How Students Start Successful Hardware Businesses With Scott Evans, Director of Inventionworks
- Cassandra Munoz
- Jun 23, 2022
- 1 min read
Kevin Mako talks to Scott Evans, the Director of Inventionworks at the University of Texas, just a few blocks away from their Mako Design + Invent office in Austin, Texas. Inventionworks is a 23,000 square foot product design and development facility with lots of fun machines and a team of 40 experts to help get student inventions off the ground. In addition, Scott has spent 25 years in the prototyping and product manufacturing industry.
On the Product Startup (Episode 102) Scott shares some advice on how student inventors and startups can start their invention idea journey. Plus, how to maximize the value of what colleges and universities have to offer. Today isn’t just about students, but also how anyone in the industry can get involved with their local schools both to help and to learn from them.
Today you will hear them talk about:
Looking around campus (student to student, faculty, entrepreneurial programs)
Product development in combination with an entrepreneurial mindset
How people in the community can be helpful for universities hardware incubators
Continuous learning, regress back to the role of a student to learn
Bluring the lines between education and professional practice
EPISODE LINKS
Scott Evans / Inventionworks Links:
The Product Startup Podcast Links:
Website: https://www.ProductStartup.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ProductStartup/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ProductStartup/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProductStartup/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ProductStartup/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProductStartup
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
Mako Design Links:
Website: https://www.makodesign.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MakoInvent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MakoInvent/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakoInvent/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/MakoInvent/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakoInvent/
Kevin Mako Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Entrepreneurs/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/KevMako/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevMakoPage/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMako/
Student founders usually focus on prototypes, manufacturing, and funding, which makes sense because those problems are immediate. The marketing gap appears later, once the product is ready but nobody outside the founder’s network knows it exists. A structured link building service could help at that stage, especially if Vladenza targets relevant technology, engineering, and startup publications instead of generic blogs. I’ve watched a small hardware project publish decent guides and product pages without building any authority around them. Links won’t rescue a weak product, but they can help useful content reach people already searching for a solution. The key is starting with a few priority pages rather than spreading the budget across the entire site.
How Students Start Successful Hardware Businesses With Scott Evans," Scott shares how students can turn innovative ideas into real-world products by leveraging school resources, building strong prototypes, and connecting with mentors early in their journey. He emphasizes that even with limited funds, students have a chance to create impact if they stay consistent, test their ideas fast, and remain open to feedback. There’s a possibility that this approach could inspire others exploring new ventures, especially those handling practical hurdles, such as scheduling an online apostille appointment for international documentation. Starting something meaningful often begins with small steps and the right mindset.