Dragon Certified products have been thoroughly reviewed by Dragon Innovation’s engineers who give teams feedback to help understand COGS, manufacturability, and expected delivery timelines for a go-to-market strategy. This blog series highlights a Dragon Certified team to help understand more about the team’s hardware development process.
Today’s Dragon Certified feature is from Pramod Abichandani, Founder of LocoRobo. We asked him a couple of questions so he can share his experience with the Dragon Innovation community.
What was the most insightful piece of information you learned during the Dragon Certified process?
Bottom line - mass production is complex! Being an Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor, I was certainly aware of the nuances of mass-producing robots in the US and China. However, I did not appreciate the true complexities until I met the Dragon Innovation team. They answered our questions while providing critical feedback for our designs to ultimately certify them for mass-production. From the mechanical CAD to the electronics BOM, they meticulously checked all aspects of our designs. I should add that they did so patiently and respectfully, two uncompromising values that we appreciate at LocoRobo more than anything else.
If you could go back to day one and make a change to your product, what would it be?
We are quite happy with the programming (coding) education ecosystem that we have built. This includes the physical robot and the one-of-a-kind programming platform that helps students learn robotics and coding alike. We have witnessed significant traction in schools and among students.
The one thing we would have done differently would be to invest comprehensively in a strong PR campaign to spread the word more effectively. Crowdfunding campaigns benefit significantly from smart PR.
What’s the biggest takeaway you want people to know about the LocoRobo team?
That we will not rest until we achieve our goals - to ensure that every school district in the US will have a solid robotics program in the next 5 years, to ensure that every student who is motivated to learn programming will have the opportunity to purse it through a hands-on learning experience, and ultimately, to be a leader in robotics education.
Any advice for entrepreneurs embarking on this journey?
Starting up a company is an exhilarating experience. It is also an absurd one given that ultimately it is a leap of faith one has to take in the face of uncertainties. LocoRobo has seen a phenomenal start thus far and we have a long way to go. Having Dragon Innovation by our side has given us an unmatched sense of confidence. We are excited!
Interested in learning more about LocoRobo?
LocoRobo can be found on Indiegogo or hear directly from the team below!
If you’re interested in finding out if you’re ready to be Dragon Certified, you can take your product through the Dragon Certification Pre-Qualifier.
