Applied Embedded Electronics

Chapter 14. Creating Great Products

Life’s too short to build something nobody wants.

Ash Maurya

The goal of this book was to provide the essential information to design embedded system electronics that are reliable and problem free. In closing, knowing what to design and how to determine the likely success of potential products is worthwhile knowledge.

What makes a great product? For consumer products, high-volume sales are a good indicator of success. Devices that sell by the millions can’t be argued with. However, many products are never destined for high-volume sales. In the military, medical, avionics, and satellite sectors, the volumes are smaller than in the consumer products sector. Nonetheless, many devices in those sectors are valuable and useful.

The consumer electronics market is flooded with multiple competitors and innumerable offerings. Consequently, pricing is cutthroat and product life spans are short, making it difficult to compete. As an alternative, there are many niche markets where there is much less competition and product life spans are friendlier to smaller organizations. Smaller markets with fewer competitors can still yield successful sales.

Yes, this is an “Introduction to Marketing” discussion, but designers should know some of the basics. Understanding the common characteristics of successful products is useful knowledge.

Create Products That Solve Problems or Fulfill a Need

Customers don’t care about your solution; they care about their problems. ...