How to Get from Idea to Scale

By Mike Freier

Mike Freier, a PRG Partner, authored a series of blogs about how hardware products transition from an idea, through development, manufacturing and volume sales to their eventual end of life. Join us on this journey and learn how to avoid the pitfalls and risks that companies encounter on their way to a successful product launch.

1: Introduction

In this blog series, we will take a look at how to transition a hardware product from idea to scale starting with the first phase, “Concept & Feasibility” of this eight-stage framework.  

Next week, Mike will start this series with the factors that may affect the creation of your hardware product, leading to ways of determining the feasibility of the desired manufactured item(s).  Then, he will guide you through the stages of Design & Planning, Development and Validation, while keeping in step with your manufacturing partners. By the end of this series, you will be ready to transition your ideas to manufacturing and ship your product in volume. Finally, Mike will discuss the planning required to end-of-life a product to prevent disappointing loyal customers to keep users engaged in your product journey as you evolve new versions with improved functionality.

Join Mike next week to learn about the first stage in this complex path: The Product Concept.

About the Author

Mike Freier is a Founder and Principal Consultant at the Product Management Consulting Group Inc.  He has 20+ years of experience with high-tech companies, including more than a decade in product management and product marketing.  He was a long-time board member and President of the Silicon Valley Product Management Association, served on the MIT-Stanford (VLAB) executive planning committee and spent several years mentoring start-up founders at the Cleantech Open.  Mike graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BSME degree.committee and spent several years mentoring start-up founders at the Cleantech Open.  Mike graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BSME degree.