Kodu

Exciting News for London’s Hardware Start-ups: Blue Garage Opens Soon! I recently had the pleasure of meeting Alan Murrell, CEO of KwickScreen, who gave me a tour of their impressive studios and workshop. Alan shared Kwickscreen’s exciting plans—and there’s something big on the horizon. The building they’re in is huge, with more space than Kwickscreen’s 26 staff need. So, what will they do with it? They’re creating something amazing. Coming soon: Blue Garage – a co-working and workshop space for start-ups and small businesses. I absolutely love this. We need more of these maker spaces to support fledgling, bootstrapped hardware innovators. When I visited, they were putting the finishing touches on the space, and I can’t wait to see it fully operational when the doors open. And you don’t have to wait long to see it yourself! Blue Garage is hosting an open evening on Thursday, 14th November, from 6pm. Interested? Reach out to Alan or drop me a message, and I’ll introduce you.

Thinking of Starting a Consultancy? Hear from Facility's Founder, Michael Bambino In this episode of The Design Journeys Podcast, I sit down with Michael Bambino, founder of Facility, a consultancy known for its brand-driven approach to product design. 🎙️ Michael’s career—from engineering to consultancy—has equipped him with a unique perspective on how to blend technical skills with creative strategy. Here’s what we cover:  ✅ How Facility balances design quality with growth  ✅ The role of adaptability and early career experimentation  ✅ Michael’s advice for those considering a move to consultancy  ✅ Why brand strategy is critical for long-term product success If you're a designer, consultant, or founder, Michael’s story is packed with practical tips on aligning technical expertise with creative freedom. Curious about building a design consultancy with a brand-first approach? Tune in!

How we’ve maintained a 100% fill rate and +89 NPS – even when candidates don’t get the job! Two very different outcomes but two very positive experiences. One of the biggest frustrations candidates have with recruiters is poor communication and being ghosted. At Kodu, we only partner with companies who are serious about hiring. Companies who trust the process and are committed to getting the right outcome, fast. By working with these highly engaged clients, we can dedicate more time to each assignment. This means more time for our candidates. Which leads to better-prepared, highly engaged candidates who are genuinely excited about the opportunity. For the client, it means: ❌ Less dropouts ❌ Less time wasted ❌ Fewer surprises ❌ No starting from scratch For everyone, it means: ✅ Better communication ✅ Better experience ✅ Better outcomes That’s why we’re able to fill EVERY SINGLE role we’re engaged on. And why our candidates and clients rate us so highly on NPS (even the ones who didn’t get the job). Recruitment doesn’t need to be painful. Ready for a better recruitment experience? Drop me a message!

We're #hiring a new Senior Product Design Engineer in Worcester, England. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Design Engineer in Worcester, England. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Q3 in the bag. If you’d like to find out how we can help you find and hire physical design and engineering talent in 6 weeks or less, get in touch!

From a Backpack Vacuum Cleaner to Leading Innovation at Dyson and Beyond! In this episode of The Design Journeys Podcast, I had a brilliant conversation with Mark Joynson-Bickerstaffe, founder of Mark & May, who’s spent years shaping design and innovation at Dyson and Kohler Co.. Mark’s journey started with a backpack vacuum cleaner concept at Dyson (yes, really!), and he’s gone on to lead teams and develop products that have made a real impact. Here’s what we dive into in Episode 14: 📝 Mark’s career path—from early challenges to global leadership 💡 How to create and nurture a culture of innovation in businesses, big or small 🌍 What sustainable design actually means and why it matters 🤝 The role of intuition and communication in building high-performing design teams 📈 Leadership tips for aligning company culture with long-term growth If you’re passionate about product design, leading teams, or simply curious about innovation, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone who’s been at the forefront of it all. 🎧 Catch Episode 14 of The Design Journeys Podcast now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts!

I'm thinking about starting a regular online meet up for folks in the physical design space. It'd be an evolution of sorts from the Zoom huddles I ran during the dark days of covid. My plan is to run these for 30 minutes once a month, with each one themed around a specific topic. The original huddles kind of ran out of steam thanks to Zoom-fatigue but if there's enough interest, I'll definitely be up for a re-invention. Would you be interested? Let me know in the comments :)

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬... Last week, a hardware start-up founder asked me, “𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠?” I replied, “𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑓𝑒𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.” While I typically deliver a shortlist in 2-3 days, the real question is: "𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭?" Because a shortlist is only part of the equation. Ever wonder why candidates ghost you or reject your offer? It’s rarely about money or benefits. It usually comes down to: ➕ Engagement levels ➕ Communication ➕ Values/mission alignment ➕ Employer brand Here’s what you need to do: ➕ Streamline your interview process ➕ Ensure stakeholders are available to interview ➕ Clearly communicate your mission and values to candidates Once you do that, I can have a vetted, mission-aligned shortlist in your hands within 2-3 days. 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮? P.S. – I’m booking discovery calls for January hires. Interested in a no-obligation chat? Drop me a DM.

If you would like to learn more about me and my design perspective, please check out this podcast: https://lnkd.in/gHrfQAGB