Launching a consumer product in 1996 vs. 2016

Jules Pieri Co-founder & CEO @TheGrommet @JulesPieri

Boston, MA May 2016

The Grommet is my third startup…

…with experience at big product companies.

Jules pieri

It’s the place for discovering independent Makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs.

Every weekday we reveal innovative new

products, hand picked by our experts.

What is…

Since 2008, we have launched more than 2,000 products in 16 categories.

What is…

Our community now includes: 2.7 million monthly web visits 2.4 million email subscribers

170,000 social media fans and followers

What is…

In 2014, we launched the grommet Wholesale at The White House

We now have 7,000 Main Street Retailers who can sell products

from 800 grommet makers.

fitbit, launched june 2011

Launching a consumer product in 1996 vs. 2016

What’s changed?

Education in 1996

• books •  libraries •  find a mentor to learn about

product development from

Education in 2016

Ideation in 1996

Ideation in 2016

•  online collaboration •  rapid prototyping

design in 1996

•  Identify designers through trade press

design in 2016

Research in 1996

•  focus groups • mall intercepts •  in-person surveys •  telephone surveys •  friends and family

•  social media •  in-person

surveys and focus groups

•  friends and family

•  Amazon reviews

Research in 2016

Funding in 1996

• family loans • banks • angel investors • venture capital

funding in 2016

•  hardware accelerators

•  pre-sales •  family funding

marketing in 1996

•  media relations •  word of mouth •  direct mail •  television and

radio advertising •  print advertising

marketing in 2016

•  Crowdfunding •  e-mail marketing •  online advertising •  media relations

Retail distribution in 1996

• specialty stores • find reps and distributors • pitch big box stores: Wal-Mart, Costco, Toys R Us, Target, etc. • pitch to QVC and HSN • find licensors

retail distribution in 2016

direct to consumer in 1996

• catalogues • home parties • infomercials

direct to consumer in 2016

payments in 1996

• cash • credit cards • checks

payments in 2016

Parting thoughts

“The biggest transformation is not in the way things are done, but in who’s doing it. Once things can be done on regular computers, they can be done by anyone. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing happen now in manufacturing.”

—Chris Anderson

Parting thoughts

“This Maker Movement puts power in the hands of the people to fund, design, prototype, produce, manufacture, distribute, market, and sell their own goods.” — Jeremiah Owyang, Web strategist and industry analyst

QUELL, LAUNCHED DECEMBER 2015

is shaping the future of our economy

Slideshare.net/thegrommet

Please share this presentation with your communities—and help educate and inspire the next wave of Makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs to contribute to the third industrial revolution.

Launching a consumer product in 1996 vs. 2016

Jules Pieri Co-founder & CEO @JulesPieri @TheGrommet