Devin delivered solid, actionable advice in every facet of startup. From the inside track on China manufacturing, to great recommendations for product validation, funding, marketing and where to look for partners, Devin delivered in each instance.
Have an idea for a great product, but don't know where to start? I have years of experience prototyping for mass manufacture in China. I can help define your MVP (Minimum Viable Product), validate your idea, find funding, and deliver a great product. Lean startup is key!
I've helped multiple startups launch successful consumer electronics in less than 12 months. I am an expert in China Sourcing, China Production Management, China QC, Manufacturing Contracts, Electronics Certifications, and Navigating Cultural Challenges.
I would not trade equity for design work. Unless this person will actually become a part of your team and create enough value to warrant equity. Otherwise it is short sighted to trade equity for something you need very early on just to launch. I'm sure your design/brand will evolve over time and this person will have put in a minor amount of work compared to what it will take to launch and continue a successful company. Additionally, you may be putting too much weight on your brand and not enough on what you're actually selling? However it is hard to give a more detailed answer without knowing what exactly you are doing and how detailed and ongoing the design work is. I would love to help answer your question, but need a little more detail on what exactly it is you do and what type of design/branding work you need.
Go find investment forums/meetups like Zino Society, Keiretsu Forum, or whatever you have locally. Just attend and introduce yourself to people. Keep going back and have a simple business card to exchange information. Follow up via email. Just meet them first and talk about what your doing, but I would not bring a questionnaire for anyone to fill out at the networking events. Don't go with an agenda, just go to meet people and if your genuine you will find people genuinely interested in just helping (like me!). I don't have a PhD or Masters, but it sounds like you're asking how to network with people.
Hey There! It sounds like you just need a detail oriented, structured, and dedicated person to help you, more than a dedicated PM. There are plenty of contract PMs, Account Managers, etc. looking for the type of work you described. Doing this remotely shouldn't be an issue as long you have an online interface to connect with the PM daily, weekly, or whatever interval works to make sure your objectives are aligned. Something like Wrike would be good for you as the contract PM/Account Manager can log their hours for each client and you both will have visibility as to what each person is doing on each project. Wrike integrates with Microsoft Project and other systems, so it can scale up or down in functionality depending on what you or your client needs. If you have any more questions on Lean Project Management/Contract Project Management, I'd be happy to help! I work in contract product development so the client interface and workflow is very similar.
A very valuable conversation with Devin. I am in the early stage of product development and was overwhelmed by the decisions to be made as well as by the wealth of advice, often contradictory, available on the internet. Devin was able to help me prioritize and organize the tasks ahead of me. I came out of the call with a clear blueprint for my project. As an added bonus, Devin was able to direct me to additional excellent resources, which would have been hard to find on my own.
Devin delivered solid, actionable advice in every facet of startup. From the inside track on China manufacturing, to great recommendations for product validation, funding, marketing and where to look for partners, Devin delivered in each instance. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have connected with someone with his experience and integrity, and I expect to schedule many future calls with him as my project advances. Thank you, Devin!
