Product Startu‪p‬ Kevin Mako of Mako Design + Invent

Jefferey is the Founder and President of The Open People Network, an organization that invests in early stage companies, including many hardware startups. OPN simultaneously runs pitch nights, entrepreneurship communities, and expert panels for startup funding education. Jeffery also has been an Angel Investor for many years. Today he is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can fund the growth of their product business - From invention development all the way to raising millions of dollars of growth capital, and all the funding stages in between.
Today you will hear us talk about:

Pre-Seed and Seed Financing for hardware startups

Best practices for considering outside or professional funding

Professional Angel Funding for Consumer Product Startups

Venture Funding, Series A, Series B, and Series C Funding


Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Jeffery Potvin / Open People Network Links:

Company Website: https://opn.ninja/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferypotvin/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Opeoplenetwork/


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

Mike ran a design firm in Hong Kong back in the 90s, then was A Senior Design Lead at Sunbeam, then a manager at Hewlett Packard, and then spent 10 years with Dell running their entire business desktops design division.  He has made over 50 trips to China for manufacturing sourcing, and has consulted dozens of hardware startups on overseas production.  He is also a mentor at Techstars and Capital Factory.  Today, Mike is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can best plan for and best execute on their first overseas manufacturing run.
Today you will hear us talk about:

Great manufacturing starts with great design.

Don’t try and do it all as a hardware startup.

Have a boots-on-the-ground relationship with your factory overseas.

You may be able to work with good factories when you have strong connections.

What to think about in regards to financing your product development and manufacturing.


Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Mike Morton Links:

Company Website: https://www.mortoncg.com/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-morton-design/


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

Michael spent 22 years with Apple from 1988 to 2010. He is the author of Live from Cupertino, a book about how Apple created their winning messaging. Michael also was the Managing Director of LittleBits, a great hardware startup success story. He is now the Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Indian River State College. Today Michael is going to share some valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can learn from the best practices of Apple - Lessons you can apply to your product business, from one of the biggest product companies of all time.
Today you will hear us talk about:

How Apple used strong product focus, even to sell to literally everyone.

How to create messaging around your product like Apple did

What the future for the startup hardware industry looks like over the next 20 years.


Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Michael Hagelo Links:

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Live-Cupertino-Performance-Worlds-Machine/dp/1642931705


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhageloh/


Website: https://hageloh.com/


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

Eric is the President of The Five Echelon Group, a full-stack marketing agency.  He is also the host of the Virtual CMO Podcast which educates businesses on how to maximize their marketing and messaging efforts.  With 30 years as a marketing executive, Eric today is going to tell us how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers should market their new product, and how to cut out all potential resistance points along your potential customer’s buying process.
You’ll hear Kevin and Eric talk about:

How to market your new product in the modern world.

How to perfect your product's marketing message.

Best practices for smoothing out the buying process for product purchasers.

And more.


Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Eric Dickmann / Virtual CMO Podcast / Five Echelon Links:

Company: https://fiveechelon.com/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edickmann/


Podcast: https://fiveechelon.com/the-virtual-cmo-podcast/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/FiveEchelon


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualcmopodcast/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi1Sd6Wf5JEtLJN0kaEVA1Q


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiveEchelon/


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

Alison is the inventor and founder of Clasp Magic, a consumer product to help users with putting on bracelets one-handed. Alison came up with the invention idea, got it developed, and then hit the ground running by using 5 different product sales channels and strategies to really make sure her product succeeded.  We explore what those channels were, and how to win in them.  Clasp Magic is now sold all over the world.  Today’s episode is about how to succeed in launching your new product, from the perspective of a home inventor, loving wife, and mother of 4.
You’ll hear Kevin and Alison talk about:

Being your brand - Take your product everywhere.

The 5 sales channels Alison used to ensure her product invention launch was a big success.

Best practices for successfully executing in each of those 5 sales channels.

Crowdfunding through platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.


Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Alison Brett / Clasp Magic Links:

Company: https://www.claspmagic.com/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/claspmagic


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clasp_magic/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi1Sd6Wf5JEtLJN0kaEVA1Q


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-brett-5699bb5b/


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.

Tom shares valuable knowledge on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can licence their inventions and products to get into the market - How licencing is actually done properly and professionally to get into the distributors, retailers, or big product brands with your product.
You’ll hear Kevin and Tom talk about:

How far do you need to develop your product in order to start talking to potential licencing partners and brands?

Protecting your intellectual property, and when to do it in the licencing cycle.

Which partners, manufacturers, and brands to first reach out to with a new product.

The best product tradeshows to showcase your product.


Tom is the Founder and Executive Producer of the Make48 TV Show, a show where contestants have 48 hours to come up with an invention idea and build a prototype to showcase it to the judges. The show is on PBS, Amazon Prime, and many other networks around the world. Tom also is the President of Handy Camel, a company that distributes client products all over the world. Simply put, he is one of the big names in the North American product startup space.

Episode Links
The Product Startup Podcast Links:

Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ProductStartup/


Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/


Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


 
Tom Gray’s Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-gray-a0948a77


Company: https://make48.com/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/gomake48


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gomake48/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Make48


 
Mako Design Links:

Website: https://www.makodesign.com/


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/MakoDesign/


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/


Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/


 
Kevin Mako’s Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/


Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Kevin-Mako


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/


 
Thanks for tuning in! See you next time.