The Hardware Entrepreneur
“Software eats the world”, as one famous investor once said it. However, our Earth runs on resources and is based on atoms rather than bits. Our true progress therefore depends mainly on our producing, selling innovative physical products, that is hardware. Hardware is...different. Challenges abound in designing, manufacturing, getting funding, hiring, innovating, delivering to the customers. Resources are scattered around and only a few exist. Where do you get real, practical knowledge? This podcast is the first one for hardware entrepreneurs, where hardware entrepreneurs are interviewed from around the world, exceptional persons who founded startups or small and medium-sized enterprises. This show is for you with a desire to found and run a company in a global environment. Learn first-hand from hardware entrepreneurs who have already gone through the ups and downs of the business. During each episode the INDIVIDUAL stories are uncovered, following up with an ULTRAFAST round of questions at the end. Bringing you these stories is entrepreneur and cosmopolitan, Balint Horvath, based in Switzerland, the land of green pastures and fresh ideas.
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#068 - Challenges of small manufacturers to organise their production and inventory, with Kristjan Vilosius of Katana, Estonia
05/15/2019
#068 - Challenges of small manufacturers to organise their production and inventory, with Kristjan Vilosius of Katana, Estonia
This episode’s guest is Kistjan Vilosius of , a startup from Estonia. Working at a small-, medium-sized company, or startup you have to wear many hats and it happens often that there are simply not enough people to wear those hats. You have limited resources. Highly efficient way of working is therefore extremely important. How many times did it happen that you spent unexpectedly high number of hours trying to fix some issues when using your software, for example plain old spreadsheets, especially when those spreadsheets are connected, which handle different aspects of your business? This episode’s guest is Katana’s co-founder and CEO, Kristjan. He has held different leadership positions in the corporate world as the group CFO then group CEO of Magnum, a multinational pharmaceutical retailer in the Baltics and Finland. Later he was the CEO of Up Invest family office investing in retail, media, healthcare and cleantech companies. Today he’s the CEO and Product Manager of Katana, a manufacturing ERP for makers, crafters, manufacturers. We’ll talk about how they started out, back when Katana was just an idea. We discuss what solutions exist for managing inventory, production besides Katana’s solution. We go into details how their software works, the many integrations they offer now and they expect to offer in the near future. You’ll also hear about trends that you can expect in the b2c space. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: The story behind the first manufacturing and inventory management tool that helps small business scale faster [3:00] What makes Estonia one of the best countries to start a company [6:30] How Katana brings in the point of truth [8:54] Why focusing on a specific customer niche is a winning strategy for inventory management platforms [12:23] The ways in which Katana is trying to become an integrated app [18:08] How Katana supports manufacturers producing highly complex products [25:18] The differences between Katana and Excel that make your life and business easier [29:36] Trends for small manufacturing in 2019 and beyond [33:02] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? [35:21] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? [36:46] Why make your leg day in the gym on Monday morning [38:24] How to bring out the best of people in an international team [39:40] What is the best way to reach Kristjan? [37:40]
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#067 - How to speed up your New Product Introduction - Production Line Tool, with Pete Staples of Blue Clover Devices, USA
02/13/2019
#067 - How to speed up your New Product Introduction - Production Line Tool, with Pete Staples of Blue Clover Devices, USA
My podcast guest is Pete Staples, co-founder and president of Blue Clover Devices with locations in San Francisco, Hong Kong and of course, Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of Hardware. This is an episode on some important aspects of production lines and its challenges. Without a production line you have no mass manufacturing so if you want to play in that field, it’s good to know about some current issues. Pete’s company is originally and even now an ODM company. In this episode he will talk about what they do as an ODM. You’ll also find out about typical waste in production lines and what can go wrong with Work Instructions or SOP, Standard Operating Procedures that are typically used in production lines. Pete’s team has a solution to make teams’ life easier. Their product is for automating testing, but not the usual way which can set you back by a few hundred thousand dollars. We’ve talked about many many more topics, enjoy. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Why Blue Clover Devices are not afraid of competitors [3:25] The difference between ODM and CM and the benefits of using each of them [7:13] Why SOPs are good for consistency but becoming more and more obsolete for usage in Production Lines [9:53] A new level for remote work: “a teleporter” that automates the manufacturing and production process [15:40] How Blue Clovers Devices company applies the 10x improvement [22:00] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? [27:45] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? [30:00] How staying fit during work time is good for both the employees and the company [32:07] How to keep the balance when shifting between two different cultural and business worlds [33:45] What is the best way to reach Pete? [37:40]
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#066 - How to apply lean startup principles to hardware, with Ash Maurya of Leanstack, USA
01/16/2019
#066 - How to apply lean startup principles to hardware, with Ash Maurya of Leanstack, USA
I have a very special guest, one of the pioneers of one of the most popular innovation frameworks these days: the lean startup framework. My guest is Ash Maurya, who along with Eric Ries, did some substantial work in this field, laying the foundations of this concept. You’ll learn in this episode why this idea is still important today, especially in hardware field after it was born around the last financial crisis. You’ll get to hear also what companies are using it, some tactics you can use to make it work for you and also how others use it so you can get inspired. Ash will describe some of the steps, milestones you should hit during the development. In addition he’ll highlight some of the latest cutting-edge innovation topics he’s been working on which connects with my one of past episodes, with Alan Klement when we discussed the Jobs To Be Done framework. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: The trigger behind the creation of the Lean Startup innovation framework [1:56] Some examples of big and small companies that prove Lean Startup principles are universal when applying the right tactics [7:24] Strategies that hardware startups use to go faster than their competitors [10:27] The three stages of Lean Startup, the risks associated with them and recommendations on how to move successfully through each one [16:18] Running Lean, Scaling Lean and the Customer Forces Canvas – when and how to use them [24:25] How a fisherman in South America surprisingly benefited from Lean Startup principles [29:11] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? [34:08] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? [34:48] A routine hack for accomplishment-driven makers [36:25] Why sharing stories help us thrive in cultures with different nuances [38:00] What is the best way to reach Ash? [40:28]
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#065 - How to care about sustainability to get rid of plastic bottles (and still make a profit), with Moritz Waldstein of Mitte, Germany
12/19/2018
#065 - How to care about sustainability to get rid of plastic bottles (and still make a profit), with Moritz Waldstein of Mitte, Germany
My guest in this episode is Moritz Waldstein-Wartenberg of from Berlin, Germany. We all drink water, mostly, I guess. I drink it in my tea, usually Fennel Anis Cumin bio tea, I drink it many times per day. Or I consume water in its pure form. But is water really pure? If it’s not pure, for example tap water, which we drink many times in Europe, how do you make sure you have a high quality water at home without going to the supermarket, paying for it and without taking, then throwing out the plastic bottles? And if you get it in the supermarket, is that good enough water for us? Mitte addresses these points mentioned. With Moritz we talked about different technologies to purify water, how Mitte started out, the milestones they reached and how they got to the current investment round of 10 million. We also covered some of the strategies and tactics they used. We also touched on agile transformation, a topic covered in the last episode. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: What Mitte adds to their product that makes it unique and how they go beyond the standard for every user [2:40] Some very important actions to consider on your way to a successful crowdfunding campaign [8:55] Designing contracts when working with bigger companies as partners and other helpful skills in the initial start-up stage [14:56] A nature-like technology that’s a good offer for both people and the planet [19:28] The difference between working in silos and work streams [23:18] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? [27:00] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? [28:00] Why morning routines are important for Moritz [30:33] Why diversity brings strength to companies and what it requires [31:28] What is the best way to reach Moritz? [33:51]
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#064 - To transform or not to transform your hardware company to an all agile one next year, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland
11/21/2018
#064 - To transform or not to transform your hardware company to an all agile one next year, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland
I’m back on this episode and you will hear about the continuation of the topic of the . What should you do once you know you have a problem worth solving and you validated what solution you should build with all the features? Should you just go ahead and develop the product based on the specs, the whole development potentially taking multiple years? What is some framework that’s being adopted by more and more organisations these days, such as by Tesla, Bosch, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Boeing, Saab Defense or also some of the smaller companies, startups? They realized you cannot keep developing and operating in a rigid plan-driven way since the whole world has turned upside down, speed of working has increased and if you don’t come out onto the market with a product faster than your competitors, you lose. This episode is about agile transformation of organisations, especially their hardware development. What hurdles have you seen in your transformation or in your wish to transform? Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at:
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#063 - Your (hardware) product is not your product - think in terms of business models, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
10/24/2018
#063 - Your (hardware) product is not your product - think in terms of business models, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
This episode features me and I’ll talk about topics that are especially relevant for technical founders. Your product is not the product. Many of us in high tech entrepreneurship have a technical background, with years of academic training where we’ve been educated about how to build products, with all the technical skills needed for that. We know how to calculate many things, such as mechanical properties, we know how to create CAD drawings, and how to actually translate theory into practise by actually building stuff. But is entrepreneurship really about these technicalities, specifically hardware entrepreneurship? In this episode I address 3 questions: (i) if it’s not your product that matters, what matters than more? (ii) once you have the basics of your business, should you rush to build and publicly release a fully-fledged product which perfectly reflects your vision? (iii) what are some of the frameworks for some of the well-known hardware startups that make their business tick? In this episode you can learn about how to find good ideas, why and how not to fall into the product trap, how Audi won the Le Mans competition without having the fastest car, how Tesla rolls out its products and many more. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: How to hang a picture on the wall [2:00] Why constraints are actually helpful [5:18] Elements of a story about how an organization creates, delivers and captures value [8:00] How smart it is to tackle the biggest risk first [10:51] Typical business models for hardware startups [13:46]
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#062 - How a hardware SaaS company wants to help you not get lost in your data during product development, with Michael Corr of Duro Labs, USA
09/26/2018
#062 - How a hardware SaaS company wants to help you not get lost in your data during product development, with Michael Corr of Duro Labs, USA
I had Michael Corr as guest, who is the co-founder and CEO of from LA, southern California. I already had a guest from LA in , Shaun Arora of , the hardware accelerator. Michael is also in a way supporting the hardware ecosystem, but he’s not from an accelerator. He’s helping hardware companies with their developments and he has a product for it. His product is at the interface between software and hardware. He’s been deep in hardware development, designing and manufacturing all kinds of hardware products for more than 15 years both in the US and outside. Hardware products he has designed range from drones, IoT devices, wearables, telecom equipment, cleantech. His team is coming out now with a cloud-based product. Many talk enthusiastically about digital manufacturing and that there’s a renaissance in manufacturing, but actually still too many use such “sophisticated” tools as email or simple spreadsheets. How do you avoid miscommunication between teams in design, in manufacturing, inside and outside your organisation? How do you make sure you can keep track of all the data you produce during your development without people working with inconsistent versions of your database? How do you circumvent getting inaccurate data, spec sheets, part numbers, drawings into your design? These are all some of the questions he addresses in this interview. Beyond these, we also talked about other pressing issues for agile hardware development a reality or why we don’t have revision control in CAD design similar to how it exists in software development with git repository. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: The solution to a common pain point across various endeavors in designing and manufacturing hardware [4:30] Who can benefit from Duro and the variety of problems it can solve that differentiate it on the market [8:12] What some of the most used management tools cannot give to today’s engineers that Duro can [16:23] How the gap between prototyping and mass production stage is slowing down the hardware industry in its struggle to catch up with the software industry [20:25] State of agile development and which companies are making progress in this respect [27:24] Stages of the hardware development where agile will have the most impact [35:12] Why version management tools aren’t common in hardware development [42:12] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? [46:06] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? [47:43] Why and when to be process-oriented [48:49] Being in different worlds for development and its challenges [51:08] What is the best way to reach Michael? [53:28]
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#061 - RERUN - How to avoid mistakes when building a team - lessons from mentoring 1200+ hardware entrepreneurs, with Alan Clayton of SOSV
08/29/2018
#061 - RERUN - How to avoid mistakes when building a team - lessons from mentoring 1200+ hardware entrepreneurs, with Alan Clayton of SOSV
This is a rerun episode after one month of no publishing. As mentioned in the last episode, I changed the publishing frequency to monthly. Why am I doing now a re-release of a past episode? Perhaps you’ve seen the recent report by HAX, the hardware accelerator based in Shenzhen, China and in San Francisco: . In the report they mentioned the importance of a great team when building a company and immediately this past episode with Alan Clayton came up in my mind, who’s the person assessing hardware startup teams’ healths. Since this is a very important topic, I wanted to bring it in focus again by re-releasing this episode. Alan has been working for , the Venture Capital company, since its beginnings in 2010. You might know as as it’s the world’s top hardware VC. They’re special also in another aspect as unlike other VCs, SOSV runs accelerator programs, such as , , , , , , MOX. They are understandably very tech-focused and Alan Clayton is the person who understands people. This means he makes sure you have the right team to deliver the right results as otherwise things can and if they can, then they will go wrong. The question we addressed in this episode is: how can you maximize your success with your team? You can learn in this episode about successful team’s composition, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) for testing what areas the team covers, and also how this knowledge can help you pitch your idea better. So in essence we’ll go deeper than just talking about the left and right brain thinking. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Do you use your brain’s full capacity? - [3:27] What SOSV stands for and Alan’s role in the company – [6:38] Who is Ned Herrmann and how his work is helping startups work more effectively? – [7:48] At which phase of the startup process you will most surely need Alan? - [9:17] How does a startup founders’ assessment unfold? - [12:42] Which type of intelligence are you - Captain Kirk, Doctor Spock, Scotty the engineer or Doctor Bones? - [15:04] How to avoid conflicts and benefit from the team diversity at the early stages of a startup? - [21:38] What are the major success factors for hardware startups? - [24:58] What set of skills does a hardware startup CEO need to develop? - [27:20] A Star Trek crash course on pitching - [30:30] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [34:54] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [35:39] Some cultural differences that Alan observed throughout his career – [36:46] Alan’s recipe for a good start of the day - [38:55] What is the best way to reach Alan? – [42:20]
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#060 - Future global data connectivity without worrying about your costs, with Guy Zbarsky of Keepgo, Israel
08/01/2018
#060 - Future global data connectivity without worrying about your costs, with Guy Zbarsky of Keepgo, Israel
My guest is Guy Zbarsky, co-founder of Keepgo, a firm that has been in business for about a decade. Guy’s company is called Keepgo and this company name already suggests that they want you to keep going, everywhere you want to go to. Some of you know that well, I cannot live very long without traveling so their topic connected with me. I met their company via one of my trips at IoT Tech Expo in Amsterdam at the end of June this year. Their business operates in a fast-moving field, in telecom. This also means that Guy will share some interesting tips and stories, how they’ve been riding the telecom wave. Some of the topics we cover are: where telecom business is heading to, especially the data connectivity aspect. Guy mentions some timelines he expects for the virtual SIM technology’s adoption. He also brings up when and how each of us will be able to start making money based on the emergence of virtual SIM. He also talks about the beginnings of his company and their pivoting a few times. Guy drops some tips too on project management-related tools he uses and is considering using soon. I have an additional announcement in this episode regarding the publishing frequency. This is happening as I’ll be focusing on some other projects, too in the future. Are you angry or happy about it? Let me know by sending an email or via social media. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Why Keepgo is an exciting company (for me) Problem they’re targeting – offering an alternative to the rip-off scheme by others Beginnings of Keepgo and its multiple pivots Virtual SIM technology to replace plastic SIM cards? Different virtual SIM technology standards What virtual SIM technology has to do with Airbnb Timeline Guy expects for virtual SIM’s adoption by the public and the bright future for all of us to make extra money Keepgo’s past and current uniqueness on the market Business tools Guy uses to manage his company The wisdom Guy would take back to his 20-year-old self His favorite book he uses for his business Guy’s daily habits and how they help him (re-)focus Cultural differences he highlights and how he thinks we can overcome those Guy’s last bit of advice, take home message – why you should start a business
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#059 - Where IoT/AI are heading to - impressions from IoT Tech Expo Europe, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland
07/18/2018
#059 - Where IoT/AI are heading to - impressions from IoT Tech Expo Europe, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland
Recently I participated in in Amsterdam on 27-28 June. It was a fascinating event to feel the pulse of the industry, how things stand and where the industry is heading to. In this episode I want to bring you some of the highlights, essential take home messages. This event is one of the biggest ones of its kind in Europe with nearly 9000 attendees. It had a few sections, including AI, IoT, Blockchain. At least half of the exhibitors were related to blockchain. However, in this episode in order to have some focus, I’ll concentrate more on the former two fields. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Enjoy and take a look at the highlights below to get a glimpse of topics discussed. What is the IoT Tech Expo in Amsterdam all about? When expectations and investments rise (too) high in AI/IoT Some healthy developments in AI – Aiir Innovations Need for investments in AI – Asgard Another application of AI/IoT – predictive maintenance Emerging startups at IoT Tech Expo and their use cases Interview with Aiir Innovations on their AI innovation and how the future of AI looks like
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#058 - Freedom to work and play anywhere without losing power, with Nancy de Fays of Linedock, USA
07/04/2018
#058 - Freedom to work and play anywhere without losing power, with Nancy de Fays of Linedock, USA
My guest in this episode is Nancy de Fays, one the two co-founders of a company from San Francisco, California, which is called . Have you ever wanted to work or play from anywhere but you ran into the issue of running out of power for your devices? Maybe you did actually want to work from a beach with your laptop, while navigating a drone in the air at the same time, while playing music on a speaker...for hours long. Nancy’s hardware startup wants to tackle this problem so one can become more location-independent. Their company has received lately substantial traction via crowdfunding: their campaign brought in a few hundred thousand dollars of backing. To put it in context, according to Kickstarter stats from 2017 only 3% of crowdfunding campaigns typically get over 100 kUSD of support. Nancy and Quentin, who she joined at the beginning of their venture, are building seamless electronics for creatives and professionals on the go. As for background she has a Master’s in Economics, and she started off as a Software Tech Consultant at Deloitte in Belgium and France, then decided to follow her heart: starting their “business” project with Quentin. Rest is history (even if their company is wearing baby shoes). Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: What Apple, firefighters and startups have in common - [2:45] How it all started: computer in a swimming pool and forgotten charger - [5:12] Human-like features for the more power-hungry devices - [9:30] What makes Linedock stand out among other similar products on the market - [11:44] Why hardware is hard and the place of crowdfunding in the process - [14:35] Advantages of Indiegogo over Kickstarter - [17:18] How to reach high numbers in crowdfunding with a limited budget - [20:30] Hardware-specific challenges: the 90 % done, but 90% remaining - [25:48] What is special about the crowdfunding world that makes it different from the rest of the world? - [31:18] If you could go back in time in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? - [35:28] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your entrepreneurial career? - [35:54] What to do before diving in your tons of emails and phone calls - [36:57] Never take “no“ for an answer - [37:33] What is the best way to reach Nancy? - [39:14]
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#057 - Kickstarter Post-launch - a home gym challenges the "No pain No gain" crowd, with Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, USA
06/20/2018
#057 - Kickstarter Post-launch - a home gym challenges the "No pain No gain" crowd, with Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, USA
This is a second recording with Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, USA who has had recently a Kickstarter campaign. He is a fitness student, consultant and pioneer. In this second episode you get to hear about the lessons learned from his crowdfunding campaign. In the he talked about the campaign preparations. We’ll analyze his campaign, why it was a success for Joey, the hypothesis he wanted to address. He explains what went well and he gives also some ideas on how he could improve his future campaigns. What were some of the tools or tactics he used to get his results? We go into details also on these. At the end of the interview he also discusses the next steps, how he wants to grow in a sustainable way and will give a creative idea on how he wants to rely on his new customer base in the future. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: A short summary of the SCULPTAFIT concept - [2:16] Hypothesis check: how math algorithms can help you when you launch a project on Kickstarter - [4:30] The importance of pre-marketing in big-ticket items sales - [11:54] Surprising and not so surprising buyers on his Kickstarter campaign, and the value of follow-up - [13:48] A video walk-through – making it transparent, simple and easy for the client - [20:03] Three tools that brought Joey success during his Kickstarter campaign - [23:50] Evergreen phase: future steps for SCULPTAFIT - [27:47] “That person sounds just like me”- [31:15]
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#056 - Not too early, not too late - how to get the timing right for your innovation, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
06/06/2018
#056 - Not too early, not too late - how to get the timing right for your innovation, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
I’m back again on the podcast with an episode where I’ll be talking about the timing of innovation. This means I don’t have a guest in this episode. Why do many startup ideas fail, what’s the main reason for it? What are some of the other implications for your business in case you fail due to that one reason? It turns out actually timing is crucial. And with timing I don’t mean when you get your team together, or when you get the funding. Timing entails here something else: when you should come out with the innovation. In this episode there will be many examples, hardware examples for companies, projects that didn’t see the light for a long time and I will touch on a few reasons why it happened so. An example is Kodak which invented digital photography but did not make a business around it or also Pebble will be mentioned, which is a more recent story. Enjoy this episod! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: The single biggest reason why startups succeed – [0:50] Educating the market – examples of the past and present – [2:18] A light bulb – nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come – [5:05] Questions to be asked by both startups and established companies – [7:24]
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#055 - Why hardware startup ecosystem in Lebanon is becoming interesting, with Raja Younes of Startupsfund, Futuris Technologies, Lebanon
05/23/2018
#055 - Why hardware startup ecosystem in Lebanon is becoming interesting, with Raja Younes of Startupsfund, Futuris Technologies, Lebanon
This is an interview with Raja Younes of Startupsfund, Futuris Technologies, Lebanon. We wanted to look at the Lebanese startup ecosystem, especially in hardware, so for producing physical products. We don’t hear about Lebanon enough, even though we should as there are some strong reasons for it - you can find out in this episode about some of these reasons. All tech startups run into a problem sooner or later which is connected to their workforce. There is actually a megatrend related to this, which can become a huge bottleneck for further growth worldwide. Other topics Raja will talk about is some facts on Lebanon and its effects on making the Lebanese startup ecosystem a unique one in the region or in the world. Why should startups or established companies seriously consider going to Lebanon? What are some examples for companies doing that? We will touch on these questions, and Raja’s initiatives to alleviate these issues. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: A guide to Lebanon and its startup ecosystem - [1:58] Underlying problems in today’s world and Raja’s solution to them - [4:00] Main incentives of the Lebanese ecosystem that make it attractive for investors and entrepreneurs - [6:42] Success stories from Lebanon and major international companies in the country - [10:04] Missions of Futuris Technologies and Startupsfund and key benefits of their services - [12:37] If you could go back in time to the time when you were in your 20s, what notes would you give yourself? - [16:33] If you had to name a book, which one had the biggest impact on your thinking and on your career? - [17:58] Some habits that help Raja stay organized and relaxed at the same time - [18:55] Some observations Raja had on cultural differences throughout his career - [20:02] What is the best way to reach Raja? - [22:20]
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#054 - Kickstarter Pre-launch - a home gym challenges the "No pain No gain" crowd, with Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, USA
05/09/2018
#054 - Kickstarter Pre-launch - a home gym challenges the "No pain No gain" crowd, with Joey Atlas of SCULPTAFIT Global, USA
We have a different episode than usual as we’re taking you on a ride on a Kickstarter campaign. My guest was Joey Atlas of , from Florida, who is a fitness student, consultant and pioneer. In this set of episodes you get to hear about the before and after cases for a hardware product. This is the first episode which was recorded just before launch. How familiar are you with the concept No pain, No gain? I guess, actually very familiar. But does fitness really have to be that grueling? Is it really justified that we’re supposed to give our best, to kill ourselves in exercises from day 1? Joey challenges this philosophy with his thinking, program and now his machine. With his techniques he simplified fitness and he has distributed his programs to every country; his top selling programs have been translated into 5 languages. He will tell his story about how fitness became central in his life, his many years of struggles, and during the whole time his entrepreneurial thinking will also shine through. His venture is self-funded which is a rare feat in hardware, when you want to bring out a physical product. Joey will tell us how he came to the idea of his product, some of the manufacturing challenges he overcame, the target audience which is very important for quick adoption of his product. Last but not least, he’ll talk also about some considerations for his Kickstarter campaign. Check out his , which might be out by the time you hear this interview. Enjoy this conversation! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: By universal design - [2:34] What sparked the fitness interest in Joey and what it evolved into - [5:33] Rediscovering playgrounds - [11:36] Self-funding that turns the tables 180° - [16:50] How to find a company for serial production of your prototype - [22:11] “What about my husband?” – first validation experiences - [29:15] The potential of Kickstarter beyond your own capabilities - [35:48] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [39:18] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [40:30] Non-negotiable habits for a better quality of life – [43:36] Some cultural differences that Joey observed throughout his career and examples of how he overcame them – [47:38] Changing the no pain, no gain game – [51:12]
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#053 - Which one to choose - b2b or b2c for hardware startups, with Balint Horvath, your host, Switzerland
04/25/2018
#053 - Which one to choose - b2b or b2c for hardware startups, with Balint Horvath, your host, Switzerland
In this episode I wanted to give you an overview on an essential topic that can make or break your business - the chosen business model. My goal now is to give you an overview of two major business models, B2C (Business to Consumers) and B2B (Business to Business) with all its pros and cons. I approach this topic based on my own recent experiences that you will learn about, as well as based on interviewing many entrepreneurs; lastly by relying on some good old logic. I will also make an announcement in this episode which will serve as pillars to this episode on what I have to share about B2B vs B2C. I think this is an important topic that I wanted to write and talk about for a long time, so please enjoy. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: An announcement to make, a distinction to clarify and lessons to share - [0:44] What do you do when a constellation happens? - [2:11] A crash course in b2b and b2c – pros and cons illustrated with examples - [5:14] Trends, connections and overlap in Silicon Valley - [10:08]
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#052 - Student (hardware) entrepreneurship in Switzerland and worldwide, with Gregory Inauen of ETH Entrepreneur Club, Switzerland
04/11/2018
#052 - Student (hardware) entrepreneurship in Switzerland and worldwide, with Gregory Inauen of ETH Entrepreneur Club, Switzerland
My guest this time was Gregory Inauen of the in Zurich, the youngest individual on this podcast so far. Well, why having a student on the show? I think we should talk not only about people who have acquired a lot of success, but also about the upcoming generation. I’ve known Gregory for about a year now and by bringing him onto the show I wanted to show how a student-run organization that cared about entrepreneurship is run. Moreover, he’s from the Zurich where I also live which is another reason to feature him on the podcast, so this way we could describe the local ecosystem here. Some hardware topics do come up in this episode, but we wanted to focus more on entrepreneurship from students’ perspective. Gregory talked about the 3 pillars of how they want to reach their mission, highlights of his time with Entrepreneur Club that includes speed-dating and how someone managed to land a CEO position this way. He also talked about the startup ecosystem in Switzerland and some specialties of Switzerland, e.g. craftmanship which has been attracting worldwide attention recently because of its uniqueness and effectivity. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: The youngest podcast guest so far and his story about ETH Entrepreneur club’s mission - [2:32] Inspiring highlights from ETH Entrepreneur Club - [6:52] How has a global movement attracted tremendous attention in Switzerland? - [11:01] Why is university not enough when you want to be an entrepreneur? - [13:45] The Swiss hardware startup ecosystem, its advantages and relation to the universities - [16:03] Key points that differentiate ETH Entrepreneur Club from other similar clubs worldwide - [18:40] If you could time travel into the future, what would you give yourself? – [22:42] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [24:13] Gregory’s morning fueling routine – [25:05] Challenges that Gregory had to overcome throughout his experience with the Entrepreneur Club – [26:04] What is the best way to reach Gregory? – [28:02]
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#051 - Connecting the (hardware) dots, with Greg Fisher of BSG and Hardware Massive, USA
03/28/2018
#051 - Connecting the (hardware) dots, with Greg Fisher of BSG and Hardware Massive, USA
I had as guest Greg Fisher of and . Greg is very experienced in the hardware field, since he’s been running for more than a decade, assisting more than 900 hardware startups, operating from the US and from China. There is tons of information on manufacturing in China, but I think information on this topic never seems to be enough. Greg talks about typical timelines for developing consumer products, the different steps one has to take; he gives tips on how to stay lean and agile. He’ll talk also about Hardware Massive platform, how it all started out and the yearly event that connects to it called , the premier global meeting for startups, taking place actually in April this year. The lineup and topics look pretty amazing so you might want to check out that event soon. Enjoy this episode as much as I did interviewing Greg! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: His first successful hardware project and marketing tips obtained during Tour de France - [3:15] The essence of BSG and the types of companies Greg works with - [4:55] Manufacturing in China vs the U.S. – which direction to take? - [9:12] From first production run to shipping – a standard timeline overview - [12:00] Do it right the first time - [16:47] Best ideas are born in early morning hours - [19:08] A premier hardware innovation event that gets it all together - [22:49] What makes a business successful, according to Greg - [25:39] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [28:20] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [28:43] What is a frog doing in Greg’s daily routine? – [29:30] Some cultural differences that Greg observed throughout his career – [30:45] What is the best way to reach Greg? – [34:36]
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#050 - How to get your product found on the internet, with Ashley Faulkes of Mad Lemmings, Switzerland
03/14/2018
#050 - How to get your product found on the internet, with Ashley Faulkes of Mad Lemmings, Switzerland
I sat down with Ashley Faulkes of , who’s passionate about the internet, on how products are showcased and how they can be found. We wanted to address two challenges: how can you bring a visitor to your website and how can you convert them from visitors into a buyer? These are not exactly hardware topics, but for sure these days they’re relevant to everyone doing business. There is tons of information around about tools, so it’s not an easy job to find the right one(s). We’re all biased to some degree. We’re all selling. As recently , if you say you’re not selling, at least you’re selling possibility. The possibility Ash was selling is that you don’t need need to pay constantly a web-developer to do all the work. You don’t need to pay a lot of money to do only Google AdWords. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Quick overview of the most used CMS’ - [3:45] CMS’ pros and cons depending on the stage of development - [8:11] How did Ashley get into website design? - [11:24] Thrive Themes versus other similar tools - [15:29] How to be found on Google and where to start from? - [19:54] Examples of why you should choose your battles on Google wisely - [27:20] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [39:44] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [41:03] Ashley’s daily non-routine – [42:40] Some cultural differences that Ashley has observed throughout his career – [44:30] What is the best way to reach Ashley? – [46:58]
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#049 - RERUN - Elements of building a successful tech business, with (proven) serial entrepreneur Milton Chang of Incubic Venture Fund, USA
02/28/2018
#049 - RERUN - Elements of building a successful tech business, with (proven) serial entrepreneur Milton Chang of Incubic Venture Fund, USA
Again, this is a rerun episode so a re-release of the episode with Milton Chang of Incubic. You can find out more about some of the reasons for it in the and in the before that. This is another episode that is in the top 5 episodes regarding download numbers; in fact it’s #3 on my podcast chart. Dr. Milton Chang, is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive, long track-record of building hardware companies. Milton is currently managing partner of . He was president of and , which he took public. In addition, the companies he incubated resulted in six IPOs and close to 10 acquisitions. He currently works with several companies, including Aurrion (acquired by Juniper Networks), MBio Diagnostics, YesVideo, and Protein Fluidics. He’s a Trustee of the and has recently served on the SEC Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies. He writes a business and management column for Laser Focus World. Milton is also the author of , a book that I consider as one of the best books on entrepreneurship - find out in this episode why. You can find out in this episode what it means for him to found a company, to grow slowly or fast. You can also learn what you should pay attention to if you come out of academia to start a business, what separates a good from a bad business idea and many many more. Enjoy. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Why I am doing a rerun of this episode - [0:49] Toward Entrepreneurship - Milton Chang’s book – [3:48] Starting a niche business modestly versus rapidly growing a business in a hot field - [6:48] Bootstrapping explained with two examples from his own experience - [8:52] What were the critical ingredients that helped Milton start his companies? - [11:51] Ingredients that are typically missing in founders who start out right out of school, e.g. after a Master’s or PhD program? - [14:13] Self-actualization inside a company - synchronizing the employees’ and the company’s needs [19:02] What separates a good business idea from a bad one? - [21:50] Pros and cons of different sources for financing a start-up - [23:50] Fueling your own dreams - [27:37] The field of photonics as an enabler for other industries - [29:18] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [32:48] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [30:07] Milton’s morning routine – [34:43] Milton’s observations on Asian and European cultural differences – [35:30] What is the best way to reach Milton? – [37:10]
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#048 - RERUN - How to think like Elon Musk - scrum for hardware, with Joe Justice of WIKISPEED and Scrum Inc, USA
02/14/2018
#048 - RERUN - How to think like Elon Musk - scrum for hardware, with Joe Justice of WIKISPEED and Scrum Inc, USA
This is a rerun episode so a re-release of the episode with Joe Justice of and . Why a rerun? There are a few reasons for it and I brought up some during the . One of the reasons, as mentioned, has to do with slowing down at the beginning of the year. Another reason is that this episode was in the top 5 most downloaded episodes in 2017. It had a major impact on me as well since after my conversation with Joe I embraced agile to the fullest: I use it both in my professional and personal life. This re-release emphasizes the importance of this topic. Execution is extremely important for startups and agile is one of the best or the best method I know for project management, and for hardware its application is spreading faster and faster. As for Joe he is the President of Scrum @ Hardware at Scrum Inc, the company which is led by the initiator of scum, . Enjoy this very inspiring, information-dense episode. In this episode we elaborate on the topic of scrum. Raw transcript is available at: and show highlights can be seen below: Why I think this episode is important so it has to be re-released - [0:34] Nokia’s story coming to an end - [3:23] Can you describe the Scrum method? - [4:36] What the New Zealand All Blacks #1 rugby team has to do with Scrum - [7:09] Some companies that use Scrum, especially in the hardware field - [9:17] Situation with Scrum for startups in the hardware field, and small or medium sized enterprises? - [13:11] Examples where Scrum has been scaled up, specifically for hardware - [16:12] Tesla and their job postings; WIKISPEED competing against Tesla - [17:59] How to think like Elon Musk? - [19:37] The connection between Kanban, Lean Startup, Lean Canvas and Scrum - [19:50] Two major obstacles for implementing Scrum framеwork, especially in the hardware field? - [24:10] Countries approving Scrum - [29:17] “the last of the old will still be the first of the new” - [30:16] How the leader, the Scrum master or the product owner, can motivate the team? - [31:43] If you could go back in time, when you were younger, what notes what would you take back to that time to keep it to yourself? [37:43] Books which had the biggest impact on his career - [39:44] Joe’s incredible routines to be super-efficient, super-energetic - [43:12] Memorable cultural differences he has encountered - [46:00] How to reach him - [48:47]
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#047 - RERUN - How next-generation retail looks like, with Vibhu Norby of b8ta, USA
01/31/2018
#047 - RERUN - How next-generation retail looks like, with Vibhu Norby of b8ta, USA
This is a rerun episode so a re-release of the episode Vibhu Norby of . Why am I doing a rerun? Well, there are a few reasons for it. Rather than speed up like what most people do, I want to slow down at the beginning of the year. I am doing some energy management by not coming out with new content. Instead I’m reusing some content. This is in line with the first I have released this year which was about simplicity. Many times we’re too busy, so busy that we forget to enjoy life and to celebrate some special episode from the past. This is the episode that you loved most in 2017, based on the number of downloads. By re-releasing it, I wanted to put a spotlight on them. Hardware startups, at least in the consumer space want to sell to the end customer and this episode has some important insights so listening to it again or the first time can prove useful. Vibhu was before with , the smart thermostat maker. This is where he had the realization that retail is far from optimal and that one might have to rethink retail to bring it up to date, to capitalize on today’s tech capabilities. is essentially a software-powered retailer. In this episode Vibhu talks about b8ta’s contrarian belief on why brick and mortar stores are dying, how they want to bring back customers to the stores, and what the best brands do. Nowadays e-commerce topics is stealing the headlines, but contrary to this, people actually buy products in stores. You can also learn about conflict of interest between brands and retailers and how Vibhu wants to solve this conflict with his company. You can also find out how he validated his idea, what mistake he made during this time. He also walks us through the process what details make your brand sell or not sell inside a store. And many more topics will be covered, too. Enjoy! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Why I am doing a rerun of this episode? - [0:37] How is the store model of b8ta reversing the trend of brick-and-mortar stores closing down? - [3:45] Previous professional experience that lead Vibhu to creating a platform for solving the retail conflict - [6:44] Important observations that evolved into replacing a whole system – [12:55] How did he validate the idea? - [14:28] Key ingredients that differentiate b8ta from their competitors - [17:23] How does the platform pay the makers? - [20:55] Importance of timing and speed of bringing products to market - [22:05] A walk through b8ta’s four-step customer journey that they analyse - [24:58] Plan for success – mistakes the founders made while growing the company [28:05] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [31:57] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [32:28] Vibhu’s everyday routine – [33:11] Some cultural differences that Vibhu observed throughout his career – [34:58] What is the best way to reach Vibhu? – [36:46]
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#046 - When not to start a startup - how to license your idea (Part 2), with Stephen Key of inventRight, USA
01/17/2018
#046 - When not to start a startup - how to license your idea (Part 2), with Stephen Key of inventRight, USA
This episode is Part 2 of my interview with Stephen Key of . Why two parts? Soon you can learn why I believe this topic deserves special attention. Stephen Key, using a relevant Star Wars terminology, is the Yoda of "renting" ideas as Tim Ferriss referred to him. The question is still the same: do you really need to found a company? In part 1 we discussed Stephen’s guideline on when to start a startup and when to license. He brought up also another point: should you sell a product first, or something else? In part 2 we talk mainly about Provisional Patent Application (PPA), which is a cornerstone idea behind how licensing can generate profit for you. You don’t hear about this topic often as it’s something some people don’t want to talk about. Such people as patent attorneys. Another question Stephen addresses is why don’t companies steal your idea? There are many more topics we covered, such as open innovation, mistakes he made and the ultrafast round. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: What is a PPA and who is the best person to write it? - [2:02] Why is now the perfect time for filing a PPA and where in the world can you do that? - [5:06] What are the steps for a well-written PPA? - [8:49] Is intellectual property good for high tech startups? - [11:50] Can you do it on your own? – lessons from Stephen’s entrepreneurial career [15:31] Try to steal your own idea first - [17:07] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [21:38] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [21:57] The habit of structured chaos – [22:32] Some cultural differences that Stephen observed throughout his career – [24:10]
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#045 - Simplicity and what it has to do with what I learned from my guests in 2017, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
01/03/2018
#045 - Simplicity and what it has to do with what I learned from my guests in 2017, with your host Balint Horvath, Switzerland
This episode contains some of the crucial learnings for me in 2017, and critical lessons that you might want to keep in mind in the year to come. I am extremely thankful for my guests for their insights. Such knowledge has transformed my life and in this episode I am talking about the impact on my daily routines, how I manage projects, some aspects of how I manage my podcast. You can learn about my guests’ routines, how they optimize their businesses from the start, what to keep in mind in terms of human capacity, skill when starting a business. Finally I’ll close off this episode with an outlook for 2018, what you can expect to hear about. Enjoy this episode and I wish you an entrepreneurially outstanding year ahead in 2018. Enjoy this episode. Show highlights can be seen below: Simplicity as coming from Da Vinci and how it connects with the thinking of Patagonia’s CEO - [2:10] The meaning behind staying small - [5:15] Some examples on how my guests’ companies stayed small at the beginnings - [7:55] Execution or how my guests stay organised in their life and in their business - [10:05] What to pay attention to when building a team - [16:00] Outlook for 2018 - [20:35]
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#044 - When not to start a startup - how to license your idea (Part 1), with Stephen Key of inventRight, USA
12/20/2017
#044 - When not to start a startup - how to license your idea (Part 1), with Stephen Key of inventRight, USA
This is an episode on a topic that, I believe, should get more attention in entrepreneurship circles. My guest is Stephen Key of . Stephen is literally one of the teachers of . He went to Stephen’s lectures and sought his advice on how he can make his business at that time, BrainQUICKEN more efficient. Do you really need to found a company? This is the question we address in this episode. Stephen is a lifelong entrepreneur, inventor and a renowned intellectual property strategist. This episode is split into 2 parts, because this way the topic can get more attention. In part 1 you will learn how Stephen helped Tim Ferriss and what he got in return unexpectedly. Stephen also discusses what the most important thing is today when you want to bring out a product to market. You can find out some guidelines from him on when to start a startup and when to license. And when you want to sell something, shall you sell the product first or something else? Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: What do the Yoda of renting out ideas and the German Tim Ferris have in common? - [2:11] The Ferris effect - [5:25] Why has Stephen’s book gained such a tremendous success? – [7:52] The differences between starting a company versus renting out your idea - [10:38] A piece of plastic worth a quarter of a million dollars - [13:27] Do you want to stay creative or do you want to wear many hats? - [17:04] The benefits of selling the benefit first - [18:48] What are some safe approaches when communicating your idea to the licensee? - [22:34]
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#043 - How to avoid mistakes when building a team - lessons from mentoring 1200+ hardware entrepreneurs, with Alan Clayton of SOSV
12/06/2017
#043 - How to avoid mistakes when building a team - lessons from mentoring 1200+ hardware entrepreneurs, with Alan Clayton of SOSV
My guest is Alan Clayton of , who’s the Roaming Mentor at the VC and who’s been with the company since the beginnings. You might know as as it’s the world’s top hardware VC. They’re special also in another aspect as unlike other VCs, runs accelerator programs, such as , , , , , , MOX. They are understandably very tech-focused and Alan Clayton is the person who understands people. This means he makes sure you have the right team to deliver the right results as otherwise things can and if they can, then they will go wrong. The question we addressed in this episode is: how can you maximize your success with your team? You can learn in this episode about successful team’s composition, the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) for testing what areas the team covers, and also how this knowledge can help you pitch your idea better. So in essence we’ll go deeper than just talking about the left and right brain thinking. Enjoy this episode! Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: Do you use your brain’s full capacity? - [3:27] What SOSV stands for and Alan’s role in the company – [6:38] Who is Ned Herrmann and how his work is helping startups work more effectively? – [7:48] At which phase of the startup process you will most surely need Alan? - [9:17] How does a startup founders’ assessment unfold? - [12:42] Which type of intelligence are you - Captain Kirk, Doctor Spock, Scotty the engineer or Doctor Bones? - [15:04] How to avoid conflicts and benefit from the team diversity at the early stages of a startup? - [21:38] What are the major success factors for hardware startups? - [24:58] What set of skills does a hardware startup CEO need to develop? - [27:20] A Star Trek crash course on pitching - [30:30] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [34:54] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [35:39] Some cultural differences that Alan observed throughout his career – [36:46] Alan’s recipe for a good start of the day - [38:55] What is the best way to reach Alan? – [42:20]
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#042 - How to think with your hands - LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology with Alexandra Mandoki of Sparks Guide, Switzerland
11/22/2017
#042 - How to think with your hands - LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology with Alexandra Mandoki of Sparks Guide, Switzerland
I had a special guest on the podcast, somebody who’s also originally from Hungary, just like me. My guest was Alexandra Mandoki, founder, chief guide and innovator at based in Zurich, Switzerland, just like me. Would you like to perhaps double your brain activity? Then this episode is for you. You’ll soon also learn how the same technique with Lego can be used in a group setting to innovate, to let some creativity juice flow. This topic is close to me as I used to love and still love Lego. This interview was recorded with a camera, for the change, and this is its audio version. You will learn from Alexandra about the method she’s an expert of and also about its myriad applications that are just mind-boggling. I don’t know why exactly this method is not so widespread yet, but I hope that after this episode some of you find it useful, even if you “just” use its basics. Enjoy this episode. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: How a childhood game can bring innovation to the [adult] business world – [2:20] LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® - an on-the-fly definition - [3:40] How did LEGO come up with its tool for strategy development and team building? - [5:34] Practical applications of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® - [7:33] Why “serious” and why “play”?- [11:30] “I did not know that I know that” - [12:33] What is the biggest challenge for the adoption of LEGO bricks in the business world? - [13:53] Mistakes Alexandra learned from while working in an international business environment - [15:20] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [16:54] Which book had the biggest impact on her career? – [17:16] Alexandra’s interesting habits – [18:07] How does Alexandra overcome cultural differences in her career? – [19:28] What is the best way to reach Alexandra? – [20:32]
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#041 - How to use lean startup principles to start the world’s first VR cinema franchise, with Dimitri Nabatov of WeAreCinema, Switzerland
11/08/2017
#041 - How to use lean startup principles to start the world’s first VR cinema franchise, with Dimitri Nabatov of WeAreCinema, Switzerland
Dimitri Nabatov has been my guest recently, founder and CEO of a company called . In we had VR topic and this time again we’re back to that topic on the show. His company, has a new business model in the world of VR and his company is a nice example that in order to become successful with hardware products there are a number of ways of doing that, including theirs. You can learn about VR, why it’s special in the entertainment or advertisement industries, how they validated their idea with very cheap hardware, and also how they managed to pre-sell their idea to customers, getting strong market validation without investing almost nothing. You can also learn how he started thinking about the scaling topic in his business at an early phase and this serves as the basis of his current business model. He also gives a challenge to you, innovators, a call for innovation. Enjoy. Show highlights can be seen below: What is the current development of the VR industry and what it has to do with a black and white TV? - [3:55] What makes WeAreCinema stand out in the buzz around VR? – [5:45] The motivation behind founding a company in the entertainment industry - [7:17] Previous experience that lead Dimitri to founding the company - [8:58] How can a very cheap device help you validate your idea? - [10:00] Key lessons from a VR startup venture - [12:15] The business model behind WeAreCinema and how their scale-up - [15:56] How can challenges provoke you to be creative in terms of cost effectiveness? - [18:20] How has WeAreCinema been able to avoid the issue with dizziness? - [22:52] Challenges in front of the team - [24:44] Mistakes the founders did while developing the company - [26:56] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [29:38] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [29:59] Dimitri’s cold habit – [30:54] Some cultural differences that Dimitri observed throughout his career – [32:25] What is the best way to reach Dimitri? – [33:28]
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#040 - Beer as you don’t know it - a startup bringing you the freshest craft beer possible, with Jong-Wook Shin of HOPii, USA
10/25/2017
#040 - Beer as you don’t know it - a startup bringing you the freshest craft beer possible, with Jong-Wook Shin of HOPii, USA
My guest is Jong-Wook Shin from the US, founder and CEO of HOPii, which is a company for beer-lovers. For you who wants to know how to get to the source where it’s the beer is freshest. You’ll also learn why beer on the shelves is actually far from being fresh. Jong is not simply an avid beer drinker. He was formerly Vice President of Innovations, with over 21 years of experience in high tech innovations. You’ll hear in this interview quite well, I believe how excited Jong is to bring the HOPii’s vision to life and introduce brand new craft beer experiences to fellow craft beer lovers. He talks also about their business model’s attractiveness, so not only the hardware itself. Project management topic will come up, as well, so execution, what he thinks about it since an idea without execution is like a child without growing up. I met him at in September this year at the stand, as they're a graduate of this Nr 1 hardware accelerator's program. I liked their product very much, their really unique business model and their story. Enjoy this episode and make sure you check out their (currently running) . Show highlights can be seen below: Craft beer and the world’s biggest hardware accelerator – [2:33] How was HOPii born? - [4:03] What happens when you combine professional background and passion - [7:58] “If the content is not there, that device is not really useful” - a business model that brings the freshest craft beer to your local town - [11:16] Who is the brewmaster and why is he so important? - [15:17] What kinds of technological innovations does HOPii introduce? - [17:25] Mistakes the founders did while developing the company - [22:10] Important insights when you’re doing project management for startups – [24:57] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [28:18] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [29:22] Jong’s interesting prioritizing habit – [30:27] Some cultural differences that Jong observed throughout his career – [32:58] How can you help bring HOPii to life? - [34:44] What is the best way to reach Jong? – [35:33]
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#039 - Brain vs Capital - how to build a business from components (Part 2), with Prof. Günter Faltin, Germany
10/11/2017
#039 - Brain vs Capital - how to build a business from components (Part 2), with Prof. Günter Faltin, Germany
This is Part 2 of my interview with Professor Günter Faltin, from Germany and at the same time a successful entrepreneur. Briefly, I consider him as a kind of the German version of , as his book is similarly influential in entrepreneurship in Germany, similarly to Tim Ferriss’ especially in the US, but also worldwide. You can learn in this episode why the MBA person often clashes with the entrepreneur, why a business plan is not actually a plan, what Prof. Faltin thinks about entrepreneurship, how it could be applicable for many of us. We talked also about outsourcing, what’s crucial about it, how it can work in expensive countries. We have many many more topics, including the “ultrafast round” with 4 short questions so here you go. Enjoy. Raw transcript is available at: Show highlights can be seen below: What entrepreneurship has to do with art and how it is different from business administration - [2:30] “The moment the business plan leaves the printer, it's outdated” – or is a fixed business plan a dangerous thing to do? - [6:35] Entrepreneurship for the many and our underutilizing our brains - [10:49] Why is it important to create a business model that can afford to work with professionals? - [14:33] Mistakes, or opportunities to empower yourself while growing a stable business - [17:10] Entrepreneurship – an existential exercise that helps personal development - [19:35] If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [22:40] Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [23:53] Prof. Faltin’s early morning routine – [25:25] Some cultural differences that Prof. Faltin observed in terms of entrepreneurship – [26:46] What is the best way to reach Prof. Faltin? – [28:50]
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