Video: Hardware vs Software product management "Product people - Product managers, product designers, UX designers, UX researchers, Business analysts, developers, makers & entrepreneurs April 04 2016 True Hardware, Investment, Lean, Prototyping, Software, Startup, Mind the Product Mind the Product Ltd 193 Product Management 0.772

Video: Hardware vs Software product management

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Building hardware products presents a set of unique challenges and Kristoffer Lawson, founder and CEO of Solu, found it all the more interesting coming to hardware from his background in software engineering. While it certainly takes more time to build and prototype products in hardware, the process is getting faster and the costs continue to fall. Not only that, but the rate of investment in hardware startups is growing.

At the August Product Tank in San Francisco, Kristoffer talked about how creating hardware has become easier than ever before with platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, and a wealth of manufacturing opportunities in Asia. Many new companies have ventured down that path, but what are some of the realities that would have helped his company if they had been known earlier?

For starters, lean processes don’t apply in the same way – hardware mistakes are expensive, and lead-times for complex products are relatively high. There are also very real physical constraints to contend with.

Kristoffer’s engaging style and insight make this a great watch if you’re hoping to get an insider’s take on what to bear in mind when you’re building hardware products.