# #028 - Meet the creators of FitBit for medication, with Peter Havas of PillDrill, USA

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2017-05-31
- Length: 39m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/028.mp3

## Summary

Peter Havas, co-founder and CEO of PillDrill, discusses his journey from a successful food-tech startup to creating a medication management system inspired by the Fitbit. He explains how PillDrill’s design principles of simplicity, flexibility, and dignity address the psychological stigma of medication, while leveraging a direct-to-consumer strategy to gather critical user feedback. Havas also details his reliance on the Brinc accelerator for manufacturing connections in Shenzhen and his philosophy on managing startup risks and investor relationships.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=0) Introduction: Peter Havas and PillDrill
- [0:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=13) The Fitbit Analogy and Personal Motivation
- [7:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=432) Previous Venture: SandwichDirect.com
- [9:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=589) Advantage of No Subject Matter Expertise
- [11:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=696) Direct-to-Consumer Strategy and Feedback
- [18:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=1105) Design Principles: Simplicity, Flexibility, Dignity
- [24:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=1464) App Features and Remote Usage
- [27:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=1643) Manufacturing in Shenzhen and Brinc's Role
- [30:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-31-028-meet-the-creators-of-fitbit-for-medication-with-peter-havas-of-pilldrill-usa#t=1824) Lessons on Mistakes and Funding

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- PillDrill (product)
- Fitbit (product)
- SandwichDirect.com (company)
- Brinc (company)
- CVS (company)
- Wired (other)
- Apple (company)
- Kindle (product)
- Shenzhen (other)

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- [The Journey from Idea to Success with Mike Morena of AdhereTech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-01-06-the-journey-from-idea-to-success-with-mike-morena-of-adheretech) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
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## Citing this page

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