What does it really take to turn a bold idea into a product people can use, love, and manufacture at scale?
In Episode 16 of Unboxing the Office, Bernie Youngblood sits down with Grant Chapman, Co-Founder and CEO of Glassboard, a hardware product-development firm helping startups, small businesses, and enterprise teams take ideas from concept to commercialization.
Grant shares how Glassboard grew from building electric go-karts in a basement into a nationally recognized product-development firm, why innovation is almost always a culture question, and how the company balances high standards with a healthy, sustainable workplace.
They also get into AI, ego-free collaboration, company shutdowns, hiring for culture fit, and why leaders should stop treating symptoms when the real problem sits deeper in the organization.
✅ In this episode, they explore:
— What it takes to bring a hardware product to market
— Why big brands often outsource early-stage innovation
— Glassboard’s journey from electric go-karts to product development
— Building a high-performance culture without burnout
— Why unlimited vacation did not work, and what did
— AI as a tool for exploration, not replacement
— How to create space for better ideas and healthier teams
— Why leaders need to solve second-order problems, not just symptoms
📚 Chapters
00:00 Welcome to Grant Chapman and Glassboard
03:35 What a hardware product-development firm actually does
05:03 Why large companies struggle to innovate internally
08:18 From white-label printer to wireless product
10:20 From silk research to safer bike helmets
11:08 Building Glassboard from electric go-karts
13:55 Hiring friends and defining Glassboard’s culture
14:26 High standards, ownership, and the “exclusive culture”
18:35 How Glassboard hires for culture fit
20:53 Checking ego at the door
23:25 High performance without high stress
24:01 Why unlimited vacation failed
24:35 The value of company-wide shutdowns
29:04 America’s hard-charging culture
33:33 How AI is changing product development
36:23 Using AI to expand the search space
38:18 Why AI should make teams better, not replace them
42:13 Creativity needs headspace
42:58 Why the best idea matters more than ego
47:41 Stop fixing first-order problems
51:09 Innovation can be relearned
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#Glassboard #HardTech #ProductDevelopment #UnboxingTheOffice #HotLogic #WorkplaceCulture
What is Unboxing the Office ?
Corporate culture, health & wellness, they are ALL connected.
Unboxing the Office is where bold conversations about corporate culture, health, and wellness come to life. Hosted in-person with business leaders, HR professionals, and change-makers, each episode explores the real forces shaping the modern workplace—from tech trends to cafeteria food. If you're building a healthier, smarter office—or just trying to survive one—this is your new go-to. Subscribe for monthly episodes that rethink how (and why) we work.