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Your Go-to-Manufacturing Checklist

After ten years of working with hardware startups, the most common question we get is, “What do I need to provide in order to get a quote from a manufacturer?” Here’s a checklist of things we recommend you complete before speaking to a manufacturer.  Completing everything on this list will help you paint a very […]

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Secrets From a Factory Assembly Line

I still remember the first Chinese electronics factory I visited like it was yesterday: It was an old tier-3* contract manufacturer somewhere in the sprawling Dongguan City. Its white tile facade was yellowed from acid rain, and despite the sweltering midsummer heat, only a few ceiling fans feebly circulated the muggy air on the factory […]

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How to Practice Creativity: Tools to Kickstart Your Imagination

Many people think creativity is innate, but in my experience, creativity is something you have to practice every day. In 2012, my team at Toyota was challenged to create a new user experience with the infotainment system in the car (also known as “the thing in the middle of the dashboard”). Customers had been interacting […]

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Hardware Weekly | Vol 92

The week’s top hardware news. February 5th, 2016 Products TAPP Fingerprint Padlock There are so many online tutorials on how to pick a padlock that someone had to come up with a better solution for securing stuff. It comes in the form of a $29 seamless padlock called TAPP that unlocks when touched with a […]

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The DACI Framework: A Tool for Better Decision Making

We had the pleasure of welcoming accomplished and exceptional leader Kate Purmal to Fictiv to lead us in a workshop on teamwork. Kate launched her career as a member of the founding management team at Palm and has since worked in CEO, CFO, and COO roles at multiple startups and as a strategic consultant for Hewlett-Packard, […]

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Best Posts of 2015

Hellooo 2016! Is it seriously February already? Well, in the spirit of nostalgia, we’re takin’ a drive down memory lane, looking back at our most popular posts from 2015. 1.  Ultimate Guide to Surface Finishing 3D Printed Parts First up: our popular Ultimate Guide to Surface Finishing 3D Printed Parts. The guide covers different finishing […]

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How to Work with Community and Come Out with a Product That’s Better, Not Worse

Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” Apple makes beautifully functional—and functionally beautiful—products that people are passionate about and cannot seem to live without. The company would famously keep all of […]

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4 Essential Tools for Successful DfA

This article is written by: Jake Felser – Mechanical engineer and project manager at Cooper Perkins.  Background in startups, manufacturing, and hardware design. Chris McCaslin – Mechanical engineer and project manager at Cooper Perkins.  Fifteen years of experience bringing consumer goods and new technology to market. Developing hard goods involves many disparate and potentially overwhelming aspects, all […]

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A Closer Look: 3D Printing Materials Comparison

The most popular question we get at Fictiv is around 3D printing material choice: “Which material is best for my project?” Each material has its own benefits and drawbacks, and it can be hard to make a decision without holding and seeing the material for yourself. You’re always welcome to come by the Fictiv office […]

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Hardware Weekly | Vol 91

The week’s top hardware news. January 27th, 2016. Products Like FitBit for Food This product is for those cooks who can take advice in their own kitchen. It’s the “world’s first smart cooking pan,” the $200 SmartyPans. What can it do? It measures weight, temperature and ingredients, integrates with nutrition and fitness apps and guides […]