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Thoroughly Considered

Dan Provost, Tom Gerhardt, and Myke Hurley on product design, entrepreneurship, and the ups and downs of running a small indie physical-product business.

135 episodes · 115 hours · since 2015

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Thoroughly Considered is filed under design, consumer products & cpg, product development and startups. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 34 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 4.6 out of 5.

Latest episodes

The 10 newest episodes of Thoroughly Considered, each with a summary and chapters.

  • · 52m

    136: Mark Four

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the Kickstarter campaign for their first fountain pen, the Mark Four. They explain the design challenges of creating a sealed, magnetic cap system and balancing the pen's weight, while addressing customer education around nib selection and ink maintenance. The founders emphasize their willingness to iterate on prototypes, such as switching from a multi-start thread to a magnet, to ensure a high-quality user experience before launch.

    Industrial & consumer product designCrowdfunding & preorders
    9 chapters

  • · 42m

    135: Obi is Back

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss 'Obi,' an internal AI operations bot they built using Claude and Markdown documents to streamline inventory planning and ad analysis. The hosts also analyze the new iPhone Duo, debating its foldable form factor, under-screen camera technology, and the implications for future Apple hardware. Finally, Dan Provost offers a defense of flush door handles on EVs, specifically praising the visual affordance and locking status indication on the Kia EV9 compared to poorly implemented competitors like Tesla.

    AI & machine learningIndustrial & consumer product design
    8 chapters

  • · 49m

    134: Kevin Kelly Remains Undefeated

    Dan Provost, co-founder of Studio Neat, discusses his new custom guitar company, Offkilter Guitars, detailing the transition from hobbyist to small business, including sourcing parts from Warmouth and managing a fragmented manufacturing process. Myke Hurley shares insights from his successful Kickstarter campaign for 'Designed in California,' a historical podcast series with Jason Snell, explaining how pre-selling memberships helped fund ambitious production goals and overcome subscription fatigue.

    Crowdfunding & preordersStarting a product company
    8 chapters

  • · 1h 01m

    133: Inspired by Star Wars™

    Dan Provost and Tom Gerhardt of Studio Neat discuss their new 'Inspired by Star Wars' limited edition Mark One pen, detailing the design choices like the glossy white finish and clip contrast. They outline the company's 'state of the union,' highlighting a strategic shift toward a B2B custom engraving program that now accounts for a significant portion of their business, while noting operational changes like splitting assembly duties. Myke Hurley shares updates on his Cortex brand, explaining the delay of a new journal product due to personal bandwidth constraints and the need for robust systems to manage a distributed team.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsAI & machine learning
    4 chapters

  • · 46m

    132: Clearing the Tech Deck

    Hosts Myke Hurley, Tom Gerhardt, and Dan Provost discuss the upcoming Formula 1 season and its new broadcast deal with Apple TV, noting features like multi-view and feed selection. They then pivot to 'Tech Corner' topics, exploring the potential for personalized AI voices in iOS CarPlay and the security implications of voice cloning. The conversation concludes with a critique of social media algorithms on Threads, discussing how they flatten context and intent, and the hosts' strategies for managing screen time.

    AI & machine learningConnected products & IoT
    7 chapters

  • · 44m

    131: Authenticity in Marketing

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the production of a limited edition Mark One pen featuring large-scale laser engraving, explaining the technical challenges of removing anodization to reveal the metal. They explore the tension between maintaining a high-quality brand aesthetic and adopting authentic, low-fi marketing tactics like founder-led video ads to combat AI-generated content and build trust. The conversation also touches on the industry's shift toward personal branding, the limitations of user-generated content for premium goods, and a tribute to the creative partnership between Jony Ive and Steve Jobs.

    Marketing & brandMaterials & manufacturing processes
    6 chapters

  • · 46m

    130: Embarrassment, Then Relief

    Myke Curley of Cortex Brand discusses launching a high-end, London-made journal priced around $90, weighing the financial risks of tight margins against the benefits of a Kickstarter campaign. Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat advise on pricing strategy, cash flow implications of low margins, and the value of public validation, ultimately encouraging Curley to embrace the discomfort of a pre-order model to test demand and build brand storytelling.

    Crowdfunding & preordersPricing, margins & unit economics
    7 chapters

  • · 55m

    129: Get the Customer

    Myke Hurley, Tom Gerhardt, and Dan Provost discuss their recent Black Friday and Cyber Week marketing strategies, comparing Studio Neat's email-only approach with Relay FM's ad-supported model. They analyze pricing structures, such as 'buy two get one free' versus percentage discounts, to optimize customer acquisition costs and average order value. The conversation shifts to hardware speculation, with Dan proposing a convertible MacBook with a 360-degree hinge to merge laptop and tablet functionalities, while Myke and Tom debate the feasibility of touchscreen MacBooks and future input methods.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commercePricing, margins & unit economics
    5 chapters

  • · 1h 00m

    128: The Biannual Gift Giving Guide

    Hosts Myke Hurley, Tom Gerhardt, and Dan Provost (of Studio Neat) present their biannual gift guide, selecting items they have used for at least a year. The discussion covers a wide range of products including Sonos audio equipment, Akara smart home devices, Toto bidets, and various kitchen tools like the Kuhn Rikon peeler and rolling knife sharpener. They also recommend lifestyle upgrades such as YouTube Premium and Oslo Sleep Buds, while briefly touching on their own company's Black Friday sales.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceIndustrial & consumer product design
    9 chapters

  • · 48m

    127: Replace the X with an A

    Dan Provost and Myke Hurley discuss the new iPhone lineup, with Hurley explaining his decision to buy an iPhone 17 Pro over the iPhone Air due to size and grip concerns, and his choice of a Pataka case. They critique Apple's removal of 3D Touch and the usability of the new Camera Control button, while also exploring the future of smartphone photography, including mechanical lenses and AI upscaling. The episode concludes with a brief look at Studio Neat's new 'Neat Patch' product.

    Industrial & consumer product designAI & machine learning
    5 chapters

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