Most hardware startups don't run out of money. They run out of direction.

An independent product advisory service for Series A–B hardware companies at the moment before they scale. We help founders and their investors decide what to build - before they've spent millions finding out the hard way.

 
 
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The fundraise
is coming.

The next round demands a sharper product story. Investors are asking questions the team can't answer cleanly. The window to course-correct is closing fast.

Series A or B is in motion.

But the product narrative isn't tight enough to hold up to scrutiny.

You've backed a strong team.

But you want an independent read on whether the product direction is sound.

Capital is in place.

But the burn rate is real and you need to stop building the wrong things.

The product
is unclear.

The technology works. But the team is chasing five directions at once and no one has been direct enough to say: pick one. That indecision is the most expensive line in your budget.

You have a breakthrough technology.

But haven't committed to the product it needs to become.

The roadmap is full.

But everyone has a different view on what actually matters.

You're pre-hire on product leadership.

But can't wait until that hire is made to get clarity.

What We Do

01

Diagnose

An honest, independent read on current product direction — where the strategic risk sits, what's being avoided, and what needs to change before the team scales or the next round closes.

02

Focus

Replace spray-and-pray with a clear view of the highest-value use case. Validated market logic, a sharp value proposition, and a product direction the founding team and investors can align behind.

03

Unlock

The evidence-based product story that holds up in a board room and gives the team something concrete to build toward. No loose ends, no hedging — a clear case for what to build and why.

★★★★★

  • “Matthew is an exceptional designer, one of the best I’ve worked with. He inspires all those he works with."

    Chief Strategic Design Advisor, LG Electronics

  • “I enjoyed Matthew's positivity and most of all his flexibility and outstanding creativity!"

    Global Product Manager, Logitech

  • “Matthew works like Usain Bolt runs at the Olympics”

    CPO, Head of Autonomous Humanoid Systems

  • “He became one of my most trusted advisors. I have complete trust in Matthew from a creative and operational standpoint”

    Partner, Innovation Venture Fund, BDC

  • “Everyone was buzzing. Your lens on the question was exactly what we needed"

    Head of Design, Global Strategy Consultancy

  • “Matthew gets us from 0-1 like know one else I know.”

    Investor, Hardware Scale up

Who We Are

Matthew Cockerill is the founder of Faster Not Easier, a product vision and strategy consultancy. For thirty years he has worked with global technology companies and ambitious scale-ups at the moment before the commitment is made — when the direction isn't clear and the cost of getting it wrong is real.

For global brands like Samsung, Panasonic, Lenovo, and Logitech. For scale-ups like Fairphone and Clicks. Not as a builder, but as the person brought in to find the opportunity the market hasn't seen yet — and give leadership the clarity to act on it before the window closes.

This advisory offer is that same thinking applied directly. One advisor. No overhead. No agenda beyond an honest, experienced answer.

A 30-minute call. No deck, no pitch.

Just a direct conversation about where you are and whether an independent product perspective would be useful right now.

BOOK A CALL WITH MATTHEW