Hardware protoypes and scalability ... Scott Miller (bio) CEO and Co-Founder of Dragon Innovation (a hardware consultancy business and crowdfunding platform), joins Marc Raco, Rob Sanchez and Nataliya Makulova at The 2016 Smithers Apex WEAR Conference in Boston, MA. This interview is the second of three focused on manufacturing and scalability of direct-to-consumer products. Factories, vetting and crowdfunding Miller discusses the reality of where a prototype fits in the scaling process, helping designers find a great factory, 3D printing vs. injection molding, a focus on consumer electronics, and primary lenses on cost to build product, attention to quality and rigid scheduling. How a “hardware grader” helps vet out hardware entrepreneurs, important considerations for successful and productive crowdfunding and a tool to help, the critical importance of picking the right factory and having a competitive process, and the way Dragon Innovation can help. Volume, domestic vs. overseas, and growing need “The death valley of volume” in crowd-funding campaigns, values of domestic manufacturing vs. overseas, the growing market need for domestic manufacturing, the vetting process of factories, 200 companies and one Miller is particular proud of, how Dragon Innovation filters who they want to work with, and what kind of companies and products would attract them. More Puff and less Smaug, a superhero, and a mechanical tunafish Why the name Dragon, and how Miller’s background in Walt Disney Imagineering matters. Off the Grid Questions brings a superhero, lessons from a mechanical tunafish, sailing through two hurricanes, and ”swagon”. Plus an inspiring final thought about following a dream.   References: Jibo formlabs The Coolest Cooler Pebble Makerbot Maker’s Row [Episode 92]