# #051 - Connecting the (hardware) dots, with Greg Fisher of BSG and Hardware Massive, USA

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2018-03-28
- Length: 35m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/051_-_Connecting_the_hardware_dots_with_Greg_Fisher_of_BSG_and_Hardware_Massive_USA.mp3

## Summary

Greg Fisher, founder of Berkeley Sourcing Group (BSG) and Hardware Massive, discusses the realities of launching hardware products, emphasizing that business fundamentals like margins and distribution matter more than the product itself. He outlines a typical 6-9 month timeline for getting from concept to first production run in China, highlighting the importance of pre-production prototyping and early component ordering to avoid delays. Fisher also details the Hardware Massive platform and Hardwarecon event, which aim to connect startups with investors and industry leaders, noting that 75% of global hardware investment comes from the San Francisco Bay Area.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=0) Introduction: Greg Fisher, Berkeley Sourcing Group, and Hardware Massive
- [3:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=206) First Hardware Project: The Clean Bottle and Tour de France Marketing
- [4:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=295) BSG Services: Working with Startups, China vs. US Manufacturing
- [12:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=720) Standard Timeline: From Concept to First Production Run (6-9 Months)
- [16:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=1007) Staying Lean: Doing It Right the First Time and Aligning Prototypes with Business Goals
- [19:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=1146) Hardware Massive Platform and Hardwarecon Event Overview
- [25:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=1539) What Makes a Business Successful: Partnerships, Margins, and Product-Market Fit
- [28:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-03-28-051-connecting-the-hardware-dots-with-greg-fisher-of-bsg-and-hardware-massive-us#t=1700) Personal Advice: Surrounding Yourself with Experts and Peter Drucker's Impact

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Berkeley Sourcing Group (company)
- Hardware Massive (other)
- Hardwarecon (other)
- Clean Bottle (product)
- Tour de France (other)
- IBM (company)
- Google (company)
- Intel (company)
- Panasonic (company)
- CB Insights (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S6E47 Brogan Miller | Being a Doula for Hardware Startups, Manufacturing in Asia, and How to Start Networking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-21-s6e47-brogan-miller-being-a-doula-for-hardware-startups-manufacturing-in-asia-an) (Being an Engineer)
- [EP 3: AI Smart Glasses | 16 Weeks to CES, 10 Months to Acquisition | Build 2 Create](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-02-10-ep-3-ai-smart-glasses-16-weeks-to-ces-10-months-to-acquisition-build-2-create) (Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories)
- [S2E37 Defied the odds:  A Physical Product Development Firm That Focuses on Startups & Small Businesses, Mako Design + Invent –Kevin Mako](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-08-23-s2e37-defied-the-odds-a-physical-product-development-firm-that-focuses-on-startu) (Being an Engineer)
- [107: Using Hardware Incubators for Product Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-12-22-107-using-hardware-incubators-for-product-startups) (Product Startup)
- [156: The Evolution of Sales Channels for Hardware Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-30-156-the-evolution-of-sales-channels-for-hardware-products) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

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