Laurier Mandin talks with Ian Chamandy, co-author of "Why Should I choose you: Answering the Most Important Question in Business In Seven Words or Less," about how the principles of the most fundamental question translate to a product.

Product: Knowledge

Why Should I Choose Your Product, with Author Ian Chamandy

Andreas bought a new podcast recorder for home, and it's very different from the one in our studio. On this episode, Andreas and Laurier talk with Samuel Greene from ZOOM North America about the ZOOM L-8, and how they went about creating a product for a market segment that didn't really exist until last year.

Creating a Product for a New Market, with Samuel Greene of ZOOM

What are the most important elements of a standout Kickstarter campaign? How many people are involved? Where do you even begin? Jackson Cunningham joined Graphos Product CEO Laurier Mandin to talk about the Cove cat litter box, including how Tuft and Paw engaged the company’s online community to help design it—and rock his Kickstarter. https://www.tuftandpaw.com http://www.graphosproduct.com

How to Rock Your Product’s Kickstarter with Jackson Cunningham

Naming a company is more complicated than naming a baby. It just is. There’s more family involvement. Is the product for men, women, seniors; is it for a particular activity or sport that has its own jargon and vocabulary? What country is the product going to be sold in? What are the social mores of that country, and what cultural taboos do we need to avoid, and which buttons are we able to push without offending? It’s like learning a new language. We talk to Jeremy Miller, author of "Brand New Name" to uncover a process to choose a brand name that fits your product and speaks to its market.

Creating an Unforgettable Brand Name for Your Product with Author Jeremy Miller

Technology has transformed the product development cycle. Photorealistic 3D rendering makes visualizing new products easy. Your product can be near-perfect, but to be successful, the marketing, packaging, and shipping need to be at the same level. There are a lot of moving parts. Often the biggest barrier is knowing where to start, especially when your manufacturer is producing your product a world away, in a different language and culture. Kyle Handfield knows exactly where to start. His company, Ventrify, leads brands and inventors through the entire product development cycle using a nine-step process starting with discovery, and culminating with shipping. The consultancy also provides industrial design, engineering, testing—even going as far as managing regulatory certifications.

A Guide to Innovative Product Development with Kyle Handfield from Ventrify

If you ask Mom what she thinks about your new product, she’ll lie and tell you it’s fabulous — even if nothing could be farther from the truth. When you’re launching an innovative product, product-market fit is essential. That means knowing a sufficient, reachable customer base will be more excited about the product than you are. Conducting validation research is crucial. But the questions you ask is where things often start to go wrong. People will naturally lie to you, just like Mom — and bad data can lead to costly product failure. Author Rob Fitzpatrick believes you can avoid mistakes by asking questions that elicit the answers you NEED, not the ones that make you feel good. Complements, verbal support, and new ideas can feel helpful, but in conversation with Graphos Product CEO Laurier Mandin, Rob says it’s much better to ask questions about people’s problems or challenges — as well as current solutions and what they cost. Rob's book, "The Mom Test" is taught at Harvard, MIT, UCL and many other top universities. Rob Fitzpatrick's website with link to buy "The Mom Test" - https://robfitz.com Graphos Product - https://graphosproduct.com

Finding the (Real) Truth in Product Validation with Rob Fitzpatrick

Manufacturing in China is different. How different is hard to describe if you’ve never seen it. It’s not that there are cities with factories. There are cities OF factories. And those cities often specialize in a particular kind of manufacturing. Competition is extreme and cutting corners is common. Having a good idea for a product is one thing, but you can’t exactly open the yellow pages and find which city of factories specializes in laser pointers. Where do you even start? Daniel Sande is a manufacturing sourcing agent. He found success in people, and uses technology to communicate with manufacturers, plus he’s establishing a networks of people in China who can put eyes and hands on products as they come off the line to verify everything is according to spec, including packaging, shipping, labelling and customs. Daniel Sande is Managing Director of HotShot Sourcing, a consultancy that helps product brands source bulk orders, packaging, and custom-branded materials.

Worry-Free Manufacturer Sourcing and Logistics with Daniel Sande

A licensing deal can be transformative to an inventor or product brand. It can open up new markets and create ongoing passive income. But doing it wrong can be a nightmare and leave piles of money on the table. In this episode we delve into a sub-topic of Intellectual Property: Licensing. Licensing is Trevor Prentice's specialty. As an Intellectual Property Strategist, he’s worked with businesses in numerous sectors and circumstances. In this conversation we get a clear definition of licensing. Trevor also explains how a good licensing strategy can benefit brands and inventors, open up new markets, create residual income and propel a new product forward. We talk about how to decide what to license, valuation strategies to figure out what your product or process is worth, what you can license, and more. Trevor Prentice at Whiverwill IP Services: www.whiverwill.com/ http://www.graphosproduct.com

Licensing Your Product for Royalties and Risk Reduction with Trevor Prentice

Part 2 of 2: Justin Jackson thinks about product launches and marketing a lot, because he doesn’t accept conventional wisdom; he’s a keen observer of both brand and consumer behaviours. Justin says rather than trying to get the market to find your product, you need to take your product to a market that’s ready, eager—and sizeable. Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com

Go Where Your Market Is with Justin Jackson - Part 2 of 2

Part 1 of 2: Justin Jackson thinks about product launches and marketing a lot, because he doesn’t accept conventional wisdom; he’s a keen observer of both brand and consumer behaviours. Justin says rather than trying to get the market to find your product, you need to take your product to a market that’s ready, eager—and sizeable. Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com

Go Where Your Market Is with Justin Jackson - Part 1 of 2

Video, at least television, has been around for a long time. Commercials and product demos have been around forever. So why are we talking about video as though it’s something new and mysterious? We’re talking about video because digital marketing adds complexity and sharability. We talk with Stephanie Testa

Videos That Sell Products, With Stephanie Testa

If you’re preparing to launch a new product—or have ever relished the experience of removing one from its packaging—this episode is for you. The popularity of “unboxing” is just one illustration of how important product packaging has become. Packaging is no longer merely to “protect, deliver and entice;” but a highly experiential differentiating opportunity for smart product brands. Guest Dave Hopkins is a packaging advisor who believes great packaging aims to surprise and delight consumers—which translates into a sales and brand-building advantage. Graphos Product: http://graphosproduct.com Dave Hopkins’ "Quickie Podcast - Interviews for Graphic Designers" iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-quickie-interviews-for-graphic-designers/id1463743075 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cX7gO7xbN2x2UKkZtVBQd?si=bRaCyjCTQt2szdswKXP_bA Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com

Surprise & Delight: How Packaging Can Be Your Competitive Advantage with Dave Hopkins

Filip Valica is a mechanical engineer who has worked for large corporations and as founder of The Product Startup has coached numerous product brands through his development and launch process, a comprehensive view of the product lifecycle that begins with an original idea and culminates with sales. In this episode, he describes how product design extends into every stage, and why each is important. Filip Valica’s The Product Startup website: https://theproductstartup.com The Product Startup Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/product-startup-product-development-for-small-business/id1091774526 Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com

The Complete Product Development Cycle, with Filip Valica

Part 1 of 2: Alan Klement wrote "When Coffee and Kale Compete: Become great at making products people will buy." The book provides a new way of thinking about your business: people don't buy your product for features, they hire your product to do a job: to make their life better. Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com Klement's "Jobs to Be Done" (JTBD) idea is game-changing, transforming how product marketers approach and understand products and customers. Klement’s perspective on “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD) is game-changing, transforming how product marketers approach and understand products and customers. Book: http://www.whencoffeeandkalecompete.com Twitter: @alanklement Jobs to Be Done Website: https://jtbd.info

Why People Buy - Part 1 - JTBD for innovative products with Alan Klement

Part 2 of 2: Alan Klement wrote "When Coffee and Kale Compete: Become great at making products people will buy." The book provides a new way of thinking about your business: people don't buy your product for features, they hire your product to do a job: to make their life better. Klement’s perspective on “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD) is game-changing, transforming how product marketers approach and understand products and customers. Episode 1: What is "Jobs to be done" theory? Episode 2: A deeper dive: how to apply JTBD to your business. Book: http://www.whencoffeeandkalecompete.com Twitter: @alanklement Jobs to Be Done Website: https://jtbd.info Graphos Product: https://graphosproduct.com

Why People Buy - Part 2 - JTBD for innovative products with Alan Klement

We‘re all obsessed with product brands, especially those driven by a vision and purpose. Product: Knowledge explores the art of the product launch, from secret Obsession Branding™ techniques to the specialized attributes of product marketing that become the difference between stratospheric success stories and costly product failure. Laurier Mandin is CEO of Graphos; Andreas Schwabe is Director of Media Services. As an international product marketing agency, we flush out insights and vision into the fascinating world of consumer product Go-to-Market strategy for purpose-driven brands. https://graphosproduct.com/

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Product: Knowledge

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