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Bootstrapped to 800,000 Units Sold Worldwide: The Story Behind Rockit
Manage episode 477538259 series 3658134
How do you go from a family Christmas hack to a globally recognised product used by nearly a million parents? In this episode of It’s only a Prototype, we sit down with Matt Dyson, co-founder of Rockit, the sleep-saving device that gently rocks a baby’s pushchair when parents stop pushing.
Matt shares the full story: from bootstrapping in his garage to battling cheap copycats, scaling to over 40 countries and staying lean while growing fast. Whether you're an entrepreneur, product developer, or just fascinated by how a simple idea becomes a market leader, this episode is packed with honest insights, fascinating anecdotes and practical takeaways.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- How Rockit was born from a scrappy DIY prototype
- Why Matt left his teaching job to pursue product entrepreneurship
- How the founders protected their IP without big budgets
- What it takes to raise £250k via crowdfunding (and keep momentum)
- The power of brand when facing cheap knock-offs
- Why going global early paid off
- How to stay lean while building a physical product empire
Episode Timestamps:
[00:00] Welcome and intro to Matt Dyson and the Rockit
[01:52] What is the Rockit and how does it work?
[02:31] The origin story: Christmas, a screaming baby and a gaffer-taped prototype
[05:19] Quitting teaching and going all-in
[06:20] From 5,000 units to 800,000 units, how big is Rockit now?
[06:54] Prototyping lessons and product evolution
[10:47] IP protection: patents, trademarks and budget hacks
[14:03] Fighting off copycats and enforcing IP
[19:00] How the Rockit team raised £250,000 with 300+ investors
[24:19] The highs: seeing Rockit in the wild, John Lewis and Buckingham Palace
[27:52] Why they used distributors worldwide from day one
[30:16] How to stay lean (Rockit only has four full-time staff still!)
[36:07] Distribution mistakes and lessons learned
[41:43] What’s next for Rockit
About the Guest:
Matt Dyson is the co-founder of Rockit, an award-winning baby tech company that has sold over 800,000 units worldwide. With a background in advertising and design education, Matt left teaching to bring an idea to life that’s now a parenting essential in over 40 countries.
Meet the Hosts:
Phil Staunton is the founder of D2M, a product design consultancy with over 20 years of experience bringing physical products to market. A trained industrial designer and advisor to innovators, Phil brings deep technical knowledge and commercial insight to every conversation:
📺 Check out D2M’s YouTube Channel
Tom Constable is a former British Army officer turned entrepreneur and podcast producer. He’s the voice of curiosity on the show, asking the questions others might hesitate to, and bridging the gap between tech, product and strategy with a fresh perspective.
About the Show:
It’s only a Prototype uncovers the real stories behind product innovation. No polished success tales. Just unfiltered conversations with the people who’ve faced the hard decisions, the expensive mistakes and the lessons that come with launching something real.
Every episode is packed with insights for:
- Product innovators & entrepreneurs
- Founders of physical product businesses
- Heads of product, design and R&D departments
- Commercial leaders navigating NPD and growth
Stay Connected:
Website: https://www.design2market.co.uk/its-only-a-prototype/
LinkedIn: Follow us here
YouTube: Watch full episodes and clips
Subscribe: On Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more
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Mentioned in this episode:
Strachan IP Episode Sponsorship
We really appreciate Strachan IP's sponsorship of this episode. Vicki, founder of Strachan IP, offers a free initial consultation to discuss reviewing your existing IP portfolio or discussing the best way to protect a new concept. Use link to get in touch.
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