Podcast Summary: B2B Breakthrough Podcast

Episode: Startup to Pitch Champion: How Reekon Tools has Grown Sustainably

Release Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Ciara Christo, Alibaba.com
Guest: Christian Reed, Founder of Reekon Tools

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the journey of Reekon Tools, a hardware startup that has found success without relying on traditional venture capital. Founder Christian Reed shares insights on sustainable growth, leveraging Kickstarter and community feedback, maintaining profitability while scaling, and the critical importance of manufacturing partnerships. Fresh off a major pitch competition win, Christian offers hard-earned lessons for hardware entrepreneurs, particularly those looking to launch and grow innovative products in resource-constrained environments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reekon Tools’ Origin and Core Vision

• Founded in 2020 by Christian Reed and Costas as a side project.
• Initial product: a digital tape measure for miter saws, allowing wood measurements to be taken and instantly shared to digital platforms.
• Expansion over five years: Now focuses on capturing and digitizing data for construction/home improvement through innovative hardware and software.
• "The more we can invest in making new products, technologies and consumer experiences, the better off we would be." (00:00, Christian Reed)

2. From Side Hustle to Full-Time Business

• Christian’s background at Formlabs influenced his passion for enabling people to create.
• Reekon's Kickstarter in 2020 (launched during COVID) surpassed $1.2 million, transforming the side project into a full-time endeavor.
• The company's growth has been intentional and bootstrap-oriented, focused on profitability and reinvesting profits into product development rather than seeking VC funding.
• "It was, you know, working my passion, my normal job making 3D printers and continuing my passion after work making a side product that eventually turned into Reekon Tools." (04:53, Christian Reed)

3. Leveraging Kickstarter and Community for Growth

• Reekon continues to use Kickstarter, not just for initial funding, but to sustain excitement, manage cash flow, and receive early feedback.
• Backers play a pivotal role in product development, acting as beta testers and providing valuable input—such as introducing the dual-unit “split blade” for tape measures.
• "Kickstarter backers are some of the most loyal, long lifetime backers and just have that purpose of being involved in the process." (07:37, Christian Reed)
• The campaign community also becomes early adopters and champions, critical for a hardware brand’s credibility and long-term growth.

4. Team Growth and Scaling Sustainably

• Grew from two founders to 15-person team—hiring tied strategically to successful product launches.
• Emphasis on intentional, deliberate scaling and maintaining profitability—refusing to overextend or compromise the customer experience.
• Each new product or Kickstarter launch is used as a lever to justify and fund growth.
• "Each campaign is correlated to us expanding and growing the business, diversifying our product line and revenue streams." (13:06, Christian Reed)

5. Operational and Manufacturing Partnerships

• Reekon builds strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers, using a blend of networking and Alibaba.com for component discovery.
• They’ve invested heavily in custom infrastructure—factory calibration tools, fixtures, and software—to maintain quality and efficiency.
• Success is built on partnerships willing to be accountable when inevitable issues arise:
  • "It always happens when something's on fire." (23:11, Christian Reed)
• Vetting manufacturing partners requires ensuring they can scale with Reekon and have the skillset for launching new products.

6. Cash Flow over Revenue – The Key Startup Lesson

• Christian explains that cash flow trumps revenue and profitability when operating a hardware business, citing the importance of timing in payments and inventory cycles.
• "The biggest challenges we have are not are we going to make money? It's when do we make money?" (29:43, Christian Reed)
• Carefully managing retail and distribution partners is essential to avoid overextension and ensure stable pricing/brand consistency.

7. Vision for the Future

• The long-term goal is to make Reekon the default data platform for tradespeople—with both physical tools and software seamlessly integrating with emerging technologies like AR, VR, and AI.
• Streamlined, digitized jobsite data collection is the “inevitable” next step, paralleling how battery platforms have become standard among professionals.
• "Our idea and vision is that they'll have a data or measurement platform as well, which presumably Reekon, which is a combination of physical tools and software to just make the process easier of collecting data on a job site." (32:39, Christian Reed)

8. Advice for Pitching and Entrepreneurship

• Lead with passion—it must be a “full-in” commitment to survive the inevitable lows.
• Preparation for pitches is mostly about focusing your message and distilling your main points for the audience.
• "If you're excited, interested and passionate about it, you can get through a lot more than something that you're kind of on the edge with." (35:08, Christian Reed)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Reekon's DNA:
  "Kickstarter backers are some of the most loyal, long lifetime backers...having that community of champions, the ones who are going to bat for us buying our new products, battling the social media trolls in the comments." (07:37)

• On Partnerships:
  "It always happens when something's on fire...The real culmination of when it happens is when something's on fire. A part doesn't fit, a vendor doesn't work out." (23:11)

• On Scaling:
  "You can look back in retrospect and sometimes highlight better infliction points or when things change with it. But I think that's been the case here with it that as things grow, some things get easier, other things get harder and very often new things pop up that you would have never imagined before with it." (14:40)

• On Cash Flow:
  "The biggest challenges we have are not are we going to make money? It's when do we make money? When do we have to pay something? When do we have the money in our account with it?" (29:43)

• Advice for Pitching:
  "Passion is what drives it...If you're not full in on it, it's very difficult to not only start it, but maintain it." (35:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:24 | Introduction to Reekon Tools & its founding story
• 02:43 | Inspiration for the company and product
• 04:53 | Transition from side project to full-time business via Kickstarter
• 07:37 | The value of community engagement on Kickstarter
• 11:51 | The evolving role of Kickstarter in brand and cash flow management
• 13:06 | Team expansion and the link to funding/product launches
• 14:40 | Challenges of scaling while remaining profitable
• 17:47 | Impact of recent pitch competition win and future R&D investments
• 19:57 | Building and managing supplier/manufacturer relationships
• 23:11 | Pivotal partnership moments—choosing the right manufacturer
• 29:43 | Hard startup lessons—prioritizing cash flow
• 31:40 | Sales channels and distribution strategy
• 32:39 | Five-year vision: Reekon as a digital platform for the trades
• 35:08 | Advice for pitching and sustaining entrepreneurial motivation

Links & Further Resources

• Reekon Tools: reekontools.com
• Social: @reekontools (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube)

Tone & Language

Christian Reed's voice throughout the episode is practical, analytical, and candid, with a strong undercurrent of passion for both product and process. There’s an emphasis on real-world advice, the necessity of adaptability, and an appreciation for community-driven iteration. The host, Ciara Christo, cues up detailed follow-up questions and often highlights the inspirational and instructive elements of Christian's journey.

For Listeners

If you're evaluating your own path as a hardware startup founder or considering a crowdfunding launch, this episode is packed with first-hand tactical advice—from community engagement to operational discipline. Most importantly, it underscores the value of passion, persistence, and building genuine partnerships at every stage of entrepreneurial growth.