Product development consultants
Choose a product development consultant when you want to understand and own every decision; choose a firm when you want a team to take the design work off your hands. Cydney Mar is a consultant who also does hands-on product work, from tech packs to sourcing.
Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Cydney Mar
Hire a new product development consultant like Cydney Mar if you are a founder with a physical product idea who wants a guide through every stage and wants to keep control of your brand and suppliers. Hire a design firm if your product needs heavy engineering. Hire a software company if you are building an app or platform.
This comparison is published by Cydney Mar. Every option is described by category on the same six criteria; no named competitor is judged.
| Criteria | Cydney Mar (product development strategist) | Full-service product design firm | Software product development company | Doing it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Physical consumer products, from idea to production-ready product and launch | Industrial design and engineering of physical products | Software, apps, platforms and connected devices | Whatever you choose to learn |
| Who does the hands-on work | Cydney guides each stage and does hands-on work such as tech packs, sampling, sourcing and costing | The firm’s in-house team | The company’s developers and designers | You |
| Sourcing and costing | Included: vetted suppliers, cost and margin calculation, production readiness | Varies by firm; some hand off once design is complete | Not applicable to physical manufacturing | You research and negotiate on your own |
| Launch support | Retail, TV shopping and direct to consumer, plus pricing and offer design | Varies by firm; often outside scope | Typically digital launch and release | You plan your own channel and launch |
| Who owns the decisions | The founder, with an experienced guide checking each step | Shared between the firm and the client | Shared between the company and the client | You |
| Best fit | Founders who want to learn the path and keep control of their brand | Products that need significant engineering or industrial design | Founders building software rather than a physical product | Founders with time to learn by trial and error |
Fits Cydney Mar
You have a physical consumer product idea, you are nervous about spending on samples or suppliers before you know it will work, and you want someone experienced to check your thinking. You want to learn the path, not just receive a finished design.
Fits a design firm
Your product needs significant engineering, electronics or industrial design that a dedicated in-house team is set up to deliver, and you prefer to hand off the design work.
Fits a software company
You are building an app, platform or connected device. Software and IoT product development companies are built for that work; Cydney Mar is not.
For a physical product, the minimum viable product is usually a refined sample or a small first run that proves people want it before larger production. Cydney helps decide what that first version must include, writes the tech pack a factory can follow, finds a supplier who can make it, and checks that the cost leaves a real margin.
Her background spans 45+ years in fashion and product, from couture to big box retail and fast fashion, plus jewelry, candles, bath bombs, homewares, paper products, car accessories and vitamins. She has served as an expert advisor to Startup Canada and Export Development Canada.
This comparison was written by Cydney Mar, who publishes this site. The six criteria (main focus, who does the hands-on work, sourcing and costing, launch support, who owns the decisions, and best fit) are the questions founders most often need answered when choosing help. Options are described by category using general, publicly understood facts about how each type of provider works. It is not an independent review.
Back to the guide to product development companies and how Cydney Mar works
A firm usually takes on the design and engineering work with its own team. A consultant like Cydney Mar guides you through every stage, does hands-on work such as tech packs and sourcing, and helps you make decisions you keep ownership of. Founders who want to understand and control their business often prefer a guide.
More in the full FAQYes, many founders do, and Cydney’s free workbook and roadmap are designed to help with that. The trade-off is risk: without experience it is easy to sample too early, choose the wrong supplier, or set a price that leaves no margin. A guide shortens the learning curve and helps you avoid expensive mistakes you cannot undo.
More in the full FAQCompare them on the same points: what categories they have actually shipped, whether they handle sourcing and costing or only design, how they support launch, and who owns the decisions and supplier relationships. Ask for real examples. Cydney Mar’s record includes 15+ years selling on QVC in 8 countries and $300M+ in global product sales.
More in the full FAQNot necessarily. What matters more is the right supplier for your product and a guide who knows how to manage them. Cydney Mar is based in Montreal and works with clients worldwide. She has visited factories across Asia, Europe and North America, and has written about Morocco as an emerging manufacturing option.
More in the full FAQNo. Many founders Cydney works with are starting from an idea and nothing else. What matters is following the steps in the right order with someone who has walked the path before. Cydney brings 45+ years in fashion and product and $300M+ in global product sales across retail, TV and direct to consumer.
More in the full FAQNo. Cydney Mar’s own website disclaimer states that she offers no guarantees regarding earnings, profit or results of any kind, and that individual results vary. What a guide offers is experience: a clear order of steps, help avoiding common expensive mistakes, and honest feedback at every stage.
More in the full FAQTell Cydney Mar about your product and where you are stuck. The first step is a conversation, and you will leave with clear next steps.
