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Practical Product Development

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10 Weeks

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Cohort-based Course

Master the Product Development Process from Concept to Manufacturable Prototype in this Project-Based Course led by Industry Professionals

Course overview

Bridge the Gap between Academic Theory and Industry Practice in 10 Weeks

This intensive, project-based course teaches the valuable product development skills that you can only learn by building real products.


Through hands-on projects, live workshops, and design reviews with expert mentorship, you'll build a portfolio-ready product while mastering the real-world engineering process.


--- What makes this course different? ---


Learn by Doing - Design and build your own functional product from an initial concept then iterating into a refined, manufacturing-ready prototype.


Industry-Focused Skills - Master DFM for injection molding, sheet metal, and assembly. Snap fit design, enclosure engineering, and cost optimization - the skills that actually land jobs.


Professional Mentorship - Work directly with engineers who've shipped real products. Get personalized feedback through design reviews, not just lectures.


Career Acceleration - Dedicated portfolio development and interview prep. Learn to present your work like a professional.


Key Modules Include:

✅ Reverse engineering and teardown analysis

✅ Requirements definition, project planning, and engineering documentation

✅ Mechanical product design fundamentals: snaps, enclosures, mounting

✅ Design for manufacturing (DFM) and assembly (DFA)

✅ Cost engineering and BOM development

✅ Failure analysis and reliability testing

✅ Project portfolio creation and interview preparation


📹 See 1min course intro video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PLFcmW3ZMx4


⬇️ See Full Syllabus Below ⬇️

Who is this course for

01

Early-Mid Career Engineering professionals that want to level up by getting hands-on and building a strong portfolios of projects

02

Students looking to accelerate their career, stand out in a competitive job market, and land an internship or entry level job

03

Entrepreneurs and Freelancers looking to develop engineering, manufacturing, and product design skills to bring advanced products to market

04

Technicians and Operators who run machines daily, but want to design products, not just make parts. Get ready to level up your career!

Prerequisites

  • Basic CAD Experience (Associate Certification Recommended)

    We will be using professional CAD software such as Solidworks, Fusion, or Onshape during this course. (Free/Cheap Licenses Available)

  • Basic 3D Printing Experience

    You have designed and printed functional parts on an FDM printer before. You need easy access to a good 3D printer during this course.

What you’ll get out of this course

Create a Professional Project Portfolio and Showcase your Product Development Journey

Showcase a collection of work you are proud of which will set you apart in your job search 🎯🔍

Accelerate Your Career in the Product Development Industry

Fill in the gaps of what you didn't learn in school, and advance in your career 🚀

Design, Engineer, and Bring To Market your own Physical Product

Build the practical skills and knowledge to develop products with confidence 💪

What’s included

Live sessions

Learn directly from your instructors in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime Access

Access course content and recordings whenever you need them.

Certificate of Completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Interview Preparation from Industry Veterans

Learn how to present your technical skills and project portfolio in interviews from professionals who have hired and led engineering teams.

Build a Network of Engineers, Designers, and Entrepreneurs

Design reviews with industry experts, weekly office hours with your instructors, and peer feedback in the Discord community! 👥🗣️

Maven Guarantee

This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.

Course syllabus

35 live sessions • 5 lessons • 9 projects

Week 1

Jul 15—Jul 20

    Reverse Engineering, Problem Definition

    • Jul

      16

      Lecture 1: Live Teardown - Reverse Engineering In Action

      Wed 7/1612:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Jul

      18

      Lecture 2 Problem Definition

      Fri 7/1812:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    4 more items

    Jul

    19

    Student Introductions

    Sat 7/194:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

    Office Hours

    • Jul

      16

      Optional: Office Hour

      Wed 7/164:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
      Optional
    • Jul

      20

      Optional: Shivam's Office Hour

      Sun 7/205:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
      Optional
    • Jul

      18

      Optional: Office Hour

      Fri 7/184:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
      Optional
    • Jul

      18

      Optional: Office Hour

      Fri 7/189:00 PM—10:00 PM (UTC)
      Optional

Week 2

Jul 21—Jul 27

    Planning, Sketching, Design Visualization

    • Jul

      23

      Lecture 3: Project Planning and Documentation

      Wed 7/2312:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Jul

      25

      Lecture 4: Communication through Sketching, Visualization, and Design

      Fri 7/2512:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    5 more items

    Jul

    25

    Optional: Matt's Office Hour

    Fri 7/254:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

    Jul

    25

    Optional: Nimeesh's Office Hour

    Fri 7/259:00 PM—10:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

    Jul

    26

    Optional: Office Hour

    Sat 7/264:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

    Jul

    27

    Optional: Shivam's Office Hour

    Sun 7/275:00 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

Week 3

Jul 28—Aug 3

    Live Feedback Week

    • Jul

      30

      Live Feedback Session 1

      Wed 7/3012:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Aug

      1

      Live Feedback Session 2

      Fri 8/112:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Aug

      2

      Live Feedback Session 3

      Sat 8/24:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

Week 4

Aug 4—Aug 10

    Prototyping: High & Low Fidelity

    • Aug

      6

      Lecture 5: Prototyping - Low Fidelity & High Fidelity

      Wed 8/612:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    1 more item

    CAD Strategies and Tactics

    • Aug

      8

      Lecture 6: CAD Best Practices and Material Selection

      Fri 8/812:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

Week 5

Aug 11—Aug 17

    Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

    • Aug

      13

      Lecture 7 Design for Assembly and Serviceability

      Wed 8/1312:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Aug

      15

      Lecture 8: Snaps, Enclosures, and Mates

      Fri 8/1512:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    1 more item

Week 6

Aug 18—Aug 24

    Live Feedback

    • Aug

      20

      Live Feedback Session 4

      Wed 8/2012:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Aug

      21

      Live Feedback Session 5

      Thu 8/214:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
    • Aug

      23

      Live Feedback Session 6

      Sat 8/234:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

Week 7

Aug 25—Aug 31

    Design for Sheet Metal & Injection Molding

    • Aug

      26

      Lecture 9: Design for Manufacturing - Injection Molding & Sheet Metal

      Tue 8/2612:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

    Cost Engineering and Design Economics

    • Aug

      28

      Lecture 10: Cost Engineering and Design Economics

      Thu 8/2812:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    1 more item

Week 8

Sep 1—Sep 7

    Failure Methods

    • Sep

      3

      Lecture 11: Failure Methods of Consumer Products

      Wed 9/312:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

    Design for Reliability and Durability

    • Sep

      5

      Lecture 12: Reliability and Durability Design/Testing

      Fri 9/512:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    1 more item

Week 9

Sep 8—Sep 14

    Live feedback

    • Sep

      10

      Live Feedback Session 7

      Wed 9/1012:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Sep

      12

      Live Feedback Session 8

      Fri 9/1212:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Sep

      13

      Live Feedback Session 9

      Sat 9/134:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)

Week 10

Sep 15—Sep 21

    Testing and Validation

    • Sep

      17

      Lecture 13: Testing and Validation Methods

      Wed 9/1712:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

    Portfolio and Interview Prep

    • Sep

      19

      Lecture 14: Portfolio Design & Interview Prep

      Fri 9/1912:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

Week 11

Sep 22
    Nothing scheduled for this week

Post-course

    Portfolio Presentations

    • Sep

      24

      PPD Portfolio Presentations Day 1

      Wed 9/2412:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Sep

      26

      PPD Portfolio Presentations Day 2

      Fri 9/2612:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)
    • Sep

      27

      PPD Portfolio Presentations Day 3

      Sat 9/274:00 PM—5:00 PM (UTC)
    1 more item

Course Schedule

5-10 Hours Per Week Time Commitment

  • Live Lectures and Design Reviews (2h/wk Recorded)

    Tues/Thurs at 8:30pm ET (5:30pm Pacific)

    Join for a live and interactive Q&A section after a 30-45min main lecture

  • Weekly Project Milestones

    3-6hrs/wk (Independent Work)

    Put theory into practice immediately with hands-on project work that builds your portfolio while you learn.


    You will develop your own product during this course following our structured product development process.

  • Regular Office Hours (Optional)

    Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun

    Weekdays from 8:30pm-9:30pm Eastern (5:30pm-6:30pm Pacific)

    Weekends on Saturday and Sundays (Exact Times TBD)


    Instructors and TA's will help answer any questions you might have.

    Join for personalized project feedback and advice.

  • Networking/Hangout Sessions (Optional)

    Wed, Sat, Sun (Exact Times TBD)

    Build up a professional network of passionate engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs!

  • Bonus Guest Lectures

    Wed, Sat, Sun (Exact Times TBD)

    From several well-known industry professionals, to be announced soon!

Stay In The Loop

Sign up to be the first to know about course updates.

What Past Students Are Saying

        The course was exactly the right length and gave me the peer pressure I needed to finish my project. Without this course, I would not have completed my Automata watch. The lectures were the most valuable part - getting real-world experience from actual engineers who are getting paid to solve problems. That's what made it worth it!
Joshua Hinman

Joshua Hinman

MRB Engineer, Aerospace Machinist, and Founder of CT3D
        I joined this course expecting to spend the summer learning design skills as a side project. Six months later, my coursework became a real business with a $9,000 contract and over a dozen machines deployed at a military base, laundromats, and grocery stores.
Michael Hennessy

Michael Hennessy

Business Student → Hardware Startup Co-Founder
        This course taught me how to create a portfolios that showcase process, not just final results. The weekly design reviews and peer feedback were invaluable for expanding my thinking. There is nothing else like this course, I think it is really needed, and I enjoyed it so much that am coming back to help as a TA for Cohort 2.
Nimeesh Rahate

Nimeesh Rahate

Product Engineer at Teal Bio
        This bootcamp was the perfect complement to my mechanical engineering background. It helped me understand the entire product development process and gave me practical experience with prototyping and DFM/DFA principles.
Aidan Pulaski

Aidan Pulaski

Mechanical Design Engineer - Teradyne

Student Project Showcase: Automata Watch

Designed by Josh Hinman, CT3D LLC, https://www.ct3d.tech/physicalfab/3d-automata

Designed by Josh Hinman, CT3D LLC, https://www.ct3d.tech/physicalfab/3d-automata

Free resource

Preview Shivam's Lecture on Product Design

Want to level up your product design skills like Josh did?

Get Link to Youtube Video:

Mr. Turtle - Automated Detergent Dispenser

Developed by Michael Hennessey and Colin Brown - Hardware Startup Entrepreneurs, Cal Poly Grads

Developed by Michael Hennessey and Colin Brown - Hardware Startup Entrepreneurs, Cal Poly Grads

Key Holder

From Initial Concept to Refined Prototype by Nimeesh Rahate

From Initial Concept to Refined Prototype by Nimeesh Rahate

Meet Your Instructors

Shivam Dehinwal

Shivam Dehinwal

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Shivam has designed and developed numerous products ranging from energy storage and transmission systems to a hardware product for Google.


With extensive experience across industrial design, mechanical design, and manufacturing, he previously led product development at multiple design firms and startups from concept through production scale-up, giving him deep insight into what employers actually need from new engineers.


"Taking concepts from sketches to production and wearing different hats throughout the process is what keeps me going."


In our previous cohort Shivam's acclaimed lectures, and hands-on mentoring approach during design reviews helped students develop impressive portfolio projects that directly led to internships and job offers.


Students especially appreciate how he teaches them to ask the right questions at every stage of development, transforming their approach from "what can I make?" to "what should I make and why?"

Startup Veteran | UPenn 21' | DCE 19'

DP 140th
Google
10XBETA Venture Studio
Innovation Factory
DTU ALTAIR
Matt De Remer

Matt De Remer

Fractional CTO | Product Development Expert

Matt brings 25+ years of experience delivering breakthrough product designs over 16 million products now in homes, hospitals, and vehicles worldwide.

From surgical robots to flying cars, Matt brings unparalleled breadth across medical devices, automotive, aerospace, and consumer products.


Matt is passionate about preparing the next generation of engineers for real-world success. Having led cross-functional teams and managed complex product launches, Matt understands exactly what skills new engineers need to thrive in industry - and what's missing from traditional education.


Previously the Founder and Chief Engineer of Bayard Design, he managed teams of 12+ engineers and $1M+ budgets where he led product development from concept through to FDA approval and manufacturing scale-up across multiple product generations.


In our previous cohort, Matt's deep-dive technical modules and real-world case studies helped students master the practical skills that employers demand.


Students particularly value his ability to demystify complex product development frameworks with real world examples, how to use these frameworks, and how to navigate complex regulatory requirements.

Engineering Leader | UMass Amherst '98

UMass Amherst
company logo
Terrafugia
TransMedics
Cris Sion

Cris Sion

R&D Design Engineer

Multidisciplinary product development engineer with 6+ years of industry experience across R&D and production manufacturing environments.


Previously led manufacturing process development in high-tech environments (CNC, MIM, AM) before pivoting to consumer product development and biotech.


Cris founded Additive Engineering, a product development firm that helps entrepreneurs rapidly develop concepts into market-ready products. Through Additive Engineering, he has mentored approximately a dozen engineers/designers and helped bring several dozen products to market.


Cris is on a mission to democratize engineering education by making high quality courses and professional training/development accessible to anyone who is passionate and committed. In our previous cohort, students launched multiple successful projects to market, including one team that went on to start up a company.


Cris believes great engineers are made through hands-on experience with expert guidance — his teaching focuses on real-world problem-solving that prepares students to excel in their endeavors from day one.

Startup Founder | Mfg Pro | Cal Poly '20

Cal Poly
MIT research group
VulcanForms Inc.
Additive Engineering Inc.
ANDE
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