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You can use this page to email Blai Carandell and Marc Pous about The Hardware Startup.
About the Book
Today is the best day to make a connected product. Seriously! Never before has it been easier to build a prototype, design the mechanics of a product, manufacture it anywhere and sell millions of units through crowdfunding campaigns, pre-sales or direct channels. And the good news is that tomorrow will be even easier.
With the introduction of the Web in the 1990s, smaller companies and entrepreneurs were able to achieve the same success as bigger companies with smaller teams. The same phenomenon happened when mobile platforms were opened to developers. And in the same way that the web and mobile platforms were revolutionary and disruptive, the Internet of Things is the next bottom-up technology that is going to change the technology scenario.
However, we do not yet realize how much this has already impacted our everyday lives and is creating a new wave of product and services. From the detection of tectonic movements, to vibrators that are controlled remotely and toys with which we can send messages to our children, the Internet of Things is changing the way we avoid natural disasters, communicate, love and manage our homes.
This report aims at making this point not theoretically, but from the point of view of the protagonists themselves. This is a collection of 7 inspiring stories of Product Developers from all corners of the world to illustrate these changes. It also provides real-life lessons to avoid mistakes and make the right decisions on your journey. But most importantly, it offers a chance for new entrepreneurs to get excited about the value creating possibilities of this new technology.
About the Authors
Blai is now currently leading an innovation consultancy firm, Protoplay, focused on strategy prototyping. He advises large companies building innovative projects and startups - including many IoT products,- in learning where their value lies as quickly and efficiently as possible through prototyping. Previously, he was involved in Ôasys, a company responsible for making a connected device to measure water usage in the home. The company raised over 350,000€ from AGBAR group, a water provider present in 24 countries. Ôasys was amongst the first 10 startups that underwent an acceleration process in the IoT & Big Data program by Startupbootcamp, recognized as Europe’s best accelerator. He is passionate about technology and its effects on development, and writes about it in his personal blog. You can follow and ping him at his Twitter account @BlaiCarandell.
Marc is currently the CEO and co-founder of thethings.iO, the IoT platform for the Internet of Things. He is also responsible for managing the IoT communities in Barcelona and Munich, organizing meetups and inviting up-and-coming startups to pitch their products. Furthermore, he is responsible for co-organizing the international event IoT Stars during the Mobile World Congress. He creates IoT products as a hobby, from a connected sofa for a music festival, beer mugs in Munich’s Oktoberfest to Christmas lights that light up when you tweet @thethingsIO. His advocacy efforts for the Internet of Things and his stature (6,9 feet) has earned him the nickname IoT Giant. You can follow and ping him at his Twitter account @gy4nt and on@thethingsIO.