# #058 - Freedom to work and play anywhere without losing power, with Nancy de Fays of Linedock, USA

- Show: [The Hardware Entrepreneur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur)
- Published: 2018-07-04
- Length: 40m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of
- Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/thehardwareentrepreneur/058_-_Freedom_to_work_and_play_anywhere_without_losing_power_with_Nancy_de_Fays_of_Linedock_USA.mp3

## Summary

Nancy de Fays, co-founder of Linedock, explains how her two-person team launched a high-power USB-C docking station via Indiegogo, raising approximately $450,000 with near-zero marketing budget. She details the technical challenge of hacking the USB Power Delivery protocol to output 100 watts for laptops, differentiating Linedock from standard power banks. De Fays highlights the '90% done' fallacy in hardware, where component sourcing lead times of 40-45 weeks and complex certifications for batteries and radios caused significant delays despite a working prototype. The episode covers their strategic choice of Indiegogo over Kickstarter, the importance of early community engagement for feedback, and the cultural nuances of managing manufacturing relationships in China.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=0) Introduction: Nancy de Fays and Linedock's Origin Story
- [6:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=390) The Inspiration: Combining Power and Storage with USB-C
- [9:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=572) Technical Differentiation: Hacking USB Power Delivery for 100W
- [14:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=877) Crowdfunding Strategy: Proof of Concept and Platform Choice
- [20:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=1232) Campaign Success: $450k with Zero Marketing Budget
- [25:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=1549) Hardware Challenges: Component Sourcing and Certifications
- [31:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of#t=1878) Community Feedback and Product Iteration

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Linedock (company)
- Indiegogo (other)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Apple (company)
- MacBook (product)
- USB-C (other)
- Razer (company)
- Microchip (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Kickstarter, IndieGoGo & Ignite - Jasperated Jimswinger Jobbery](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-04-24-kickstarter-indiegogo-ignite-jasperated-jimswinger-jobbery) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview with Zach Dunham](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-07-03-an-interview-with-zach-dunham) (The Amp Hour)
- [389: Blobs Are Not Stressful](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-10-14-389-blobs-are-not-stressful) (Embedded.fm)
- [A 2013 Recap - Year-end Yarn Yakking](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-12-31-a-2013-recap-year-end-yarn-yakking) (The Amp Hour)
- [470: Upping the Chaos Level](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-02-09-470-upping-the-chaos-level) (Embedded.fm)

## 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/2018-07-04-058-freedom-to-work-and-play-anywhere-without-losing-power-with-nancy-de-fays-of. 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.