145: Expanding Your Startup Hardware Product Line

With Hussain Almossawi, Author of The Innovator’s Handbook

Hosted by Kevin Mako of MAKO Design + Invent

Hussain Almossawi, a former senior hardware director or designer at companies such as Ford, Adidas, and Apple, as well as the author of “The Innovator’s Handbook” and founder of creative agency Mossawi Studios, will share insights on how inventors, startups, and small manufacturers can develop new hardware products beyond their first innovation, scale their brand and determine their next hardware innovation.

Today you will hear us talk about:

• How to expand beyond your first invention
• Strategies for evolving and building on existing products
• Opportunities for creating accessories and complementary products
• Analysis of the pros and cons of different expansion options
• How to determine the best approach for expanding your hardware product
• Examining other industries and identifying potential opportunities for expansion
• Incorporating “what-if” scenarios and out-of-the-box thinking
• Techniques for innovating and building a successful hardware brand
• Combining different ideas and technologies to drive innovation
• The importance of being curious and open to new ideas
• Utilizing feedback and combining it with other input to inform product development
• The value of staying true to the original product while also adding new features
• The First Principles method of product development
• The benefits of keeping your product simple and focusing on one key feature at a time.

EPISODE LINKS

Hussain Almossawi Links:

• Website: https://mossawistudios.com/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/173785080X/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussainalmossawi/

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

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 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.

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!