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The Hardware Entrepreneur

“Software eats the world”, as one famous investor once said it. However, our Earth runs on resources and is based on atoms rather than bits. Our true progress therefore depends mainly on our producing, selling innovative physical products, that is hardware. Hardware is...different. Challenges abound in designing, manufacturing, getting funding, hiring, innovating, delivering to the customers. Resources are scattered around and only a few exist. Where do you get real, practical knowledge? This podcast is the first one for hardware entrepreneurs, where hardware entrepreneurs are interviewed from around the world, exceptional persons who founded startups or small and medium-sized enterprises. This show is for you with a desire to found and run a company in a global environment. Learn first-hand from hardware entrepreneurs who have already gone through the ups and downs of the business. During each episode the INDIVIDUAL stories are uncovered, following up with an ULTRAFAST round of questions at the end. Bringing you these stories is entrepreneur and cosmopolitan, Balint Horvath, based in Switzerland, the land of green pastures and fresh ideas.
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Now displaying: November, 2017
Nov 22, 2017

I had a special guest on the podcast, somebody who’s also originally from Hungary, just like me. My guest was Alexandra Mandoki, founder, chief guide and innovator at Sparks Guide based in Zurich, Switzerland, just like me.

Would you like to perhaps double your brain activity? Then this episode is for you. You’ll soon also learn how the same technique with Lego can be used in a group setting to innovate, to let some creativity juice flow. This topic is close to me as I used to love and still love Lego.

This interview was recorded with a camera, for the change, and this is its audio version. You will learn from Alexandra about the method she’s an expert of and also about its myriad applications that are just mind-boggling. I don’t know why exactly this method is not so widespread yet, but I hope that after this episode some of you find it useful, even if you “just” use its basics.

Enjoy this episode.

Raw transcript is available at: https://www.thehardwareentrepreneur.com

Show highlights can be seen below:

  • How a childhood game can bring innovation to the [adult] business world – [2:20]
  • LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® - an on-the-fly definition - [3:40]
  • How did LEGO come up with its tool for strategy development and team building? - [5:34]
  • Practical applications of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® - [7:33]
  • Why “serious” and why “play”?- [11:30]
  • “I did not know that I know that” - [12:33]
  • What is the biggest challenge for the adoption of LEGO bricks in the business world? - [13:53]
  • Mistakes Alexandra learned from while working in an international business environment - [15:20]
  • If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [16:54]
  • Which book had the biggest impact on her career? – [17:16]
  • Alexandra’s interesting habits – [18:07]
  • How does Alexandra overcome cultural differences in her career? – [19:28]
  • What is the best way to reach Alexandra? – [20:32]
Nov 8, 2017

Dimitri Nabatov has been my guest recently, founder and CEO of a company called WeAreCinema.

In episode 36 we had VR topic and this time again we’re back to that topic on the show. His company, WeAreCinema has a new business model in the world of VR and his company is a nice example that in order to become successful with hardware products there are a number of ways of doing that, including theirs.

You can learn about VR, why it’s special in the entertainment or advertisement industries, how they validated their idea with very cheap hardware, and also how they managed to pre-sell their idea to customers, getting strong market validation without investing almost nothing. You can also learn how he started thinking about the scaling topic in his business at an early phase and this serves as the basis of his current business model. He also gives a challenge to you, innovators, a call for innovation.

Enjoy.

Show highlights can be seen below:

  • What is the current development of the VR industry and what it has to do with a black and white TV? - [3:55]
  • What makes WeAreCinema stand out in the buzz around VR? – [5:45]
  • The motivation behind founding a company in the entertainment industry - [7:17]
  • Previous experience that lead Dimitri to founding the company - [8:58]
  • How can a very cheap device help you validate your idea? - [10:00]
  • Key lessons from a VR startup venture - [12:15]
  • The business model behind WeAreCinema and how their scale-up - [15:56]
  • How can challenges provoke you to be creative in terms of cost effectiveness? - [18:20]
  • How has WeAreCinema been able to avoid the issue with dizziness? - [22:52]
  • Challenges in front of the team - [24:44]
  • Mistakes the founders did while developing the company - [26:56]
  • If you could time travel and go back in time, what notes would you give yourself? – [29:38]
  • Which book had the biggest impact on his career? – [29:59]
  • Dimitri’s cold habit – [30:54]
  • Some cultural differences that Dimitri observed throughout his career – [32:25]
  • What is the best way to reach Dimitri? – [33:28]
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