Shift Up Podcast: Josh Hon talks what it takes to bring a product to market in 2018

The latest in the Shift Up Podcast series is now live and ready to listen to on the CI.N homepage.

Taking 40 minutes to talk to Tern ‘Team Captain’ Josh Hon about bringing products to market in 2018, as well as tossing around the developing urban transportation picture, this one’s a must listen for anyone interested in cycling as a transport form.

Having produced a smash hit in the cargo hauling Tern GSD, as well as having broadened its folding e-Bike range with builds like the Vektron, Tern has grabbed headlines all over the globe for trailblazing in the cycling for transport picture.

Speaking on the design process of the GSD, Hon outlines some of the parameters that he felt could not be crossed when making the perfect bike for city living.

“The GSD is no longer than a standard city bike, that was an important parameter. We didn’t set out to make a large cargo bike, we wanted a unique and useful e-Bike. We decided our form factor should be no longer than a standard e-bike; this means elevator and train access, as well as being able to throw on to bike racks for cars and buses.”

Hon goes on to wax lyrical about running his prototypes by his sons and daughters to be sure that younger generations understand the usage potential. In fact, Hon’s son influenced a 10cm change on the GSD’s wheelbase, we’re told.

“I would say we are often creating things for ourselves, but we need that diverse array of opinion on what urban cycling is to different people. We have offices all over the globe. The unifying thing is that we bike in cities for urban transportation, so everyone comes at it differently for their own needs. If you design in a bubble you can go in a wrong direction. All of the European guys are critical on functionality, the American guys want it to look cool and the Taiwan team look carefully at the manufacturing feasibility. The entire team and their families viewpoints are important.”

The talk goes on to discuss the opportunities for dealers around the globe when it comes to developing their utility cycling offering, Amazon vs the local business, as well as the rates at which different markets are adopting new ideas.

Tune in below or hit the homepage to listen!