Startup Consultation
Clarify the offer, customer, use case, risks, and cheapest path to learning what matters next.
Salt Lake City-based. Available globally.
Bring your startup idea to life.
Low hourly rates for startup consultation, ideation, prototyping, and product design for early founders, inventors, and idea-stage teams who need clear next steps.
- 10+
- patent credits
- 100+
- documented builds
- Low
- hourly rates
Easy to talk to. Useful from day one.
A practical builder for the awkward early stage.
The beginning of a startup or invention is often messy: half a sketch, a customer hunch, a prototype that almost works, or a product idea that needs sharper edges. That is exactly where I like to work.
I keep initial consultations relaxed and useful, with low hourly rates so early ideas can get real momentum before you commit to a big agency, a full-time hire, or a long development cycle.
Services
Help from idea spark to working prototype.
Ideation & Product Strategy
Turn scattered ideas into product directions, feature priorities, test plans, and pitchable stories.
Rapid Prototyping
Build fast proof-of-concepts across hardware, software, 3D printing, electronics, and practical shop work.
Design & Build Guidance
Improve designs, simplify mechanisms, plan manufacturable versions, and avoid expensive dead ends.
How it works
Small, clear steps instead of a giant commitment.
Talk it through
We start with a simple conversation about the idea, what you have tried, what you want to learn, and what success would look like.
Find the fastest proof
I help identify the smallest prototype, experiment, design pass, or research step that can reduce the biggest uncertainty.
Build momentum
From there, we can keep it light with hourly help or move into a focused sprint for prototypes, design, pitch materials, or technical planning.
Charles McNall
Inventor, maker, designer, and startup problem solver.
My background spans patents, medical device work, 3D printing, mechanical design, software projects, and many public builds under Startup Chuck.
Good fit
Best for people with an idea and a need for motion.
Early founders deciding what to build first.
Inventors turning sketches into prototypes.
Small teams that need a technical sounding board.
Non-technical idea owners who need a plain-English path forward.
Hardware or product concepts that need practical design feedback.
Builders who want low-friction help before hiring a full team.
Contact
Tell me what you are trying to bring to life.
Share the short version of the idea, where you are stuck, and what kind of help would be useful. I am based in Salt Lake City and work with people anywhere.