Loading...
Answers
MenuHow do I go about choosing the best metal shop to prototype my first product?
How do I go about choosing the best metal shop to prototype my first product? The CAD designs are done, but what kind of questions should I be asking the metal shop to make sure they're the right fit for me and my product?
Answers
You can try manufacturing aggregators like.
3Dhubs
https://www.3dhubs.com/
They will help you find the right partner for metal fabrication, 3D printing and CNC machining.


Ask them if they see any potential issues with manufacturing your CAD design, including whether they think any weld marks will show through the metal, whether any bend radii are too tight, whether they can foresee any issues in assembling the parts at the end (you should send assembly instructions, or work with them on them) etc.
Ask them what their prices would be for 1, 10, 500, 10k, etc. units, so you know how well you can scale up with them if needed.
If you're in initial discussions with them, find an existing product that exemplifies the quality you would like to get from the shop, and take photos of the example. For instance, it you want the quality and finish of an aluminum Macbook, use that as the example. Make sure to include the color and finish instructions in whatever files you send them.
Ask them for a single sample before a full order, and how much that sample would cost. You're going to want to have a "golden sample" that you approve of, that they will try to match in all subsequent copies. It's also good, if possible, to have "limit samples" which provide high and low bounds of the product's final appearance.
Let me know if you need any more help.
Best of luck.


Hello, good question. It really depends on how accurately the prototype needs to be. The first thing you need to check is that you've taken into account the design guidelines for producing something for CNC. There are a few things to consider for this, namely no overhangs, considering what type of bit they'll be using. The CNC place should give you feedback on this, there's also a few online resources for checking your design - pretty sure there is a good guide here: https://geomiq.com/cnc-design-guide/ The next thing you need to think about is producing the engineering drawings, this basically acts as a contract laying out in numbers what dimensions the supplier must achieve. Finally make sure you try and pay via a platform like alibaba that covers you for any dodgy companies that take your deposit and don't come through with the goods - speaking from past experience! :) If you want to schedule a call I would be happy to help set up your engineering drawing and help you get the best price using these online platforms. Cheers, Alex


Competency-wise, you want to make sure they can hold the tolerances you need for your product, and that they have the quality assurance testing in place to check that they have made the part to your specifications. Double check that they're comfortable working with your metal of choice (many machinists hate titanium, for example).
Business wise, you want to make sure they both support your minimum expected order and can handle room for growth if it takes off like we hope it will. While not strictly necessary, things usually go better if you feel some rapport with the shop and communicate in similar styles.
I'd be happy to discuss more specifics if talking to a metallurgist sounds useful!
Related Questions
-
What is the process of productizing a service? Also what are some good examples of productized services that have scaled?
2 different categories come to mind. H&R Block or other tax preparation services. The second is restaurants. This may seem like a product more than a service but I think it truly falls into the category of service, especially if you look at the national chains. Think Applebee's, TGI Fridays etc. The reason people go to these places is because of the experience they receive. The franchisors have created a system that generates nearly identical results nationwide. The first thing you need to do is figure out what makes your service superior to others out there, then you need to figure out how and why this is the case. From there you need to document it and make sure that you have a mechanism in place to ensure compliance. Granted that is a huge amount of work, but the basic premise is quite simple. You want all of the people you hire to do things more or less the way you would do them.
-
What is the best method for presenting minimum viable products to potential customers?
Whoa, start by reading the Lean book again; you're questions suggest you are making a classical mistake made by too many entrepreneurs who live and breath Lean Startup. An MVP is not the least you can show someone to evaluate whether or not building it is a good idea; an MVP is, by it's very definition, the Minimum Viable Product - not less than that. What is the minimum viable version of a professional collaboration network in which users create a professional profile visible to others? A website on which users can register, have a profile, and in some way collaborate with others: via QA, chat, content, etc. No? A minimum viable product is used not to validate if something is a good idea but that you can make it work; that you can acquire users through the means you think viable, you can monetize the business, and that you can learn from the users' experience and optimize that experience by improving the MVP. Now, that doesn't mean you just go build your MVP. I get the point of your question, but we should distinguish where you're at in the business and if you're ready for an MVP or you need to have more conversations with potential users. Worth noting, MOST entrepreneurs are ready to go right to an MVP. It's a bit of a misleading convention to think that entrepreneurs don't have a clue about the industry in which they work and what customers want; that is to say, you shouldn't be an entrepreneur trying to create this professional collaboration network if you don't know the market, have done some homework, talked to peers and friends, have some experience, etc. and already know that people DO want such a thing. Presuming you've done that, what would you present to potential users BEFORE actually building the MVP? For what do you need nothing more than some slides? It's not a trick question, you should show potential users slides and validate that what you intend to build is the best it can be. I call it "coffee shop testing" - build a slide of the homepage and the main screen used by registered users; sit in a coffee shop, and buy coffee for anyone who will give you 15 minutes. Show them the two slides and listen; don't explain, ONLY ask.... - For what is this a website? - Would you sign up for it? Why? - Would you tell your friends? Why? - What would you pay for it? Don't explain ANYTHING. If you have to explain something, verbally, you aren't ready to build your MVP - potential customers don't get it. Keep working with that slide alone until you get enough people who say they will sign up and know, roughly, what people will pay. THEN build your MVP and introduce it first to friends, family, peers, etc. to get your earliest adopters. At some point you're going to explore investors. There is no "ready" as the reaction from investors will entirely depend on who you're talking to, why, how much you need, etc. If you want to talk to investors with only the slides as you need capital to build the MVP, your investors are going to be banks, grants, crowdfunding, incubators, and MAYBE angels (banks are investors?! of course they are, don't think that startups only get money from people with cash to give you for equity). Know that it's VERY hard to raise money at this stage; why would I invest in your idea when all you've done is validate that people probably want it - you haven't built anything. A bank will give you a loan to do that, not many investors will take the risk. Still, know not that your MVP is "ready" but that at THAT stage, you have certain sources of capital with which you could have a conversation. When you build the MVP, those choices change. Now that you have something, don't talk to a bank, but a grant might still be viable. Certainly: angels, crowdfunding, accelerators, and maybe even VCs become interested. The extent to which they are depends on the traction you have relative to THEIR expectations - VCs are likely to want some significant adoption or revenue whereas Angels should be excited for your early adoption and validation and interested in helping you scale.
-
What is the best way to find full stack mobile developers who are willing to work with me for equity, and what is fair compensation?
It's highly unlikely that you will be able to find competent full-stack mobile developers willing to work with you for equity, but if you do, "fair" compensation would be 50% or more of the equity in the Company. Approaching any developer with just an idea, diminishes your credibility as a potential co-founder. Here's why: If you're non-technical, you must show a "relentless resourcefulness" in moving your idea forward. This means finding the money necessary to get an MVP or even click-able prototype completed to show that while you might not be technical, you have the ability to raise money, and have enough product sense that you can articulate that into a prototype. If you can't raise or spend the relatively small amount of money required to successfully build a prototype, what evidence are you providing that developer that you are going to be able to create value for the business long-term? Full-stack mobile developers (although this is often quite a misnomer) are one of the most in-demand skill-sets of all Silicon Valley companies. That means that you're competing against established companies that can pay top dollar, and still provide meaningful equity incentives as well as recently funded startups who have further along the road in turning their idea into reality. I would suggest that you look at hiring contractors (I know of some great mobile dev shops that are reasonable) to build your first version. Expect to go solo at least until you have some form of early prototype. Then, you're in a much better position to attract a technical co-founder. Happy to talk you through any of this at any point.
-
How do you get a product prototype developed in China sitting in the US?
It varies and it's very very specific to what you want to develop. The concrete design of your circuit matters. Also prototype building costs are usually a factor 10-100 higher than series. If you already have your prototype then you can shop around various manufacturing companies. To do that, you need Gerber files (your PCB design) and a bill of materials. You also need to think about casing: designing it and creating the mold is expensive. If you don't have your prototype yet, I recommend having it engineered in eastern Europe. Custom engineering is cheap there and high quality. IP protection is a problem. One thing to do is to distribute the work to different manufacturers. For the design phase you are safer if you design your prototype in Europe or the US where international patent laws apply. I could give you more specific advise in a phone call, getting to know a bit better what you are trying to build.
-
I've been working on an app concept for 6 months and built an MVP. Is it better to pay a development firm to build or hire a developer as a cofounder?
I have built two software companies by hiring out the development work. I sold one for a decent sum during the dot com era (circa 1999). I remain a shareholder in the other one. I currently work with amazing development company on behalf of one of my clients. Here are some things to consider. 1. Do you really want to give up equity? If not outsource. 2. How fast do you want to get to market? If sooner than later, outsource. 3. How capitalized are you? If undercapitalized, either outsource offshore (which runs about 20% of US rates), or bring on an equity development partner. I offer a free call to first time clients. Let's chat and I'll give you some great advice from three decades of experience. Just use this link to schedule the free call: https://clarity.fm/kevinmccarthy/FreeConsult Best regards, Kevin McCarthy Www.kevinmccarthy.com