Lower risk and cost using a slower path to launching your product

There’s more than one way to get a hardware product to market. If you’ve got VC money to burn and a team of engineers in-house, you can move fast and break things (and sometimes entire supply chains). But what if you’re playing it lean? Maybe you’re bootstrapped, or just testing an idea before doubling down.

Here’s a slower, steadier, less expensive route we’ve seen work. It’s lower risk, gives you real signals before you invest heavily, and still gets you to a shippable product — eventually.

This is part one of a two part series highlighting how to bootstrap a physical product with crowdfunding. Let’s break it down!

Step 1: Concept design + specs

This is your thinking phase. No tooling. No prototypes. Just smart questions and realistic guesses.

What is it? (tech specs)
Write it out like you’re explaining it to your mom and your mechanic. What does it do? What makes it different? At a systems level, what mechanisms, electronics, or software are involved? |

What might it look like? (design)
Think sketches, moodboards, and rough CAD. Figure out colors, materials, finishes, overall size, and UI/UX if relevant. Don’t fall in love yet — this is exploratory.

How much might it cost to make? (estimated cost)
Guesstimate based on previous projects. Ballpark your bill of materials cost at different quantities (100 units vs. 10,000 units) and include NRE (non-recurring engineering) for things like injection molds or custom PCBs.

How long will it take? (timeline)
Map a rough timeline. Three months for DFM? Six months to tooling? Be honest and buffer everything.

How much labor is involved? (estimated labor)
Estimate the hours per phase: design, prototyping, testing, production. Add up those hours and multiply by your (or your contractor’s) hourly rate. That’s your labor budget.

Step 2: Landing page + pre-launch testing

After you’ve got a concept that feels solid, test your idea with potential customers to build demand and your email base, so that you have an army you can leverage when you’re ready to launch!

What’s the price point?
Get back into it. What’s your estimated unit cost? How much do you have to sell it for to make a healthy profit?

How many do you need to sell?
Set a target for what you need to sell to do better than breaking even. Maybe it’s 500 units, maybe 5,000. This becomes your internal “go/no-go” threshold.

Build a landing page.
Use CAD renders or Photoshop mockups. Show what problem you’re solving, explain what the solution is, how it works, and why it matters. Add an expected launch date and rough pricing.

Tell a story.
What pain point are you solving? Who is this for? Make it clear and tight. Bonus points for a killer 20-second explainer video.

Build your audience.
At minimum, keep interested folks in the loop by collecting emails. At best, offer a $1 deposit to “reserve your spot” and test real intent.

Run paid ads.
Drive traffic, A/B test your messaging, and find out who actually clicks and converts. You’re buying data here, not just attention.

Step 3: Prep your crowdfunding campaign

If your landing page tests well and there’s clear demand, you’re ready to build the real campaign.

When to launch?
Don’t rush. Make sure your assets are tight, your prototypes are functional, and your timeline is believable. Factor in seasonality based on your product.

How long should it run?
Normally, 30–35 days is the sweet spot. This is enough time to build momentum, but not so long that you lose urgency.

Set your funding goal smartly.
Price it below what you actually need. You want to hit 100% fast — nothing sells like success. Nate (my co-founder) is a master at this.

Identify tiers + rewards.
Whether it’s early bird, a two-pack, or custom colorways, create variety, but don’t overcomplicate fulfillment.

Build your collateral.
Include videos, lifestyle shots, how-it-works breakdowns, and a founder bio that doesn’t read like LinkedIn. Don’t forget influencer testimonials and media quotes — a little goes a long way!

Map out the shipping timeline.
Don’t just say “ships in 6 months.” Break it into stages: Tooling complete by Month 2, first units off the line by Month 5, deliveries start Month 6.

Be honest about risks.
Crowdfunding backers aren’t buying a product —  they’re backing a project. Show you’ve thought through the risks and have a plan (and team) to deliver.

Step 4: Launch + ongoing support

After your crowdfunding page goes live, your job shifts to communication and momentum.

Answer FAQs fast.
People will ask the same five questions. Pre-load answers if you can. Be responsive when you can’t.

Post regular updates.
Weekly is ideal. Show progress. Highlight a new supplier. Share factory footage. Keep people excited and informed. These are your early adopters and evangelists.

Influencer campaigns.
Partner with influencers and let them take your product for spin and share their feedback. Send early samples to creators for hands-on demos. Measure their feedback and leverage their influence on your campaign page!

Work the press.
Media relationships are tougher to come by these days, and agencies are a dime a dozen, but whether you’re working it in-house, or partnering with a media expert or boutique agency, do your outreach! Get featured in newsletters, subreddits, blogs, or gift guides, so that you pop up wherever your audience is when they’re engaging with media.

informal is a freelance collective for the most talented independent professionals in hardware and hardtech. Whether you’re looking for a single contractor, a full-time employee, or an entire team of professionals to work on everything from product development to go-to-market, informal has the perfect collection of people for the job.