Insights

Notes from the bench,and the field.

What we have learned building connected products: the method, the devices, and what it takes to keep a fleet alive in the field. Practical writing, newest first.

01Building a product·5 min readThree vendors, one product, and the gaps between themMost connected products are built by three companies that have never met. The product fails exactly where their work meets.Read the article
02Running a fleet·5 min read800 stations, 100 million sprays: what running a fleet unattended taught usOur first product is a connected sanitiser station that now runs in more than 800 units across 500 Woolworths stores with nobody watching it. Six lessons from keeping it alive.Read the article
03The Handee Method·5 min readWhat a working slice of an IoT product looks like after ten daysBefore we build anything properly, we build a thin version of all of it. Here is what that is, what it leaves out, and what you can decide once you are holding it.Read the article
04The Handee Method·4 min readAI-assisted delivery, without the hypeEvery engineering firm now says it uses AI. Here is exactly where it speeds our team up, where we keep it away from the decision, and why a hardware product makes the line sharper than it is in pure software.Read the article
05Working with us·5 min readWhy we discount our fees for a share of the productThree of the six products in our portfolio were built as co-creation ventures: lower fees in exchange for a share of what the product becomes. Here is how it works, when it works, and the paperwork that makes it safe for both sides.Read the article
06Firmware & devices·7 min readDesigning connected devices for South African conditionsPower cuts, patchy signal, unattended sites and long drives to fix things: what it takes for a connected device to keep working in the field.Read the article
07Running a fleet·7 min readThe real cost of an IoT product: beyond the buildWhat a connected product costs to own once it is in the field, the design decisions that shape it, and the questions to ask before you sign.Read the article

5 minThree vendors, one product, and the gaps between them 5 min800 stations, 100 million sprays: what running a fleet unattended taught us 5 minWhat a working slice of an IoT product looks like after ten days 4 minAI-assisted delivery, without the hype 5 minWhy we discount our fees for a share of the product 7 minDesigning connected devices for South African conditions 7 minThe real cost of an IoT product: beyond the build

Your brief

Have a product in mind?

A few lines is enough. Tell us the problem, the people who will use it and where it has to work, and we'll help you work out the first step.

01Talk directly to the people who will design and build it
02An honest view on what to prototype first, and what to leave out
03A clear next step, whether or not we end up working together

What happens next

01We read your briefWe come back to you, usually with a few questions of our own.
02A first callWe talk through the problem, the users, the devices and the data.
03A clear proposalScope and cost for a first phase, so you know exactly what you're committing to.