How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture a Prototype?

I’ll be brief today. It's a long weekend and I'm making the most of it. 🙂

Aun así, responderé a una de las dudas más habituales de los inventores:

How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture a Prototype?

By the way, remember to leave a comment about what you think of us.
You can do it HERE. It doesn’t cost you anything and you’re helping me a lot. 
 
This week I lost an inventor who I honestly thought would manufacture his prototype with us. 
 
He’s screwed me over! 
 
The deal has fallen apart for two reasons;
  1. "Paco" claims that the budget quoted is way too expensive. 
  2. "Paco" demands that I send him the breakdown of the budget quoted, he wants to know where the numbers come from.
I'm sure that, upon first reading this, you may identify with Paco... 
 
So, I explained to Paco the following concepts:
 
Makeshift prototype: a prototype that works, but the technicians who have worked on it have communicated very LITTLE with each other. So, each one has done whatever he could to complete his part. The makeshift prototype is like a hybrid of chunks of half-done designs and electronics. They are very cheap but, normally, they’re worthless.
 
Happy prototype: a prototype that is "cheap, cheap, cheap." For its construction, the main criterion is "whatever the client wants." It is not necessary to have technical criteria, or to do research or to optimize anything, it’s just key to do what the client believes is right and deliver a prototype that more or less works, regardless of whether it is efficient or not. 
 
Anchor prototype: a prototype manufactured by professionals who see the prototype as an end, not as a means. Therefore, to manufacture it, no consideration is given to criteria regarding future mass production processes. 
 
Now I get it! 
 
Paco is not my client. 
 
We can only work with inventors who, like you, want the prototype to become a product and then a business. 
 
Well, for that to happen, you have to envisage it from the very first minute.
 
As to the breakdown of the budget quoted, no problem.
 
 Paco:
 
Of the €8,000 budgeted:
Electronic material: €0. It’s on me.
Manufacturing materials: €0. It’s on me.
Labor: €8,000
 
In quoting a working prototype budget, coordination of capabilities is key. 
 
What electronics does affects design; design changes are validated by mechanics; all their changes affect industrial ... and so on... It's a cycle of trial and error across all capabilities. 
 
We haven't found another way to manufacture working prototypes that makes sense. And that's not cheap. 
 
After being very screwed, 
 
I learned that we didn't lose Paco as a client. 
 
He never really was one. 
 
I truly hope that you can take advantage of these tips.
 
Remember... With these tips, I don't intend to sell you anything. 
 
I fulfill my commitment to support our community of inventors.
 
If you want to help me in some way, you can: 
 
Leave us a review and rating HERE
2.Recommend Let’s Prototype to other inventors or innovation directors. Forward to a friend   
 
Did you miss tips from previous Sundays? 
 
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Warm regards

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