The Book
Tangibles — The Book
How to Build Hardware Competitors Can't Copy and Customers Won't Leave
By Yoel Frischoff — Smart Product Strategist
Shipping connected products since 1994
Upcoming, 2026
About the book
What This Book Is About
Connected products — from smart home devices to industrial systems — are rewriting the rules of product management. The hardware ships, but the real value is in the software, the services, and the business model around it.
Tangibles examines how product leaders can combine design, technology, and services into durable business models. It draws on 30 years of hands-on work with companies building connected products across consumer electronics, medical devices, agricultural technology, and more.
This is not theory. Every chapter is grounded in real products, real trade-offs, and real outcomes.
Audience
Who Should Read This
Product Managers
Working with hardware or IoT — especially those managing the intersection of physical and digital.
Founders
Building connected products who need to make smart architectural and business model decisions early.
Innovation Leaders
At established companies adding connected capabilities to existing product lines.
Engineers Moving Into Product
Who want to understand the strategic and business dimensions of smart hardware.
"The book is relevant to any hardware person seeking deeper understanding of the platform and product landscape — and who's ready to grow into a bigger role."
David Pawlowski
Head of Architecture & Hardware, RealSense
Table of contents
What's Inside — Chapter Overview
Part I
Why Hardware Is Different
- Why hardware is THAT hard
- Hardware startup validation traps
- When gadgets dissolve into features
- The evolving competitive environment for hardware vendors
Part II
The Connected Product Stack
- Digital interfaces change the rules
- The connectivity revolution
- The sensing revolution
- Firmware over the air
- Intelligence at the edge
Part III
Validation and Execution
- Taming concepts — from idea to validated product
- Beyond mockups
- The new MVP
- Lean hardware product management
Part IV
Positioning and Perception
- First impressions
- Killer features — disruption at play
- The Swatch Moment
Part V
Risk and Responsibility
- Smart AND secured — think again
- Smart product cyber threat mitigation
- Societal threats
Part VI
Business Models and Moats
- Business model essentials for tangibles
- From recurring revenue to customer loyalty and beyond
- Product Valhalla — when service evolves into relationship
Get involved
Reserve Your Copy
Early Access — 10% Off
Register now to get launch notifications, pre-order details, and a 10% discount on the book price.
Suggest a Case Study
Know a connected product story that belongs in this book? Tell us about it.
The author
About the Author
Yoel Frischoff is a smart product strategist and the principal behind TheRoad, a product strategy consultancy based in Tel Aviv. He has been shipping connected products since 1994, working across consumer electronics, medical devices, security systems, and agricultural technology.
Tangibles is built on 30 years of shipping connected products — the same expertise behind TheRoad's consulting practice.
Insights