# #024 - How to increase your own productivity and that of your garden’s, with Mattias Lepp of Click & Grow, Estonia

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2017-05-03
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/024.mp3

## Summary

Mattias Lepp, co-founder and CEO of Click & Grow, explains how he transformed a 15-year-old NASA-inspired concept into a commercial smart garden, detailing the development of their proprietary 'smart soil' and adaptive LED lighting. He discusses the company's evolution from an over-engineered first prototype to a scalable business model based on recurring revenue from biodegradable plant capsules, similar to the Nespresso system. Lepp highlights the critical role of accelerators like Hardware Club and Y Combinator in securing manufacturing and distribution partnerships, while reflecting on early mistakes such as over-engineering the product and failing to target a specific niche audience.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=0) Introduction: Mattias Lepp and Click & Grow
- [4:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=245) Origins: NASA Inspiration and Early Ventures
- [8:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=519) Core Technology: Smart Soil and Adaptive Lighting
- [10:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=622) Funding and Accelerators: Hardware Club and Y Combinator
- [14:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=845) Business Model: The Nespresso Strategy for Plants
- [19:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=1154) Challenges: Cost, Over-engineering, and Market Focus
- [23:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias#t=1408) Advice: Personal Habits and Cultural Differences

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Click & Grow (company)
- NASA (company)
- Hardware Club (other)
- Y Combinator (other)
- Nespresso (product)
- Keurig (product)
- Harrods (company)
- Zimplit (company)
- Seth Godin (other)
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Back to the Roots: Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-08-back-to-the-roots-nikhil-arora-and-alejandro-velez) (How I Built This)
- [When our phones are just phones with Kai Tang and Joe Hollier of Light](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-10-when-our-phones-are-just-phones-with-kai-tang-and-joe-hollier-of-light) (How I Built This)
- [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)
- [KiwiCo: Sandra Oh Lin](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-25-kiwico-sandra-oh-lin) (How I Built This)
- [#169 - "How to Take Advice" with Nikhil Arora](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-11-12-169-how-to-take-advice-with-nikhil-arora) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-03-024-how-to-increase-your-own-productivity-and-that-of-your-gardens-with-mattias. 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 Hardware Entrepreneur.