What do investors actually want to see from a hardware startup before funding it?

It takes more than a good idea.

I have a product idea - what should I do next?

You've had the idea. Maybe it came to you in the shower, maybe it's been rattling around your head for years. You know there's something in it. But now what?

Do I need a prototype before contacting manufacturers?

Short answer: If your asking this question, you probably aren’t ready to be contacting manufacturers yet.

Design for manufacture: a founder’s guide to avoiding costly mistakes

You've got a product idea that makes sense. You've sketched it out, maybe had a prototype built, and people who've seen it are excited. So you start talking to manufacturers and that's when it gets complicated.

A founder’s guide to prototyping — without wasting time or money

For first-time founders, product development rarely begins with clarity.

Why most hardware startups fail (and how to avoid it)

Most hardware startups don’t fail because of a single big mistake.

They fail because a small number of critical questions were never fully answered, or were answered too late, when changing direction had already become costly.

When is the right time for a startup to hire a product design consultancy?

At some point, almost every founder developing a physical product runs into the same question.

Is it time to bring in experienced specialists, like a product design consultancy, to help bring the idea to life?