In this episode we talk with fempreneuer Diva Tommei, founder and CEO of Solenica a hardware startup committed to transforming the power of our indoor spaces. Diva spoke to us from Rome and shared with us what it really takes to get a hardware tech startup off the ground, including those crowdfunding campaigns that make funding look so easy. She shares really valuable info on the episode so take notes.
Episode Highlights
- Indiegogo is the starting point for getting investors, who are often risk averse.
- The formula to a successful Indiegogo campaign starts months and months prior to launching the campaign.
- Indiegogo Formula = Email harvesting and an amazing video.
- You will get a 5% return from your email list to sales with a good solid campaign, 6% if you are really prepared and do well.
- Your first product is only a small part of your larger vision.
- Be prepared.
- The steps to manufacturing a products are:
- Build your team (people that know manufacturing)
- Be prepared (ask a lot of people who have been there and done that)
- Create scorecard of contract manufacturers (on the most important parameters to your build)
- Determine top 3 (best price for best quality)
- Once you have determined your top 3 potential manufacturers, your choice becomes a heart game. You need to have a strong relationship with your manufacturer.
- Have we mentioned it’s important to be prepared?
- Feel a responsibility. Reinvest in a community. Talk about it and teach people — especially girls.
- You can build a community around where you want to build your life.
- Don’t give up on yourself. The only way to keep going, respect yourself. Keeps you healthy and sane. If you’ve got the grit to keep going you’ll make it.
Diva Tommei
Diva is Founder and CEO of Solenica, a hardware startup committed to transforming the power of our indoor spaces creating smart, accessible and connected products. Caia is Solenica’s first product, a robot that fills your home with sunshine. Diva studied Genomic Biotechnology at La Sapienza University in Rome and holds a PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Cambridge. She attended Singularity University as GSP in 2010. She was nominated “Top 50 Influential Women in European Entrepreneurship” by EU-Startups and in 2017 has given her first TEDx talk in Rome. She was also awarded the Young Global Innovator Award in 2017 by MIT Tech Review.
Follow Diva online at:
Website: Solenica.com
Indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/sunshine/x
Facebook: facebook.com/diva.tommei
Twitter: @dsolenica and @getcaia
Linkedin: it.linkedin.com/in/divatommei
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