# Finishing Prototypes with Zack Freedman

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2021-07-19
- Length: 1h 39m
- Episode: 550
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-550-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman/

## Summary

Zack Freedman, the creator behind the YouTube channel Voidstar Labs, discusses his transition from freelance prototyping engineer to full-time content creator. He details his methodology for finishing prototypes by breaking projects into sub-assemblies to ensure progress is visible at every stage, and explains his strategic approach to YouTube content, including the use of a wearable teleprompter to maintain high pacing and persona. Freedman also shares insights on the challenges of the maker economy, the importance of testing unknowns early in the design process, and his philosophy on building technology that serves a clear purpose rather than just showcasing technical novelty.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=0) Introduction and Background
- [6:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=393) Freelance Prototyping and Client Constraints
- [24:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=1464) Prototyping Methodology and Risk Management
- [29:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=1766) Usability Testing and Prototype Verisimilitude
- [38:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=2296) YouTube Strategy and Content Production
- [1:12:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman#t=4320) Community, Criticism, and Future Projects

## Topics

- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Voidstar Labs (company)
- Hackaday (other)
- ESP32 (chip)
- Arduino (chip)
- Teensy (chip)
- Raspberry Pi (chip)
- TensorFlow (tool)
- 3D printing (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [537: Sneeze Session](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-09-11-537-sneeze-session) (Making It)
- [Episode 076: The Process (Maker Faire 2016)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2016-06-24-episode-076-the-process-maker-faire-2016) (Making It)
- [452: I Wish I’d Thought of That](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-08-23-452-i-wish-id-thought-of-that) (Making It)
- [Episode 098: I don’t want to break the baby.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2016-11-25-episode-098-i-dont-want-to-break-the-baby) (Making It)
- [Episode 319: I never do that all the time](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-20-episode-319-i-never-do-that-all-the-time) (Making It)

## 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/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman. 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.