Fika Bytes: Hardware Founder Stories

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Interviewing hardware entrepreneurs to bring you a behind-the-scenes look into building and shipping innovative physical devices that change our interactions with the real world.

  1. 2025-06-18

    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 🔑 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

    50 min

  2. 2025-05-20

    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

    32 min

  3. 2025-04-20

    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 🔗 @bretchtech on Instagram 🔑 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

    30 min

  4. 2025-04-11

    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)🔗 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

    30 min

  5. 2025-03-14

    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 🔗 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

    43 min

  6. 2025-03-06

    Combining AI and Robotics

    ✍️ Show Notes Mahesh Krishnamurthi, co-founder of Vayu Robotics, gives an inside look at the journey of creating an AI-powered delivery robot. Important questions we discuss: how to know when you have product market fit, how to grow a talented team, and how to know when you should raise money. 🔑 Bytes: Prototyping should always start with off-the-shelf components to minimize cost and speed up development.There's a fine balance between confidence and arrogance when it comes to pitching investors - lead with humility and quiet confidence.Be cautious if you're raising capital before you hit the flywheel of product market fit. 🔗 Check out Vayu Robotics: ⁠vayurobotics.com Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Vayu Robotics 03:18 Ideal Customer Profile 06:04 Iterative Prototyping Process 08:45 Transition to Proprietary Technology 10:35 Co-Founders and Backgrounds 12:02 Building a Team with Complementary Skills 14:26 Soft Skills and Team Culture 17:48 Raising Capital and Investor Advice 21:00 Deciding to Raise Money or Bootstrap 22:36 Future Plans and Vision

    32 min

  7. 2025-02-14

    Turning a Love for Music into a Hardware Product

    ✍️ Show Notes Tobias Butler shares his journey of building Tuneshine, blending software and hardware. He talks about the challenges of switching to hardware, the importance of prototyping, and what he learned along the way. He also dives into supplier relationships, scaling smart, and the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship—all while finding joy in creating something meaningful. 🔗 Check out Tuneshine: tuneshine.rocks 🔗 Follow on Instagram: @tuneshine.rocks 🔑 Bytes: Understanding the assembly process helps in improving design. It's important to focus on growing the business, not just building products. Creating a physical product can bring joy and delight! Chapters:00:00 Intro01:26 From Prototype to Production07:06 Navigating the Hardware Development Journey09:43 Building a User-Centric Product12:40 The Role of Software in Hardware15:46 Feedback and Iteration18:19 Scaling Production and Supplier Relationships20:59 The Transition from Artisan to Entrepreneur23:37 Future Aspirations and Growth StrategiesKeywordsTuneshine, hardware development, prototyping, production, entrepreneurship, software engineering, supplier relationships, product design, startup journey, founder stories

    37 min

  8. 2024-06-21

    Building Hardware to Strengthen Mind-Muscle Connection with Ethan Pollak

    ✍️ Show Notes Joining us this week is Ethan Pollak, co-founder of Pulse Device, a small nifty device that incorporates the idea of muscle tapping to help you get the most of your weightlifing workouts. Ethan quit his job in finance to go full-time on his idea, partnering with a design studio and building his network along the way. As a non-technical founder, he shares a lot of valuable insights into how he brought this hardware to life by being consistent, helpful, and always willing to learn. 🔗 Check out Pulse Device: pulsedevice.com 🔗 Give their IG a follow: @pulsedevice 🔑 Bytes: Have a solid plan ahead of time, and don't expect overnight success. Take a value-add approach to networking: Reach out to interesting people and always add value. If you're a perfectionist and it's getting in the way of shipping your product, think of 5 everyday products that you (and millions around the world) use. You can probably think of a few things that need improvement right? So ship your product and then build upon it. Keywords: hardware, tech, entrepreneur, startup, founder, fitness, fittech, product development

    37 min
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Interviewing hardware entrepreneurs to bring you a behind-the-scenes look into building and shipping innovative physical devices that change our interactions with the real world.

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