Make Real Stuff - Product Development From Sketchpad to Store Shelf - with Ryan Hamilton

Ryan Hamilton
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Semiweekly

Do you have a genius idea for a physical product that you want to take to market? Make Real Stuff will walk you through the entire process to bring it to life. This podcast covers a broad range of topics, including product design, prototyping, pricing, packaging, manufacturing, trade shows, sales strategies, and much more. Your host, toy and gift industry veteran Ryan Hamilton, shares his 20+ years of experience as a retailer, sales rep, corporate buyer, and inventor. The podcast provides valuable insights and tips on how to take your product from sketchpad (or napkin sketch) to the store shelf. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out on your journey, “Make Real Stuff” is the perfect resource for anyone looking to turn their product idea into a reality.

Episodes

  1. Oct 10

    5 Ways I Actually Use AI to Develop Physical Products

    Everybody’s talking about AI, but nobody’s showing you how it actually works for physical products. In this episode, Ryan walks through the five ways he uses AI every single day — not hypothetically, but in real product development happening right now across Plus-Plus USA and his own new product launches. He also shares the CRIT framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) from Geoff Woods’ book The AI-Driven Leader, and the story of how a chance encounter with Elf on the Shelf co-creator Christa Pitts at the Licensing Expo changed the way he works. The five ways: Market research & validation — pressure-testing ideas before spending a dollarNaming & branding — from 20 candidates to the right one, plus building a full brand kitMargin math & cost modeling — scenario planning for tariffs, fees, and scaleMocking up packaging concepts — re-skinning products, testing new themes and form factorsProofing final products — catching typos, UPC errors, and getting a “retail buyer” critiqueLinks mentioned in this episode:— Book: The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods — https://www.aileadership.com/book/— Free margin math calculator — https://makerealstuff.com/pages/margin-calculator— Book a free 30-minute call with Ryan — https://calendly.com/ryan-makerealstuff/30min— Make Real Stuff on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@makerealstuff Try this prompt: “I have an idea for [your product]. Ask me the 10 hardest questions a retail buyer would ask before putting this on a shelf.”

  2. Oct 3

    I'm Back - and Here's What Has Changed

    Ryan Hamilton has spent almost 25 years in the consumer product industry as a sales rep, toy store owner, retail buyer at Barnes & Noble, and founder/CEO of Plus-Plus USA. In this relaunch episode, he introduces the Kill It, Fix It, or Scale It framework — three buckets every product idea falls into — and shares what he's been up to since 2023, including launching licensed products with Peanuts and Atari, navigating tariffs, and developing new product ideas of his own. Topics covered in this episode:— The Kill It / Fix It / Scale It framework for evaluating product ideas— Lessons from licensing with Peanuts and Atari— How tariffs, AI, and 3D printing are reshaping the product landscape— What's coming: new product launches, guest founders, an online course, and a book Learn more about Make Real Stuff: makerealstuff.comBook a free 30 minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/ryan-makerealstuff/30minSubscribe and leave a review — and tell a friend with a product idea they can't shake.

  3. 11/20/2023

    FOB, MSRP, & LCL (OMG!) - How to Price Your Product

    Hear about the thinking behind starting my podcast on the Cliff Ravenscraft Show, Episode 715: https://www.cliffravenscraft.com/podcasts/the-cliff-ravenscraft-show-mindset-answer-man/episodes/2148284571 Learn more about all the terminology and acronyms used on today's show at: https://www.makerealstuff.com/pages/podcast

  4. 11/04/2023

    My 4 Biggest Product Fails and What You Can Learn From Them - and a New Product Journey

    Listen to every episode: https://www.makerealstuff.com/pages/podcast Visit www.makerealstuff.com to learn more about how I can help you bring your product idea to life!

  5. 10/19/2023

    Introduction - and Exploring the 5 Types of Product Innovation

    Listen to every episode: https://www.makerealstuff.com/pages/podcast Visit www.makerealstuff.com to learn more about how I can help you bring your product idea to life!

  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Do you have a genius idea for a physical product that you want to take to market? Make Real Stuff will walk you through the entire process to bring it to life. This podcast covers a broad range of topics, including product design, prototyping, pricing, packaging, manufacturing, trade shows, sales strategies, and much more. Your host, toy and gift industry veteran Ryan Hamilton, shares his 20+ years of experience as a retailer, sales rep, corporate buyer, and inventor. The podcast provides valuable insights and tips on how to take your product from sketchpad (or napkin sketch) to the store shelf. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out on your journey, “Make Real Stuff” is the perfect resource for anyone looking to turn their product idea into a reality.

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