It’s an interesting time to be in hardware and manufacturing. On one hand, we’re experiencing a resurgence of interest in and enthusiasm for building physical things. On the other, we have the looming threat of trade wars and tariffs making it even more difficult and expensive to build a hardware business.
What we've been up to - Q1 2025

It’s an interesting time to be in hardware and manufacturing. On one hand, we’re experiencing a resurgence of interest in and enthusiasm for building physical things. On the other, we have the looming threat of trade wars and tariffs making it even more difficult and expensive to build a hardware business. We’ve been exploring this thorny issue on our blog and social channels this quarter (more on that below) and will continue to as the year progresses. But for this newsletter, we’re taking a close look at one of our rockstar members who has been manufacturing products of all sizes for decades, and his informal client who’s deep in the thick of manufacturing and building a global supply chain. We hope you enjoy!

MEMBER FEATURE
Steve Remy

Hardware engineering powerhouse Steve Remy is a walking wealth of manufacturing knowledge. He spent 16 years as a mechanical engineer and director of engineering at a number of firms and companies before founding his own product design and engineering company, Concinity. Steve is also a member of the informal hardware collective, having lent his skills on a variety of projects, including for Dharma Dr., EchoTech, and Guardian Bikes. He’s worked on everything from medical devices to sporting goods, and his expertise spans the whole hardware spectrum, from prototyping to mass production.

Read our interview with Steve to learn about his career path, professional superpower, and his advice to clients new to hardware.

Read more about Steve Remy
CLIENT FEATURE
Dharma Dr.

For the past four years, former educator and veteran Brad Mosell has been on a quest to make BLS (bilateral stimulation) and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) therapy more accessible by building a beautiful and intuitive wireless tool that can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere to reduce the symptoms of anxiety, increase focus, and improve sleep.

Dharma Dr.’s handheld Tabs provide alternating tactile and visual stimulation that helps calm the brain, reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety, and increase focus in under 30 seconds. The wellness technology company’s Tabs are so popular that they’ve sold out for a second time, with 2,400 Tabs now in circulation and being used daily by hundreds of therapists with thousands of clients to support their mental health practices and healing journeys.

While the 20% additional tariffs on imports from China will affect products like the Dharma Dr. Tabs, Mosell acknowledges that China is still the best, most cost-effective option when it comes to manufacturing due to their proximity to suppliers, experience with DFM, and attention to detail and quality. In contrast, Mosell moved all of their software and firmware development in-house to protect his IP - and also because he’s found that the advantages of iterating quickly with someone in the same time zone far exceed the cost savings. As the business grows, it'll continue to leverage the power of partners like informal to support its hardware production while they optimize internally around AI and their app experience.

Check Out Dharma Dr.
COMMUNITY & BLOG
UPCOMING EVENTS
NATE PADGETT
CEO and Founder

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