PROCESS
How to begin
1. Share your vision
Fill out the contact form and let’s discuss the details of your product idea.
2. Get a roadmap
You will receive a roadmap with detailed milestones to create your idea.
3. Partner with me
I will personally manage and complete the milestones on your roadmap.
Phases of development
When discussing your vision, we will establish which phase of development you are currently in and how far you want to bring your product idea.
Validating the idea
Considerations include feasibility, manufacturing cost, and target market. Often involves creating a simple "proof of concept" device.
Creating design files
May require research, simulation, testing. Involves component selection, development of schematic, board layout (PCB), part design, enclosure design.
Implementation of design
Board bring-up (early PCB testing), validating design features, developing toward finalized firmware, may require redesign and prototype iteration.
Getting market-ready
FCC Part 15B and UL mandatory for most retailers to even consider selling a product. Testing done through third-party organization such as a TCB.
Mass reproduction with consistency
Requires detailed communication with the CM (Contract Manufacturer) to produce accurate copies of the product. Usually involves creation of a "test jig" to facilitate quick validation on the assembly line.
Handling issues downstream
The purpose is to keep the product functional and manufacturable. It may suffer from part shortages or components discontinued. There might be a need for a feature change or a firmware update.
Product Roadmap
The Product Roadmap is the defining reference point for the entire project. It organizes the development into manageable checkpoints called milestones. Some projects may have several milestones and other may only have a single milestone.
TBD – Insert Example Product Roadmap Table of contents
TBD – Insert Example Product Roadmap Milestones
Each milestone contains a detailed outline of project objectives, scope of work, deliverables, and completion criteria.
TBD – Insert Example objectives and scope
TBD – Insert Example success criteria
Once the Product Roadmap has been agreed upon, the work can begin. The work will be performed one milestone at a time, allowing opportunities for clients to amend the roadmap along the way if necessary.
What you receive
Sometimes it can seem impossible to fully comprehend what goes into a product. However, when you strip it down to its core, it’s not that complicated. Ultimately, it’s just a set of design files, sitting on a computer, with additional documentation.
Here is what those design files usually consist of:
- PCB source files (schematic, board layout, ancillary software files)
- PCB files for manufacturers (gerber, centroid, bill of materials)
- Mechanical source files (product enclosure or other components)
- Mechanical files for manufacturers (.step file, dimensions, instructions)
- Wire harness drawings (Autocad, PDF)
- Assembly drawings (Solidworks, PDF)
- Firmware (source code, binary)
Additional documentation usually consists of:
- Bill of materials
- Instruction manuals
- Test reports (for certifications)
Behind every single product on the market today, these are the core files and documentation required to describe, modify, and manufacture the device.