Hardware Podcasts

#035 - How a hardware startup’s product goes viral, with Christian Smith of TrackR, USA

The Hardware Entrepreneur · 16 Aug 2017 · 34m

What this episode covers

Christian Smith, co-founder and President of TrackR, explains how the Santa Barbara-based startup grew from a garage prototype to shipping over five million devices by engineering viral marketing and validating ideas through crowdfunding. He details the 'law of equivalent exchange' in marketing, the importance of obsession over passion, and how the company used early failures like the 'glasses tracker' to refine its product-market fit. Smith also discusses the strategic shift from standalone tags to embedding TrackR technology into partner products like Cross Pens and HP devices.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cross Pens, HP, Amazon, DoCoMo
Products
TrackR, CrowdLocate
Also
The Lean Startup, The Art of the Start, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Builder Circle · 55m

    S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed

    Christian Reed, CEO of Reekon Tools, explains how he bootstrapped the company from a side project to an 8-figure business without VC funding, validating the idea with a $1.2M Kickstarter campaign. He details the manufacturing lessons learned at Formlabs, including how a supplier's factory fire forced a mid-cycle component swap, and describes building a 3M+ social media following through consistent, raw content creation. Reed emphasizes the importance of engineers thinking like entrepreneurs, focusing on product benefits and brand building rather than just invention.

    Crowdfunding & preordersManufacturing partners & offshoring
    9 chapters

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 21m

    Ep. 39 - Starting a Hardware Company

    Stephen Hawes and Lucian Chapa, founders of Opulo, discuss the realities of starting a hardware company, emphasizing the necessity of accepting failure and overcoming imposter syndrome. They share personal anecdotes about failed projects, such as a 3D scanner and wedding cake toppers, to illustrate that iteration is key. The hosts also detail their strategy for building traction through authentic social media content, specifically YouTube, and the importance of validating product-market fit by engaging directly with early users.

    Starting a product companyValidation & product-market fit
    9 chapters

  • Product Startup · 14m

    176: How Hardware Founders Should Represent Their Product

    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.

    Validation & product-market fitMarketing & brand
    7 chapters

  • It's Only a Prototype · 55m

    Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide

    Rob Law, founder of Trunki, explains how he turned a student design project into a global brand selling 5 million units, detailing his journey from a disastrous Dragons' Den pitch to securing UK manufacturing. He discusses the strategic decision to buy a failing factory, the costly but PR-positive loss of a high court IP battle, and the lessons learned from the failed 'Journey' crowdfunding campaign. Law also outlines his current approach with Zeepy, using AI for rapid iteration and 'slow innovation' to build sustainable products without heavy upfront investment.

    Crowdfunding & preordersIntellectual property
    7 chapters

  • Thoroughly Considered · 38m

    2: Launching

    Dan Provost and Tom Gerhardt of Studio Neat document the launch of their Obi smart laser toy for pets on Kickstarter, hosted by Myke Hurley. The founders describe the high-stakes pressure of relying on the campaign to sustain their business, noting that previous successes with products like the Neat Ice Kit had created a false sense of security about their ability to pivot to new markets. As the campaign failed to meet its $100,000 goal, they faced the difficult decision of whether to cancel the project, ultimately choosing to let it run its course to respect their backers while learning from the marketing failure.

    Crowdfunding & preordersValidation & product-market fit
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Hardware Entrepreneur. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.