What It Really Takes to Get a Product Manufactured

What does it really take to turn a creative idea into a manufactured physical product — and keep moving forward even when the path changes? In this episode of inventRightTV, Stephen Key talks with Greg, creator of SurfBand Pro (now SafeBand Pro), a wearable dispensing device designed to deliver sunscreen, sanitizer, and other protective solutions directly from your wrist. Visit: https://surfbandpro.com/ Greg shares how a personal frustration during COVID sparked the idea, and how the journey quickly evolved into a complex process involving patents, manufacturing challenges, product redesigns, and unexpected lessons about commercialization. From building more than 100 prototypes to navigating injection molding costs and changing manufacturers mid-process, this conversation reveals what product development actually looks like behind the scenes. Learn: —How personal-use problems often become strong product ideas —Why simple products can require extensive engineering —Lessons from developing 100+ prototypes —What inventors should expect from manufacturing and tooling costs —How Shark Tank exposure fits into a real product journey —Why product positioning and naming can evolve over time —The real financial commitment required to bring a physical product to market This episode is especially valuable for product entrepreneurs and inventors who already have a concept or prototype and want a realistic understanding of commercialization, manufacturing decisions, and long-term growth opportunities. Greg worked with Kevin Prince, founder of QuickPatents and a sponsor of our channel, for help protecting his product with intellectual property. Kevin specializes in helping product entrepreneurs and small businesses. Contact him at https://www.quickpatents.com and 1-800-505-5610. Thank you Kevin for going above and beyond to serve our community! 🚀 Learn more about the inventRight Gateway program: https://www.inventright.com/gateway Gateway helps product entrepreneurs connect with companies for licensing opportunities and strategic growth — without needing to build and manage a large company themselves. Subscribe to inventRightTV for weekly interviews with inventors and product entrepreneurs sharing what actually works in licensing, product development, and commercialization. Greg, thank you for sharing your perspective with us. Chapters 00:00 Cold Open & Hook 00:16 Intro & Guest Welcome 00:29 Why This Product Matters (Sports/Surf) 04:45 Origin Story: Sanitizer Friction 06:11 Wrist Dispenser Concept Emerges 07:16 Live Demo: Push-to-Dispense 07:53 Multi-Use: Lotion/Gels 08:03 Repellent Use Case (Mosquitoes) 08:20 Global Health Idea: Malaria Program 11:48 Details Matter: Designing for Users 12:05 Injection Molding Realities (Caps/Closures) 12:51 Design Sprints: 5–10 CAD Variations at a Time 13:36 Mentor Breakthrough: P&G Vet & New Team 14:08 Solving Valves & Controlled Dispense 21:24 Manufacturing Truths: Hurdles & Transparency 21:46 Go-To-Market: “How Do We Promote This?” 22:11 Shark Tank Outreach (LinkedIn → Response) 22:37 Budget Hit: Rework & New Tooling 24:00 Where to Find Him (Instagram/YouTube) 26:33 Budgeting the Journey (All-In View) 26:52 Why Tooling Is Expensive 27:33 Mold Costs: ~$40–50K 27:48 Pro Marketing Budget: ~$60–100K 28:28 R&D/Design Spend: ~$20–25K 29:13 Where to Buy Today (Site) 29:17 Rebrand Plan (SafeBandPro) 29:36 Naming Feedback from the Sharks 30:02 Final Takeaways & CTA License your ideas, inventions, and products with the help of inventRight. Find out how by calling +1 (650) 793-1477 or emailing [email protected]. Do you have the next big hit? New to the licensing business model? Educate yourself first. — Read “One Simple Idea”: amzn.to/4fwVVOT — Explore inventRight’s Free Inventor Resources: bit.ly/3AaGko2 ------------ inventRight, LLC. is not a law firm and does not provide legal, patent, trademark, or copyright advice. Please exercise caution when evaluating any information, including but not limited to business opportunities; links to news stories; links to services, products, or other websites. No endorsements are issued by inventRight, LLC., expressed or implied. Depiction of any trademarks/logos does not represent endorsement of inventRight, LLC, its services, or products by the trademark owner. All trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective companies. Reference on this video to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, company, or trademark does not constitute its endorsement or recommendation by inventRight, LLC or its hosts. This video may contain links to external websites that are not provided or maintained by or in any way affiliated with inventRight, LLC. Please note that the inventRight LLC. does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information on these external websites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.