Réka Leisztner
Breaking the Hardware Mindset: Overcoming Barriers to System-Level Innovation
#1about 3 minutes
Redefining the product in the digital era
The central challenge for hardware companies is shifting their mindset from selling a physical device to delivering an integrated system of hardware, software, and cloud services.
#2about 3 minutes
Why legacy hardware brands fail in new markets
The robotic vacuum cleaner market illustrates how established brands with superior hardware can lose to newcomers because they treat software and user experience as an afterthought.
#3about 4 minutes
Software is a core value creator, not an add-on
In today's connected world, software, apps, and cloud services are no longer secondary features but are fundamental value creators that must be integrated from the start.
#4about 3 minutes
Focusing on system outcomes over hardware features
A critical mindset shift is moving from specifying hardware capabilities, like motor precision, to defining holistic system outcomes, like remote maintenance without human intervention.
#5about 3 minutes
How defining system outcomes drives innovation
Using the smartphone data transfer feature as an example, defining the desired user experience first gives engineering teams the creative freedom to build the best integrated solution.
#6about 3 minutes
Avoiding common product specification pitfalls
Product managers often hinder innovation by providing either vague requirements like "easy to use" or overly prescriptive hardware specs, instead of defining verifiable system outcomes.
#7about 6 minutes
Implementing a collaborative systems-first process
The ideal development process starts with defining system-level value, involves early collaboration between business and engineering for feasibility checks, and avoids siloed, sequential handoffs.
#8about 2 minutes
Embedding systems thinking into your business culture
True transformation requires applying systems thinking beyond engineering to business strategy and product management, potentially by creating new roles to bridge the gap between departments.
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