Next Hardware Startups Meetup: 6-8pm, 20 June 2013

[Marita Cheng]

Hello!

We had an amazing Hardware Startups Meetup on 23 May.  Nine people were in attendance.  Going around the room, there weren't many who had actually started a hardware startup, so rather than doing a speed-dating thing, we all just instead had a roundtable discussion lead by Wai Ho-Li on academia, universities, and that perspective on hardware startups and Kickstarter campaigns.

At the end of the night, we discussed and decided this would be a good format to go forward with.  Month 1 had a Kickstarter lilt, and month 2, an academic lilt...

So I put the question to you, what do you want the next few months' themes to be about?  And I will invite someone who has expertise/ experience in that field to sit with us for 2 hours for a discussion while eating yummy pizza.  (I found a better pizza place, by the way.)

My thoughts were...
1.  IP Lawyer
2.  Venture capitalist
3.  Someone with manufacturing experience in China
4.  Industrial designer

I know someone who has expertise in each of those fields... However, if you would like to nominate yourself and an expertise, or would like to nominate someone else and their expertise, I would be super excited to hear from you!

So, next Hardware Startups Meetup is:
6pm - 8pm, 20 June 2013.
Location:  19/2-6 New St, Richmond, 3121

Cast your votes for professions/ fields you'd like to hear from in the future.  In the meantime, I'm going to talk to my IP lawyer friend to get him to come along to the next one.  Failing that, I'll get a VC to come along...

[Marita Cheng]

Hi!

One of my friends in SF has given me some suggestions on themes for future Hardware Startups Meetups.  These are based on the topics that will be discussed at the Hardware Summer Camp to be held in SF in a week.  http://hardwaresummercamp.com

Prototyping part 1
Prototyping part 2
Pitching your Hardware Startup
Preparing to Crowdfund
Contract Manufacturing Part 1
Contract Manufacturing Part 2
Manufacturing at Home
Marketing and Branding
Certification
Order management and Fulfillment
Getting onto Big Box Shelves
IP and Licensing
Building a Hardware Platform

If you know anyone with expertise in any of those fields, have experience in any of those fields yourself, or are particularly interested in learning more about one of those areas, let me know!

Cheers,
Marita

[@ben_druce]

I think Roger Langsdon would be great to talk a little about Marketing and Branding. I'd also be happy to share my knowledge on prototyping. 

[@ben_druce]

Any news on the guest speaker?

[Marita Cheng]

Hello!

Next Hardware Startups Meetup is tonight, Thursday 20 June, 6-8pm, 19/2-6 New St, Richmond.

Come along and hear Ben Druce, an industrial designer with 5 years of experience on the field share his experiences with bringing ideas from the concepts-stage to the drawing board to the factory floor and then into people's lives!

If you want to do a Hardware Startup and don't know where to start:  well, this is where you start!  

I look forward to seeing you all tonight!  :)

Marita