Bailey (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#058 - Freedom to work and play anywhere without losing power, with Nancy de Fays of Linedock, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [62: Ten Years](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2020-10-03-62-ten-years) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [44: Light Up Strikes Back](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-03-26-44-light-up-strikes-back) (Embedded.fm)
- [085: Scaling Your Product Up After Crowdfunding](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-07-21-085-scaling-your-product-up-after-crowdfunding) (Product Startup)
- [16: 3,841](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2016-08-10-16-3-841) (Thoroughly Considered)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham. 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 The Amp Hour.