In this episode of Manufacturing Runs The World, host Justin Schnor sits down with Dan Engerer, founder of Brainchild Engineering and creator of the Engerer Automatic Shower Cleaner. Dan pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to bring a product from idea to market—spoiler alert: it’s way harder than it looks.
He shares raw, unfiltered insights on the pitfalls of prototyping, the brutal time cost of refinement, why most inventors fail to commercialize, and why bootstrapping beats investors (at least for him). Dan also opens up about transitioning from a service-based business to launching his own product—and the mindset shift that came with it.
Whether you're an inventor, product developer, or just curious about what it takes to build something from scratch, this episode is full of hard-won lessons and straight talk you won’t hear anywhere else.
Key Topics:
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Why refinement is the true bottleneck in product development
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The myth of overnight success (and the reality of 2-month "2-day" projects)
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Bootstrapping vs. investor funding: what Dan really thinks of Shark Tank
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How 3D printing is reshaping modern manufacturing
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Marketing without the gimmicks: why a great product markets itself
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