About experience
- Which products like mine have you taken to production?
- Which channels have you sold through: retail, DTC, or TV?
- How do you choose and vet suppliers?
Product development consultants, firms, and companies
How do I choose an MVP product development consultant?
Choose an MVP product development consultant who has taken products like yours from sample to production and can explain each step in plain order.
Prototype to Production ranks four ways to get help below, on the same criteria, for founders building a physical product. This guide is published by Cydney Mar, who appears in it as one example consultant. It is not an independent review.
Last updated: Published by Cydney Mar
Should I hire a product development consultant or a product development firm?
Hire a consultant if you want one experienced person to guide your decisions; hire a product development firm or company if you want a team to do the work. Choose working with suppliers directly only if you already know specs and costing, and a software agency only if your product is an app.
- 1
An experienced physical product development consultant
Ranked first for founders with a physical product idea who want a guide, because one expert covers clarity, samples, suppliers, costs, and launch in order. Cydney Mar is one example: 45+ years and $300M+ in global product sales, as she states. No prices are published, so you must ask.
- 2
A product development firm or team
Ranked second because a team can design, engineer, or source for you, which helps when you want the work done rather than guided. Costs and approaches vary by firm, so compare scope in writing.
- 3
Working directly with suppliers yourself
Ranked third because it can cost the least in fees but puts every decision on you. It fits founders who already know specifications, costing, and sourcing.
- 4
A software MVP development agency
Ranked fourth for physical products only because its work is apps, not goods. Published software prices include MVP development starting at $50,000 (Pendoah, 2026). It is the right choice if your product is software.
Published by Cydney Mar.
Ways to get MVP help, compared
| Option | Who does the work | Physical product focus | Published pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical product consultant | You, with expert guidance | Yes | Varies; Cydney Mar publishes none |
| Product development firm | The firm’s team | Often | Varies by firm |
| Suppliers directly | You | Yes | Supplier quotes only |
| Software MVP agency | The agency | No | From $50,000 for MVP development (Pendoah) |
Questions to ask any product development consultant
Ask these on a first call, whoever you speak to.
About the work
- Do you write tech packs, or do I need someone else?
- How will we calculate costs and margins?
- What will I have in hand at the end, and what does it cost?
How we chose
Options were ranked for one reader: a founder building a physical product who wants guidance. Each was judged on who does the work, how closely it fits physical products, and what pricing is published. The ranking was written by Cydney Mar, the business that publishes Prototype to Production. Read more in our approach, or go back to the MVP product development consultant guide.
Questions founders ask
Short answers below. Read all 48 on the MVP and product development FAQ.
What is a MVP consultant?
An MVP consultant helps founders decide what the first version of a product should be, how to build it, and how to test it with real buyers. Software MVP consultants focus on apps. A physical product MVP consultant, like Cydney Mar, focuses on samples, suppliers, costs, and getting from prototype to production without guesswork.
What is the difference between product development consultants, companies, and firms?
A product development consultant is usually one expert who guides you personally. Product development companies and firms are typically teams that may design, engineer, or manufacture for you. Cydney Mar runs Cydney Mar Consulting, an Indigenous-owned product development firm based in Montreal, and works directly with founders. The right choice depends on how much hands-on guidance you want.
What is a new product development consultant?
A new product development consultant helps bring a product that does not yet exist to market. The work typically covers defining the product, prototyping, sourcing, costing, and launch. Cydney Mar has done this for more than 45 years across fashion, jewelry, homewares, wellness, and more, and today guides founders through the Concept-to-Reality Pathway.
What experience does Cydney Mar have?
Cydney Mar has more than 45 years in fashion and product and over $300M in global retail, TV, and DTC sales. She sold her own collections on QVC for 15+ years in 8 countries, with more than 800 hours of live television. She designed Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection and led design for Edwin Jeans in North America.
How much does Cydney Mar charge?
Cydney Mar does not publish prices for the Concept-to-Reality Pathway. Fees depend on what you need, from a strategy session to hands-on tech packs, sourcing, and production readiness. The clearest way to get a figure is to contact Cydney through cydneymar.com and describe your product idea, your stage, and your goals.
Does Cydney Mar help with grant and funding applications?
Yes. Cydney Mar's business strategy work includes business plans and cost structures strong enough for grant and funding applications. She also offers business diagnostics to find where a business is leaking opportunity. For CCIB members, she offers complimentary strategy sessions through the TIB program, as described on cydneymar.com.
Keep going
Back to the main guide: working with an MVP product development consultant.
- What is an MVPWhat MVP means in product development, with definitions and examples for physical products.
- Build an MVPA six-step procedure to build an MVP product, in the order that avoids costly rework.
- MVP vs prototypeA side-by-side comparison of prototype, proof of concept, MVP, and MLP.
- CostsPublished MVP prices with sources, cost drivers for physical products, and a margin worksheet.
- After the MVPHow to move from a tested sample to consistent manufacturing.
- Launch pathsRetail, DTC, and TV launch paths compared on the same criteria.