Hello 👋, I'm Andrew Ireland.
A Senior Product Manager 🚀,
Generalist 🧰, Maker 🤖,
Qualified Gas Engineer 🔧
& Energy Independence Evangelist 🔌

My Process.

Okay, strap in; this is a bit of a contested topic, and I'm sure my opinion will work for some and not for others. Right, here goes.I've been in product management for hardware and software products for over a decade now, and I've seen some real success stories and some real disasters. In that time, I've learned and refined my typical internal process, which, independent of the business's product delivery processes, tends to follow the stages they undertake, with or without knowledge. (Often the "without" tends to lead to frustration.)Now, a quick caveat: there are differences between hardware and software, and the stages do not need to be followed in order, as ultimately, the goal is to arrive at a view of a product that is valuable, usable, feasible, and viable. I'm trying to produce a bit of a catch-all overview, and I believe leveraging this and taking advantage of it, whilst actively challenging to ensure a super lean validation of each stage, enables businesses, no matter the size, to deliver great products quickly.

01 | Ideation & Evaluation

Okay, so I'm cheating a little bit here, as arguably, before this, it helps to have a clear mission or goal for what you are trying to achieve for your target customer (more on that, coming soon). Assuming you have that, in this stage, the goal is all about finding, highlighting, and quickly stress-testing the ideas into quick and actionable tests that can prove or disprove the solution.This will allow you to build up a clear view of what your product needs to look like and what the must-haves and the could-haves are. Some businesses skip this part and come up with ideas in a boardroom, although usually with the best intentions and customer view point, skip this at your own peril.

02 | A Sample & Product Design

The Alpha stage builds on the ideation phase and dives into turning all those wild ideas into something tangible — especially for hardware or hardware + software products. It's about joining all of the proven and tested ideas into a very early prototype with all of the base functions (if a little janky).It is all about getting the core functions tested with customers. This is not limited to just the product; it can also extend to the proposition or sales channel if these are also new, whilst also fine-tuning and refining the product positioning and branding.

03 | B Sample, Core Validation & Finalised plan for manufacturer

So by now, we should have a very good view of our final product and the features required for launch. This is the stage where we can start committing to a more accurate launch time frame and locking down the work that needs to be done to get this product to market.The goal of this stage is to build a prototype that largely represents the final product's feature set but has likely been built using supplier sample parts and outside of the finalised manufacturing process. Here, testing focuses on validating the overall product design, usability, and any major assumptions around manufacturing or scalability.

04 | C Sample

At this stage, we’re building what is often referred to as a "golden sample" — a unit or set of units that closely resemble the final production version. This is critical for pre-production readiness because it ensures that all components work seamlessly together and that the product can be manufactured at scale with consistent quality. Additionally, it serves as a benchmark for final testing, regulatory approval, and stakeholder buy-in. The C Sample includes parts made using finalised tooling and processes, where possible, and is as close to the end product as we can get before scaling up.The goal here is to verify the manufacturing process, fine-tune the supply chain, and ensure that the product can be consistently produced to the required quality standards. This stage is also critical for regulatory testing, certification, and piloting the product in a controlled market environment to identify any last-minute issues.

05 | Launch

This is the big moment: bringing your shiny new product to market and proving that all the late nights and coffee fuelled brainstorming sessions were worth it. This involves scaling production, preparing the go-to-market strategy, and ensuring that all customer-facing elements (sales channels, support, documentation, etc.) are in place.Key activities at this stage include:

This stage is not the finish line but the beginning of your product’s life in the market. Post-launch, continuous improvement and feedback loops will ensure your product evolves to meet customer needs over time. For example, feedback from early adopters can highlight unexpected usability issues or reveal valuable features that were initially overlooked, enabling targeted updates that significantly enhance the product.

Solar Power Diverter 9kW

9kW Power Diverter is designed to maximise the consumption of your self-generated solar / wind power. It diverts surplus power from solar PV or wind generation to a designated heating appliance such as an immersion heater.
Involvement:

Evergreen Energy
Home Energy Report.

Get your Home Assessment visit booked in. A Project Specification expert will carry out a full on-site assessment. This ensures your heat pump system is designed specifically to your individual home and heating preferences. There is no charge and no obligation.Try it hereInvolvement:

myVAILLANT.

myVAILLANT is an intuitive app which allows you to reduce your energy bills and CO2 footprint by optimising your smart heating system.You can use the myVAILLANT app at any time and from anywhere with real time information, with no additional cost.Involvement:

The Senso & Mi Range of Smart Heating Controls.

The smart, precisely engineered and extremely easy to use, range that'll completely change the way you think about heating controls.Involvement:

socialASSIST.

Social Housing Web Application allowing Housing Associations to provide tenants with complete peace of mind through efficient, real-time heating stock monitoringInvolvement:

serviceASSIST / myVaillant Pro.

The solution enables installers to remotely monitor their customer boiler installations, with access to detailed performance data, fault code history and offer diagnostic insights – all at the click of button.Involvement: