It's only a Prototype
It's only a Prototype
Podcast Description
Bringing a physical product to market is never a straight line. It’s messy, unpredictable and full of costly mistakes. It’s only a Prototype is the podcast that tells the real stories behind product innovation. No hype. No polished PR spins. Just honest, hard-won insight from people who’ve lived it.
Hosted by Phil Staunton (Founder of D2M product design agency: https://www.design2market.co.uk/) who brings with him a wealth of industry experience and Tom Constable a seasoned podcast host and serial entrepreneur.
This show explores the unfiltered reality of designing, prototyping, manufacturing, and launching physical products.
Each episode features candid conversations with founders, product leads, engineers and innovation specialists who have faced down challenges in new product development (NPD). We learn what separates commercially successful products from costly flops, exploring real-world decisions, moments of uncertainty, and the lessons learned through failure.
This podcast is for you if you’re serious about turning good ideas into great products. Whether you’re:
- Leading innovation, product or R&D teams
- Founding and growing a product-based business
- Managing design and manufacturing processes
- Supporting product success through marketing, strategy or operations
…you’ll gain practical insight into the challenges that really matter.
We cover questions like:
- How do you balance innovation with commercial viability?
- How can you validate an idea before investing heavily?
- How do you manage stakeholder conflict, evolving product requirements or manufacturing risk?
- When do you push forward and when do you pivot or walk away?
From idea to shelf (and every stage in between), It’s only a Prototype is your behind-the-scenes guide to what it really takes to bring a physical product to life... and make it work.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into real stories around product innovation, focusing on topics like designing, prototyping, manufacturing, and launching products; episodes cover themes such as navigating stakeholder conflicts, balancing innovation with commercial viability, and learning from costly mistakes, illustrated by case studies like the journey of Rockit, a sleep-saving device for babies.
Bringing a physical product to market is never a straight line. It’s messy, unpredictable and full of costly mistakes. It’s only a Prototype is the podcast that tells the real stories behind product innovation. No hype. No polished PR spins. Just honest, hard-won insight from people who’ve lived it.
Hosted by Phil Staunton (Founder of D2M product design agency: https://www.design2market.co.uk/) who brings with him a wealth of industry experience and Tom Constable a seasoned podcast host and serial entrepreneur.
This show explores the unfiltered reality of designing, prototyping, manufacturing, and launching physical products.
Each episode features candid conversations with founders, product leads, engineers and innovation specialists who have faced down challenges in new product development (NPD). We learn what separates commercially successful products from costly flops, exploring real-world decisions, moments of uncertainty, and the lessons learned through failure.
This podcast is for you if you’re serious about turning good ideas into great products. Whether you’re:
– Leading innovation, product or R&D teams
– Founding and growing a product-based business
– Managing design and manufacturing processes
– Supporting product success through marketing, strategy or operations
…you’ll gain practical insight into the challenges that really matter.
We cover questions like:
– How do you balance innovation with commercial viability?
– How can you validate an idea before investing heavily?
– How do you manage stakeholder conflict, evolving product requirements or manufacturing risk?
– When do you push forward and when do you pivot or walk away?
From idea to shelf (and every stage in between), It’s only a Prototype is your behind-the-scenes guide to what it really takes to bring a physical product to life… and make it work.
In this episode, we sit down with Jez Williman, a British entrepreneur whose journey has seen him build a business from $3 million to over $100 million in sales across 120 countries and then lose a second venture after years of development and personal investment.
Jez shares a candid, unfiltered story of the highs and lows of product entrepreneurship: from building an iconic (if invisible) product seen in airports and films everywhere, to the brutal lessons of raising capital, dealing with lawyers, and losing control to an investor. This one is packed with wisdom for founders who’ve ever put everything on the line.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How Jez scaled a niche product into a global industry
- What dyslexia taught him about resilience, learning, and creative problem solving
- The harsh realities of hardware development, investment, and prototyping
- Why big design firms aren’t always the right answer and what to do instead
- The devastating consequences of trusting the wrong lawyer
- How to validate your product cheaply (before spending big)
- The mindset and sacrifices needed to succeed across business and elite sport
- Why Jez is starting again with a new venture in smart crowd control systems
Episode Timestamps:
[00:00] Welcome and intro to Jez Williman
[01:25] From engineering apprentice to global entrepreneur
[04:30] School struggles and discovering the power of dyslexia
[13:32] Buying a company with nothing but a mortgage
[17:12] Lessons in entrepreneurship, capital, and exit planning
[26:35] Creating a new electric mobility product—and what went wrong
[38:21] The big mistake: trusting a major design firm
[43:33] Losing a business to a minority investor takeover
[57:11] Why he’s rebuilding the crowd control industry with smart tech
[1:02:59] Common threads between elite athletes and top entrepreneurs
[1:08:04] Final reflections on joy, purpose, and why he still builds
About the Guest:
Jez Williman is a British entrepreneur who helped revolutionise the global crowd control industry. His work is embedded in everyday life, from airport barriers to supermarket checkouts. After selling his business for a significant exit, Jez launched a second venture in electric mobility only to lose control of it to investors. Today, he’s back building a smarter, digital-first approach to crowd control systems.
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. He blends deep design knowledge with commercial realism:
📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel
Tom Constable is a former British Army officer turned entrepreneur and podcast producer. Tom brings curiosity and challenge to every conversation, making sure no lesson goes unshared.
About the Show:
It’s Only a Prototype uncovers the real stories behind physical product innovation. No polish. No sugar-coating. Just raw, insightful conversations with people who’ve built (and broken) real things.
Perfect For:
- Product innovators & hardware entrepreneurs
- Founders scaling physical product businesses
- Heads of product, design and R&D
- Commercial leaders navigating NPD and manufacturing
Stay Connected:
🌍 Website: https://www.design2market.co.uk/its-only-a-prototype/
📱 LinkedIn: Follow us here
🎥 YouTube: Watch full episodes and clips
🎧 Subscribe: On Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more
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Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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