Hardware founders hire me when the prototype works but the path to production doesn't. Supply chain, manufacturing ops, and operational leadership — globally.
Manufacturer selection, BOM structure, quality systems, certification paths — these are locked in at prototype stage. Without someone who has navigated this before, you're making expensive decisions under pressure, on live products, with real money at stake.
I work inside your operation — vendor negotiations, DFM reviews, quality systems, certification management, logistics setup. Not slide decks. Actual execution, with your team, measured in outcomes.
Manufacturer selection and vetting, DFM reviews, quality systems — incoming, in-line, and final acceptance — production oversight, and certification management from first sample to goods received.
Global vendor networks across India and Asia, cost optimisation through structured negotiation, multi-source risk planning, and logistics setup for domestic and international fulfilment.
Operational process building, team hiring frameworks, KPI dashboards, and ongoing founder advisory — the function of a COO without the full-time cost, embedded in your team weekly.
Every engagement is scoped clearly, executed with full accountability, and delivered with specific outputs — not advisory decks.
Understand your product stage, operational challenges, and what success looks like in 90 days. No pitch — just honest assessment of fit.
Define the engagement, deliverables, and timeline. Fixed scope, clear outputs — no ambiguity on what you're getting or when.
I embed in your operations — vendor calls, factory oversight, system builds, founder syncs. Outcomes, not hours billed.
Concrete outputs: audit reports, 90-day roadmaps, production oversight to completion, documented processes for your team.
Two companies, two very different hardware challenges. The same approach — embedded, accountable, outcome-driven.
Head of Operations, Founder's Office
Cut manufacturing costs 20% and built a global hardware operation across four countries from the ground up.
Lead Engineer — End-to-End Product Launch
Took a smart safety helmet from prototype to international production and distribution in 18 months.
Three clearly scoped engagements, each designed for a specific stage of your hardware journey.
A focused diagnostic on one specific operational problem — a vendor decision, a manufacturer quote, or a logistics challenge.
Scope and pricing discussed on discovery call.
Book a Discovery Call →Complete operational health-check for founders pre-launch or at a critical inflection point.
Scope and pricing discussed on discovery call.
Book a Discovery Call →Ongoing operational leadership for post-launch founders — the function of a COO without the full-time cost.
Scope and pricing discussed on discovery call.
Book a Discovery Call →Hardware and deep-tech founders who have a validated prototype and are navigating the path to commercial production. If you're dealing with manufacturer decisions, supply chain setup, certification requirements, or operational scaling challenges — this is the work I do.
Yes. I work remotely with founders in the US, UK, EU, Singapore, and beyond. My operational experience spans India, China, Singapore, Germany, and the US simultaneously. I've managed supply chains and corporate entities across multiple countries — geography is not a constraint.
A full-time ops hire makes sense once operations is genuinely a bottleneck to growth — not before. The fractional model gives you senior-level operational experience at the exact moment you need it, without a significant fixed cost commitment before you've validated the need.
Most first engagements start with a free 30-minute discovery call, followed by an Ops Diagnostic or Launch Readiness Audit. Low commitment, concrete deliverable, and it clarifies whether a longer engagement makes sense for both sides.
Book a free call via Topmate and we can typically scope and start a diagnostic engagement within 5–7 days. I work with a small number of founders at any one time to ensure the depth each engagement requires.
"I've sat in factories at midnight checking quality batches. Renegotiated vendor contracts under real pressure. Told a founder — six weeks before launch — that their product couldn't be manufactured as designed.
I work inside your operation. Not from a slide deck."
Atul Nandan · Hardware Operations Consultant · Available Globally
The free discovery call is 30 minutes. No pitch. Just an honest look at where you are and what the path forward looks like.
Book a Free Discovery Call