S3 E1: Mastering Tech Adoption and The Hardware Development Workflow with Jon Hirshtick

This episode is all about hardware, with none other than Jon Hirschtick, the mind behind SolidWorks and Onshape (onshape.pro/thebuildercircle). Jon has spent his career building the tools that engineers use to design, prototype, and ship world-changing products. We dug into the ethos of hardware development, what it takes to earn your seat in the engineering workflow, and how software can unlock (or block) real innovation in hardware. In this episode, you'll discover:

⚙️ How to turn a product idea into a real-world innovation.

⚙️ Jon Hirschtick’s untold parts of the journey (SolidWorks & Onshape) + lessons from building world-changing tools.

⚙️ Why customer needs—not wants—are the true foundation of great products.

⚙️How to uncover real problems vs. surface-level requests.

⚙️ Strategies to earn your seat in the engineering workflow & drive adoption.

⚙️ Why usage trumps sales when proving product-market fit.

⚙️ Smarter ways to size markets & avoid founder pitfalls.

⚙️ How humility, curiosity, and customer visits fuel innovation.

⚙️ Why failure sits right next to success (and how to iterate fast).

⚙️ The 3 must-have software types every hardware team needs.

⚙️ Lightning takes on open APIs, modeling approaches, building in public vs. stealth, and more.

👉 If you’re a hardware founder, engineer, or product builder, this one’s packed with battle-tested advice, real stories, and frameworks to help you build better.

This episode is generously brought to you by our sponsor Onshape, the only cloud-native product development platform. Onshape combines professional-grade CAD with built-in PDM and real-time collaboration tools—all in one system, with no downloads required. Through the Onshape Startup Program, eligible hardware startups receive free access to Onshape Professional for one year, including integrated CAM. Apply now at onshape.pro/thebuildercircle.

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Music by: Tom Stoke

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