TRADEOFFS: The Hardware Startup Podcast

Chris and Nate come to you from the Eureka Park at the Consumer Electronics Show for their first ever video pod! Eureka Park is the show’s designated area for early stage hardware startups and products too weird for the rest of CES.Check out the video version on YouTube. Thank you to the founders who spoke with us:Rajeev Ramanath - Blueberry TechnologyCole Ashman - Pila EnergyScott Hickle - ThroneEric Migicovsky - PebbleAaron Pollack - RoamJakub Popowski - ModueNiclas Bertelsen - NayaNeil Olien - The Haptics CompanyAmit Kumar Gupta - NoshCody Soodeen - Kara WaterZach Sweitzer - HummingbirdMichael Churchill - KombuRachel Osnos - FotostaxFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs, Nate and Chris ring in the new year with a look back at some headlines from 2025 and a preview of CES 2026. They discuss the "hardware renaissance" gaining momentum—from the Re-Industrialize conference to renewed national focus on domestic manufacturing—and Chris shares his most memorable hardware story of the year: Samsung pushing ads to smart refrigerators (and what it signals about the economics of connected devices). The conversation turns to CES strategy, including why the real value isn't on the show floor but in the networking, how to navigate the sprawling venues from Eureka Park to LVCC, and survival tips.For more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs, Nate and Chris sit down with Narayan Powderly and Ioannis Papamanoglou, co-CEO’s of atopile, a circuit design tool bringing software development practices to hardware. Narayan shares how his frustration with slow board development cycles led him to question why schematics remained an "impenetrable box" immune to automation. Ioannis traces his path from hacking PlayStation Portables and building Minecraft redstone circuits to studying operating systems and working on smart bike locks for the Dutch railway system. Together, they discuss why their real competitor isn't other code-to-electronics startups but legacy tools like Altium and Cadence, and their vision for a future where full-stack engineers own everything from PCB design to firmware. They also explore how LLMs will transform electronics design and why the open-source hardware community is more collaborative than competitive.Find out more information about atopile at atopile.ioJoin the atopile DiscordCheck out the atopile GithubFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

On this episode, we sat down with Sera Evcimen, mechanical engineer, hardware startup strategist, and host of The Builder Circle™ Podcast where she interviews hardware founders, investors and other professionals in the hardware startup ecosystem to provide practical takeaways for anyone building hardware. Sera shares her journey from watching "How It's Made" with her hardware-savvy father to working on cutting-edge fusion energy systems at Commonwealth Fusion Systems.Today, Sera brings that deep technical and operational expertise to hardware startups through her firm Pratik, where she helps founders navigate everything from supply chain challenges to system architecture design. Throughout our conversation, Sera shares hard-won wisdom about the importance of hands-on experience, how understanding material science and failure modes creates competitive advantages, and why boots-on-the-ground verification beats any amount of remote due diligence.Learn more about Sera, Pratik, and The Builder Circle™ Podcast: https://www.pratikdev.com/Hackaday Europe 2025: Sera Evcimen - Hardware Startup Pitfalls Orin Hoffman - S1 E9: Building a Strong Capital Stack for a Hardware ProductYing Liu - S2 E9: Global Supply Chain StrategyFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TRADEOFFS, we sit down with Justin McAfee, mechanical engineer turned hardware entrepreneur who's fostering a manufacturing renaissance in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Justin shares his unconventional journey from getting burned on a grenade launcher for firefighters at age 23 to developing advanced electric propulsion systems at Wright One Inc. He discusses how tariffs are forcing his company to onshore manufacturing from China, the surprising challenges of disrupting the "boring" CPU cooling fan industry for cryptocurrency miners, and his ambitious vision for affordable flying cars powered by ducted electric turbines. Justin also opens up about the realities of hardware fundraising, building community through Wednesday dinner parties and monthly hardware meetups, and why he believes Bridgeport can become "the Silicon Valley" of manufacturing.Learn more about Wright One at: https://wrightfan.comCheck out the Bridgeport Hardware Meetup if you're in the area: Link

Nate and Chris chat with Valentina Ratner, co-founder and CEO of Allspice.io, a collaboration and automation platform that brings software development workflows to hardware engineering. Valentina started her career as a mechanical engineer at Amazon before founding Allspice to transform how electronics teams design PCBs. The three discuss the challenges hardware engineers face with outdated collaboration tools, how Allspice adapts Git workflows for electronics design, and Valentina’s experience transitioning from technical engineer to startup CEO and sales leader. This episode is full of insights on building developer tools, creating customer love, and the evolving intersection of hardware and software development practices.For more information on Valentina and AllSpice: https://allspice.ioIf you're interested in improving hardware workflows, AllSpice is hiring: https://allspice.io/careersFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TRADEOFFS we connect with Yohan Jacob, Founder and President at Retail Bound, the largest retail channel management consultancy in North America. Yohan and his team help brands launch and scale their products into the top retailers across the continent.Drawing from over thirty years of experience, Yohan shares his insights about helping brands navigate the complexities of retail partnerships, post-purchase customer support, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and common pitfalls to avoid. For more information on Yohan and Retail Bound: https://retailbound.comAdditional Links: Retail Bound Accelerator Retail Bound: Learn How to Sell Your Products to Retailers, 2nd EditionFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs, we sit down with Kaleen Canevari, founder and CEO of Flexia, a Techstars backed connected fitness company building the world's first smart Pilates reformer. With a background in mechanical engineering and Pilates instruction, Kaleen shares her journey of launching a hardware startup during the pandemic, navigating manufacturing challenges as a female founder, and developing innovative metrics to quantify Pilates performance. She shares insights about complexities of hardware manufacturing, venture capital dynamics, and the delicate balance between being a technical founder and business leader.You can learn more about Flexia at https://flexiapilates.com/For more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs we connect with Tom George, former Head of Pebble at Sidewalk Labs, and now a Product Team Lead at Google focusing on Sustainable Cities. We’ll hear about Tom’s journey from working on speech compression technology for BlackBerry accessories to developing satellite communication systems for ships, and eventually leading hardware teams at Quadlogic and Sidewalk Labs. He shares some insightful lessons about product development, team building, and making difficult decisions.You can learn more about what Tom is working on at: https://sustainability.googleFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs we connect with Christina Perla, co-founder and CEO of Makelab, an on-demand 3D printing service. Christina discusses her journey from working in corporate design at Converse to co-founding Makelab, emphasizing the challenges and successes of running a hardware startup. She highlights Makelab's growth strategy, including a hub-and-spoke model for expansion and the importance of community building in client acquisition. Christina also shares insights into the 3D printing industry's challenges, her experiences with venture funding, and the dynamics of working with her business and life partner.Learn more about Makelab at: https://www.makelab.com use code TRADEOFFS15 for 15% off your first order. For more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this episode of TradeOffs, we sit down with Kevin Lavelle, founder of Mizzen and Main and Harbor, to discuss the challenges of building and scaling two very different companies—one in apparel and the other in pediatric telemedicine. Lavelle shares candid insights on navigating U.S. manufacturing hurdles, the importance of strategic networking, and the relentless persistence needed to bring innovative products to market. He dives into Harbor's mission to create a failsafe baby monitor, highlighting the technical complexities and lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey. Lavelle also touches on the shifting dynamics of raising capital for hardware startups and the importance of building long-term trust with customers.Learn more about Harbor at: https://harbor.coFor more information on the podcast, check out https://tradeoffs.fm

In this first episode we speak with Haytham Elhawary. Haytham is a founder of Kinetic Insurance and has a PhD in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering from the Imperial College of London. He has been working at the intersection of hardware and biomechanics for close to a decade, and we sat down to discuss his connected product journey and his team's transition to hardware-enabled insurance.Find out more at https://tradeoffs.fm

Trade-Offs explores the trials and tribulations of designing, building, and manufacturing hardware, and the people that make it. Each month, we sit down with founders, engineers, and other hardware professionals to understand the unique trade offs inherent in building a business that makes physical products. Join hosts Chris Rill and Nate Padgett as they dig deeper into the complexities of hardware product development. Trade-offs premieres February 2024. Find out more at https://tradeoffs.fm