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Everybody’s talking about AI, but nobody’s showing you how it actually works for physical products. In this episode, Ryan walks through the five ways he uses AI every single day — not hypothetically, but in real product development happening right now across Plus-Plus USA and his own new product launches.
He also shares the CRIT framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) from Geoff Woods’ book The AI-Driven Leader, and the story of how a chance encounter with Elf on the Shelf co-creator Christa Pitts at the Licensing Expo changed the way he works.
The five ways:
- Market research & validation — pressure-testing ideas before spending a dollar
- Naming & branding — from 20 candidates to the right one, plus building a full brand kit
- Margin math & cost modeling — scenario planning for tariffs, fees, and scale
- Mocking up packaging concepts — re-skinning products, testing new themes and form factors
- Proofing final products — catching typos, UPC errors, and getting a “retail buyer” critique
Links mentioned in this episode:
— Book: The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods — https://www.aileadership.com/book/
— Free margin math calculator — https://makerealstuff.com/pages/margin-calculator
— Book a free 30-minute call with Ryan — https://calendly.com/ryan-makerealstuff/30min
— Make Real Stuff on YouTube — https://youtube.com/@makerealstuff
Try this prompt: “I have an idea for [your product]. Ask me the 10 hardest questions a retail buyer would ask before putting this on a shelf.”
