The Hardtech Podcast

The Hardtech Podcast

The Hardtech Podcast pulls back the curtain on the bold ideas, design challenges, and engineering breakthroughs behind today’s most innovative hardware products — and the people who make them happen. From first sketch to final build, we dive deep into the minds shaping the future of physical tech.

Episodes

From Apple to AI Soccer Cameras: Alex Krause from Trace

October 14, 2025 • 40 mins
How do you take an idea built for elite athletes and turn it into a scalable sports tech platform? In this episode, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman talk with Alex Krause, Director of Hardware at Trace, about the art and complexity of building hardware that learns, adapts, and performs in real-world conditions. Alex walks through his transition from Apple and The Boring Company to leading a small, scrappy team at Trace where...
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Smarter Training, Fewer Injuries with VERT Performance

October 6, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman welcome David Gil, Managing Partner at VERT Performance, a company pioneering jump and load measurement technology for volleyball athletes. David shares how VERT’s sports tech platform has become an essential tool for coaches and trainers tracking jump counts, monitoring fatigue, and analyzing landing techniques to reduce injuries. The discussion highl...
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Autonomous Lawn Care: The Greenzie Story

September 29, 2025 • 42 mins
CBQ shares his journey from exited founder to building a new venture through the venture studio model, highlighting the importance of customer discovery, hyper-specialization, and building in public. The conversation dives into how software updates transform hardware performance, why listening to customers is the ultimate competitive edge, and how to find product-market fit in crowded industries. Whether you’re a founder, engineer,...
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Designing Better Coffee: Basheer Tome on Product Development at Fellow

September 22, 2025 • 52 mins
Design isn’t just about how a product looks, it’s about how people experience it. In this episode, we dive into the world of coffee equipment and explore how industrial design and hardware interfaces shape intuitive, user-friendly products. From balancing complexity with usability to gathering early user feedback, we cover the practical lessons every designer and product builder needs. We also dig into innovative ways to run focus ...
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From Plant Killer to Shark Tank and CNN: The Flora Story

September 8, 2025 • 48 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman talk with Aabesh De, founder of Flora, about turning a personal problem; being a self-proclaimed “serial plant killer” into a fast-growing gardening technology brand. Aabesh shares how Flora was born from the need for better plant care solutions, and why integrating hardware and software is essential for creating a seamless user experience. The convers...
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Beyond Compliance: Quality Systems in MedTech

September 1, 2025 • 38 mins
How do you build medical devices that are both innovative and compliant without drowning in paperwork? In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman talk with Ashkon Rasooli, founder and CEO of EnGenius Solutions, about rethinking quality management systems in medtech. Ashkon shares his perspective on the No BS QMS manifesto, why redundancy is good but duplication is waste, and the challenges of v...
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From Startup to Amazon Supplier: The Modjoul Story with Founder Eric Martinez

July 28, 2025 • 48 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, we sit down with Eric Martinez, CEO and founder of Modjoul a startup tackling one of the most overlooked but critical challenges in industry: workplace safety. Eric shares the raw story of building a hard-tech company from the ground up including how Modjoul evolved from tracking repetitive motion injuries to building collision avoidance systems that protect workers in real time. Highlights ...
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Scaling the Connected World with John Grady of Ayla Networks

July 22, 2025 • 42 mins
John Grady, CEO of Ayla Networks, joins the Glassboard team to unpack what it really takes to build and scale successful connected products. Ayla supports some of the world’s leading brands—like Shark and others—by delivering the cloud platforms, mobile apps, and device integrations that power great smart home experiences. But as John explains, the real value lies in helping hardware companies translate their product vision into se...
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Backing Hardtech: A VC’s Perspective with Dipalo Ventures

July 14, 2025 • 46 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, hosts DeAndre Harakas and Grant Chapman sit down with Rafiq and Monica from Dipalo Ventures, a VC firm backing early-stage hard tech startups. They dive deep into what makes building in hard tech so different from the high cost of mistakes to the critical importance of user validation before a single part is built. The conversation explores why founders must clearly articulate why their prod...
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Navigating Project Management in Medical Devices

July 7, 2025 • 54 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, we dive into the world of medical device innovation with Tom and Bill from The Waddell Group, a firm that specializes in project management for MedTech ventures. We explore why many healthcare systems still rely on outdated tools like Excel, and how this slows down innovation in a field where precision and progress are critical. The conversation touches on groundbreaking therapies like light...
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From Zambia to Zipp and the Future of Mobility with Andy Ording

June 30, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode of The Hardtech Podcast, we sit down with Andy Ording, former CEO of Zipp Wheels, now co-founder of Fundraiser Capital. Andy shares the wild ride of building Zipp into a world-class brand, navigating the brutal carbon wheel wars of the '90s, and bootstrapping through near-failure to a successful exit to SRAM in 2007. The conversation dives into the realities of hardtech entrepreneurship, what makes a founder truly c...
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The Future of AI in Engineering with Troy Kelly

June 23, 2025 • 44 mins
In this episode, we dive into how AI is fundamentally changing the landscape of software and product development. From accelerating engineering workflows to raising the bar for junior developers, AI is both a powerful tool and a potential pitfall. Our guest shares hard-earned insights on why you still need to be the boss when working with AI, and how unchecked automation can lead to a flood of low-quality output. We explore the imp...
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The Intersection of Sports and Technology with HOOPTEQ

June 16, 2025 • 49 mins
Eric, DeAndre, and Grant discuss the importance of social entrepreneurship, community impact, and the journey of building a sustainable business model. Eric shares insights on customer discovery, go-to-market strategies, and the role of conviction in entrepreneurship, emphasizing how genuine community involvement can lead to success in the startup world. Get your HOOPTEQ -- www.hoopteq.com Special Guest: Eric Roberson.
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Science & Business with Emily Atkinson

October 10, 2024 • 41 mins
The discussion delves into the intricacies of investing in early-stage companies, highlighting the importance of having the right team, particularly separating scientific expertise from business leadership. It touches on the strategic decisions behind investment, including timing, regulatory de-risking, and product-market fit. The conversation emphasizes the importance of storytelling in early development and fundraising, understan...
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Process Obsessed with SEP

June 30, 2024 • 50 mins
In this episode, we explore the intricacies of custom development with experts from SEP (Software Engineering Professionals). Starting with a brief history of SEP, we delve into the challenges of hiring and retaining top talent, the evolution of project management methodologies, and the delicate balance of managing client expectations with project realities. We discuss innovative strategies for adapting to diverse client needs, the...
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Building Your Way To Building Great Products with Mike Kelly

March 19, 2024 • 40 mins
0:00-1:08 - Intro 1:09-3:03 - The Start of Developertown 3:04-23:30 - Taking Equity for Services 23:31-32:05 - Pros and Cons of the Studio Model 32:06-36:44 - Sharing Risk as a Solution to Common Studio Pitfalls 36:45-39:11 - Software Development vs. Hardware Development 39:12-40:27 - Outro Special Guest: Mike Kelly.
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What is a venture studio? With Dick Aderman

February 29, 2024 • 44 mins
In this episode of the Glasslab Podcast, we sit down with Dick Aderman of Boomerang Ventures to discuss his career path, his current role, and the differences between an accelerator and a venture studio. Special Guest: Dick Aderman.
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Rose Hulman Engineering Design with Dr. Patsy Brackin

September 11, 2023 • 61 mins
On this episode of the Glasslab podcast, we speak with Dr. Patsy Brackin of Rose Hulman Institute of Technology about their unique and real-world-focused Engineering Design Program. Special Guests: Chase Strother and Dr. Patsy Brackin.
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Intern Takeover

August 1, 2023 • 46 mins
On this episode of Glasslabs, the Interns take over! Join Glassboard's Xtern Class of '23: Matthew Kane, Chase Strother and Alaina Wol as they talk about their experiences and what it's been like working with the team this summer. Special Guests: Alaina Wol, Chase Strother, and Matthew Kane.
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Best Practices for Early Stage Product Founders with Devon Campbell of Prodct

July 10, 2023 • 44 mins
On this episode of Glasslabs, we talk with Devon Campbell, Founder at Prodct Medical Device Advisory, about best practices early-stage founders can take when creating a new product and how companies like Product and Glassboard support their development. Special Guest: Devon Campbell.
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