Fika Bytes: Hardware Founder Stories

Quitting Apple to go all in on a hardware startup - with Dhaval Patel, Lotus Founder & CEO

✍️ Show Notes In this episode, we get an inside look into the mind of a high performing Big Tech engineer-turned hardware founder. Dhaval Patel began his career at Apple, working through the ranks from an intern all the way to senior manager. At one point, he started to feel the itch to build his own product - and so he made the leap. What gave him the confidence in starting from scratch? How did he know the problem he was solving was worth solving? What did Apple teach him? All that and more in this insightful episode. 🔗 getlotus.com [https://getlotus.com/] 🔑 Bytes: * If you are worried about leaving your Big Tech job, remember this: you can always come back. Going the other way is a lot harder - the longer you wait, the tighter the golden handcuffs. * Designing products for accessbility doesn't necessarily limit your product to a specific audience. Design for accessibility to create an intuitive, easy-to-use product for all. * At the risk of starting to sound like a broken record... Talk to your customers! Especially early on, doesn't matter if you're the founder, CEO, whatever, get on 1:1 calls with your customers. The key insight is: listen to their problems, not the solutions they may offer. 📖 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dhaval and Lotus 00:28 The Genesis of Lotus: Solving Personal Challenges 02:01 Dhaval's Journey at Apple: From Intern to Manager 06:20 Transitioning from Big Tech to Startups 11:05 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Timing in Entrepreneurship 16:43 Skills Gained at Apple and Their Application in Startups 23:33 The Importance of Seeking Expertise 24:54 Embracing Efficiency Over Perfection 29:54 The Journey of Prototyping and User Feedback 37:46 Human-Centered Design: Listening to Users 42:15 Vision for Lotus: Telekinesis Productized Keywords: startup, product development, human-centered design, founder journey, technology, innovation, consumer hardware, disability solutions, entrepreneurship, user feedback

Building for yourself then pivoting into a life-saving niche

✍️ Show NotesMark Condon built the iPupPee device to address a very personal pain point he felt with his chocolate lab, Champ. Not long after he started sharing his product with the people around him, he realized that what he had built had much bigger, life-saving possibilities within the service dog community.🔗 iPupPee.com🔗 @ipuppee on Instagram🔑 Bytes:- Be willing to listen to the market and take your product where it can have the most impact, even if it means a pivot and rebranding.- Accept that you may not be an expert in certain fields and be humble, but don't waver on your confidence about your strengths.- The importance of putting yourself out there comes across in how the number of opportunities coming your way drastically multiply when you do so.📖 Chapters00:00 Introduction to iPupPee and Its Inspiration02:53 Mark's Entrepreneurial Journey and Background05:37 Navigating Hesitations as a Non-Technical Founder08:44 The Pivot to Service Dog Training11:32 The Importance of Market Feedback14:16 Challenges in Transitioning to Service Dog Space17:13 Growth Strategies and Future Plans for iPuppy19:57 Testing and Development of the iPuppy Device22:48 Creating Opportunities Through Networking25:36 Marketing Strategies for iPuppy28:28 Financial Insights for Hardware Founders🔍 KeywordsiPupPee, dog training, service dogs, entrepreneurship, hardware startup, product development, marketing strategies, financial planning, non-technical founders, pet technology

Academic Research to Product: Filling the gap between the lab and the launch

✍️ Show Notes Jana Rieger of Breth Tech is a clinician-scientist who turned her research into a hardware product, co-founding and becoming CEO of True Angle. She shares her story and her passion to see more research outcomes turning into useful consumer products 🔗 Breth Tech: the Fitbit of breathwork [https://getbreth.com/] 🔗 @bretchtech on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brethtech/] 🔑 Bytes * Think specifically about the people you are helping and let them form your Go To Market strategy. Just because you're in health tech doesn't mean you should exclusively sell to healthcare providers. * A winning recipe for an academia-turned-founder is a combination of science, engineering, and business knowledge. You don't have to be an expert in all three, but be curious and open to learning. * Universities are increasingly supporting their research labs with startup accelerator support. If you're in a research lab, think of real world impacts of your work. 📖 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:03 Starting True Angle: From Research to Commercialization 07:33 Overcoming Hesitation and Building Confidence 09:10 Development of the Mobili-T Product 11:32 The Importance of Smart Wearables in Rehabilitation 13:11 Improving Adherence and Patient Outcomes 14:22 From Idea to Product: The Development of True Angle 18:45 Navigating the Medical Device Market: Challenges and Strategies 23:39 Breath Tech: Expanding the Potential of Breath Work 33:00 Bridging the Gap: Universities and Commercialization of Research 35:51 Exploring Jana's Story and Its Impact Keywords: technology, founder, hardware, entrepreneurship, medical devices, startup, breathwork, hardtech, academic research, product development

From Ivy League engineer to hardware founder

✍️ Show NotesNaom graduated from an Ivy League and was scrolling through his 'Ideas' notes page trying to figure out what he wanted to do next when he decided to create a heated vibration massager to help his jaw pain. This is the story of how he built the product and the business, myTMJ Relief.🔗 Noam’s YouTube - great example of building hardware in public [https://www.youtube.com/@noamaiz] (https://www.youtube.com/@noamaiz)🔗 myTMJrelief.com [https://mytmjrelief.com/] (https://mytmjrelief.com/)🔑 Bytes:* Noam’s approach to learning skills you don’t have: use the wealth of resources freely available, build the thing, and get feedback from experts before you finalize it.* Why share your journey with "Build in Public"? To create a sense of community, transparency, and brand credibility * Ideation is a skill that can be developed over time; it’s not just a stroke of pure luck.📖 Chapters:00:00 Understanding TMJ and its prevalence07:47 Developing a product for TMJ relief11:58 Challenges in design and manufacturing19:32 Building in public and connecting with customers26:27 Advice for aspiring hardware founders #podcast #productdevelopment #hardware #founder #tmjdisorder #ideation #engineering #startup #smallbusiness #technology #entrepreneurship #tech #startup

Trend to Tribe: How Totem turned virality into community

✍️ Show Notes Carter Fowler, CEO & co-founder of Totem Labs, shares the incredible journey of going viral and building hardware tech for music festivals. Carter shares valuable lessons in building not only a brand, but also an engaged community of loyal fans, with thoughtful product design and exceptional customer service. 🔗 Article about where Totem is at today [https://hypepotamus.com/startup-news/totem-compass-pre-seed/] 🔗 totemlabs.com [https://www.totemlabs.com/] 🔑 Bytes: * In the beginning, do the things that don’t scale - e.g. The CEO responding to Instagram DMs and talking 1:1 to potential customers about their experience. * The shorter the brand message, the easier it is to explain new tech to someone.  e.g. The word 'compass' leverages ancient knowledge to effectively communicate the concept of location finding. * When you’re doing customer research, your product DOESN’T MATTER. The only thing that matters is the customer, and the problem they are facing. 📖 Chapters: 00:00 The Origin Story of Totem Labs11:23 Creating a Brand for the Music Festival Community15:42 The Importance of Founder Market Fit25:56 The Story of Going Viral35:37 Creating Screen-Free and App-Free Products36:17 Integrating with Festivals and Events40:23 Revolutionizing the Attendee Experience #podcast #productdevelopment #hardware #founder #userengagement #branding #customerresearch #viral #marketing #musicfestivals #technology #entrepreneurship #startup