Working on first-generation products and new product development is no walk in the park. But, Milo Werner, General Partner at The Engine, joined the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference to share her wealth of experience.

Milo joined Tesla in 2007 at a critical stage in the company's trajectory, where she led new product introduction launching the Model S and Model X powertrains. In addition to Tesla, Milo ran new product introduction at Fitbit, launching four factories in China and transitioning the company to fully automated production. Now she's a general partner at The Engine, where her dedication to solving some of the world's biggest problems, from climate to health to computing and beyond, continues.

In this extract from the "Build Better 2022" virtual conference, Milo gives us the low down on how she got her start in both Tesla and Fitbit. We hear about her triumphs and the challenges she faced developing first-generation and new product development. She also answers a bunch of intuitive questions from manufacturers in the audience.

In this episode, find out:

How Milo got into Tesla and new product development
Challenges she experienced while working on the Model-S powertrain
Lessons learned from building a first-generation product
Challenges when developing new products
Milo’s transition from Tesla to Fitbit
What characteristics need to align when evaluating a contract manufacturer
Lessons learned from smaller companies making first-generation products
Why it’s vital to be open to recommendations from contract manufacturers
How to determine the specifications for how good a product feature should be
How to manage people on long projects
How to find out if you’re a fit for new product development
The future of cars as a service

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Tweetable Quotes:

“New product introduction is a wonderful way to meet people and to be that glue that removes silos and brings people together as a cross-functional team.”
“The CM industry is run on razor-thin margins, and they've been put in that corner by one customer after another.”
“I want to solve problems in our community and society, and Tesla and Fitbit really spoke to me in that regard.”

Links & mentions:

Tesla, an American electric vehicle and clean energy company that manufactures electric cars, battery energy storage, and other related products
Fitbit, an American consumer electronics and fitness company
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, a management book that describes how companies go from being good to great
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a business book that describes the many pitfalls teams face as they seek to "grow together"

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

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