It's only a Prototype (D2M)
Explore every episode of It's only a Prototype
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 May 2025 | Taming the Dragons whilst Saving the Planet | 00:59:06 | |
How do you turn a lockdown frustration into a planet-saving product and land investment from two of the UK’s biggest Dragons? In this episode of It’s only a Prototype, we sit down with Lisa Hicks, founder of SNOAP—the world’s first solid soap dispenser that’s stylish, mess-free, and built to last 25 years. Lisa shares her incredible journey: from developing seven prototypes of a product that didn’t exist, to taming all five Dragons on national TV, and scaling up to eliminate over 130,000 plastic bottles—before breakfast. Whether you’re developing a physical product, wrestling with sustainability, or curious about what really happens in the Den, this episode is packed with fierce honesty, actionable advice and hard-earned lessons. In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Episode Timestamps:[00:00] Welcome and intro to Lisa Hicks and SNOAP [01:57] What is SNOAP and how did the idea begin? [04:05] The family problem that inspired a sustainable innovation [06:43] Why solid soap matters, and the hidden truth about liquid wash [11:16] Prototyping challenges and developing a brand-new product [15:05] Durability, iteration and building for long-term sustainability [19:07] The three principles behind SNOAP’s product success [28:00] How Lisa ended up on Dragons’ Den (without applying) [30:31] Preparing for Dragons’ Den under emotional strain [37:05] The moment all five Dragons pitched to Lisa [40:15] How Lisa chose Deborah and Peter—and why [45:00] What happened after the episode aired [47:20] Dealing with a sudden surge in orders [51:40] The power of feedback, belief and navigating business growth [54:40] Final reflections and closing thoughts About the Guest:Lisa Hicks is the founder of SNOAP, the revolutionary solid soap dispenser designed to replace thousands of plastic bottles and eliminate waterway pollution, while delivering a better clean. A former corporate finance professional turned sustainability champion, Lisa turned a lockdown frustration into a multi-award-winning product backed by two Dragons. Meet the Hosts:Phil Staunton is the founder of D2M, a product design consultancy with over 20 years of experience bringing physical products to market. A trained industrial designer and advisor to innovators, Phil brings deep technical knowledge and commercial insight to every conversation: 📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel Tom Constable is a former British Army officer turned entrepreneur and podcast producer. He’s the voice of curiosity on the | |||
| 15 May 2025 | Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide | 00:55:52 | |
How do you recover from a disastrous TV pitch to build a global children’s brand that sells in over 100 countries? In this episode, we sit down with Rob Law, founder of Trunki, the iconic ride-on suitcase that started life as a student design project and became a multimillion-pound business. Rob shares the wild ride behind Trunki: from being publicly rejected on Dragons’ Den to selling out overnight, navigating lawsuits, scaling manufacturing, and launching new products through crowdfunding. Whether you're working on your first prototype or your tenth product line, this episode is filled with honest insights, smart strategy, and lessons in resilience. In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Episode Timestamps:[00:00] Welcome and intro to Rob Law and Trunki [01:38] Inventing Trunki during university [03:15] Early setbacks: navigating toy vs. luggage industries [07:57] The Dragons’ Den disaster—and why it helped [12:31] Trying to manufacture in the UK and buying a factory [15:57] Major setbacks and how Trunki turned them into wins [20:20] Rob’s advice on IP, patents, and brand defence [23:40] Crowdfunding the Journey suitcase: what went wrong [28:30] Building a team and learning to step back [31:50] How AI is changing design, research and prototyping [40:50] Zedbee’s slow innovation model and sustainability goals [44:10] How to fund new products without external pressure [46:40] Final reflections: what Rob wishes every founder knew About the Guest:Rob Law MBE is the founder of Trunki, the ride-on children’s suitcase brand that became a global success after a famously brutal rejection on Dragons’ Den. Rob has sold millions of products worldwide, built a UK manufacturing base, and launched several follow-up ventures, including his latest startup, Zeepy, focused on slow, sustainable innovation. Meet the Hosts:Phil Staunton is the founder of D2M, a product design consultancy with over 20 years of experience bringing physical products to market. A trained industrial designer and advisor to innovators, Phil brings deep technical knowledge and commercial insight to every conversation: 📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel Tom Constable is a former British Army officer turned entrepreneur and podcast producer. He’s the voice of curiosity on the show, asking the questions others might hesitate to, and bridging the gap between tech, product and strategy with a fresh perspective. About the Show:It’s only a Prototype uncovers the real stories behind product innovation. No polished success tales. Just unfiltered conversations with the people who’ve faced the hard decisions, the expensive mistakes... | |||
| 17 Apr 2025 | Bootstrapped to 800,000 Units Sold Worldwide: The Story Behind Rockit | 00:44:23 | |
How do you go from a family Christmas hack to a globally recognised product used by nearly a million parents? In this episode of It’s only a Prototype, we sit down with Matt Dyson, co-founder of Rockit, the sleep-saving device that gently rocks a baby’s pushchair when parents stop pushing. Matt shares the full story: from bootstrapping in his garage to battling cheap copycats, scaling to over 40 countries and staying lean while growing fast. Whether you're an entrepreneur, product developer, or just fascinated by how a simple idea becomes a market leader, this episode is packed with honest insights, fascinating anecdotes and practical takeaways. In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Episode Timestamps:[00:00] Welcome and intro to Matt Dyson and the Rockit [01:52] What is the Rockit and how does it work? [02:31] The origin story: Christmas, a screaming baby and a gaffer-taped prototype [05:19] Quitting teaching and going all-in [06:20] From 5,000 units to 800,000 units, how big is Rockit now? [06:54] Prototyping lessons and product evolution [10:47] IP protection: patents, trademarks and budget hacks [14:03] Fighting off copycats and enforcing IP [19:00] How the Rockit team raised £250,000 with 300+ investors [24:19] The highs: seeing Rockit in the wild, John Lewis and Buckingham Palace [27:52] Why they used distributors worldwide from day one [30:16] How to stay lean (Rockit only has four full-time staff still!) [36:07] Distribution mistakes and lessons learned [41:43] What’s next for Rockit About the Guest:Matt Dyson is the co-founder of Rockit, an award-winning baby tech company that has sold over 800,000 units worldwide. With a background in advertising and design education, Matt left teaching to bring an idea to life that’s now a parenting essential in over 40 countries. Meet the Hosts:Phil Staunton is the founder of D2M, a product design consultancy with over 20 years of experience bringing physical products to market. A trained industrial designer and advisor to innovators, Phil brings deep technical knowledge and commercial insight to every conversation: 📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel Tom Constable is a former British Army... | |||
| 09 Apr 2025 | Introducing: It's only a Prototype Podcast | 00:05:02 | |
Welcome to It’s only a Prototype!What does it really take to launch a physical product? Spoiler: it’s messy, it’s unpredictable and it’s never as smooth as the success stories make it sound. Welcome to It’s only a Prototype, the podcast that goes behind the curtain of product development. In this trailer episode, your hosts Phil Staunton, an experienced industrial designer and founder of a product design consultancy, and Tom Constable, a curious outsider with a tech and entrepreneurial background, introduce the purpose of the show and what you can expect in the season ahead. Whether you're navigating complex supply chains, trying to avoid manufacturing pitfalls, or wondering when to pivot or pull the plug, this is the podcast where product people share the lessons they learned the hard way. What You’ll Learn in This Trailer:
Meet the Hosts:Phil Staunton – Industrial designer, design agency founder, and someone who knows first-hand how tough the hardware journey can be Tom Constable – Entrepreneur, tech geek, and your “professional idiot in the room,” asking the questions you wish someone else would Who This Podcast Is For:
Topics You Can Expect in the Series:
Don’t Miss an Episode:Follow or subscribe on your favourite podcast platform to get notified when new episodes drop. Stay Connected:Phil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philstaunton/ Tom's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/ D2M Website: https://www.design2market.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProductInnovationAcademy Like the trailer?Leave us a rating and a short review, it helps others discover the show! Chapters:[00:00] What is *It’s Only a Prototype* all about? [00:33] How do the hosts feel about launching the podcast? [01:56] What role does Tom play as a host? [02:12] Why launch a podcast on hardware development? [03:21] What else is critical to success? [03:53] What topics will the show cover? | |||