Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
00:00 Introduction to Yoto and Its Founders
04:27 The Motivation Behind Building for Kids
07:17 Prototyping and Initial Development of Yoto
09:50 The Yoto Device: Features and Functionality
12:54 Content is King: The Importance of Audio
15:29 Challenges in Hardware Development
18:18 Regulatory Hurdles in Kids' Tech
20:55 Team Dynamics and Hiring for Success
23:45 Learning from Failures and Observability
26:31 Navigating Compliance and Regulations
30:58 Connectivity Challenges in IoT Devices
34:16 The Importance of Offline Functionality
36:47 Key Metrics for Hardware Startups
39:28 Balancing User Feedback and Product Development
42:27 The Role of Community in Product Evolution
44:46 Opening Up to Developers: The Yoto API
50:25 AI in Content Creation and Compliance
57:16 The Future of Hardware Startups in an AI World
In this Coredump Session, Tyler Hoffman joins us as host and Yoto co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker shared how they built one of the fastest-growing brands in kid tech around a simple idea, a screen-free audio player designed for real family life. They discussed how feedback from kids shaped key hardware decisions across multiple generations of devices, and how the team balanced durability, battery life, and connectivity as Yoto scaled globally. The conversation also explored how their approach to device monitoring and updates evolved alongside their growing fleet.
Key Takeaways:
- Yoto built its product around a deliberately constrained experience: no screens, no ads, no microphones, and controls simple enough for a two-year-old to use independently.
- The company treated audio content as the core product, combining licensed entertainment, music, podcasts, and interactive experiences to drive long-term engagement.
- Early prototypes were built with Raspberry Pi hardware to validate real-world usage quickly before investing in custom production hardware.
- Children became the primary usability test group because their behavior immediately exposed friction points and design flaws.
- Hardware constraints drove innovation. Limited controls and minimal inputs forced the team to create more intuitive product interactions.
- Yoto evolved through multiple hardware generations as real-world family usage exposed challenges around durability, connectivity, and battery performance.
- Device observability and fleet monitoring became increasingly important as Yoto scaled globally and needed visibility into issues occurring in the field.
- OTA update strategy matured alongside fleet growth, helping the team manage reliability improvements and software iteration remotely.
- Regulatory complexity around connected kid devices continues to increase, particularly around cybersecurity and children’s data protections.
- Community became a major product advantage, with parents contributing feedback, creating custom content, and shaping future product improvements.
Listen to the Podcast episode: memfault.com/resources/hardware-at-software-speed-with-bootloop
Join the Interrupt Slack: [https://interrupt-slack.herokuapp.com](https://interrupt-slack.herokuapp.com/)
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Follow Memfault:
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Other ways to listen:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coredump-sessions/id1804647817
iHeartRadio: iheart.com/podcast/269-coredump-sessions-271043539
Amazon Music:music.amazon.com/podcasts/a5a780d4-7f14-4ed8-bda6-dd1aa4e98479/coredump-sessions)
GoodPods:goodpods.com/podcasts/coredump-sessions-668730)
Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Coredump-Sessions-id6534689?country=us
Visit our website: nordicsemi.com
00:00 Introduction to Yoto and Its Founders
04:27 The Motivation Behind Building for Kids
07:17 Prototyping and Initial Development of Yoto
09:50 The Yoto Device: Features and Functionality
12:54 Content is King: The Importance of Audio
15:29 Challenges in Hardware Development
18:18 Regulatory Hurdles in Kids' Tech
20:55 Team Dynamics and Hiring for Success
23:45 Learning from Failures and Observability
26:31 Navigating Compliance and Regulations
30:58 Connectivity Challenges in IoT Devices
34:16 The Importance of Offline Functionality
36:47 Key Metrics for Hardware Startups
39:28 Balancing User Feedback and Product Development
42:27 The Role of Community in Product Evolution
44:46 Opening Up to Developers: The Yoto API
50:25 AI in Content Creation and Compliance
57:16 The Future of Hardware Startups in an AI World
In this Coredump Session, Tyler Hoffman joins us as host and Yoto co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker shared how they built one of the fastest-growing brands in kid tech around a simple idea, a screen-free audio player designed for real family life. They discussed how feedback from kids shaped key hardware decisions across multiple generations of devices, and how the team balanced durability, battery life, and connectivity as Yoto scaled globally. The conversation also explored how their approach to device monitoring and updates evolved alongside their growing fleet.
Key Takeaways:
- Yoto built its product around a deliberately constrained experience: no screens, no ads, no microphones, and controls simple enough for a two-year-old to use independently.
- The company treated audio content as the core product, combining licensed entertainment, music, podcasts, and interactive experiences to drive long-term engagement.
- Early prototypes were built with Raspberry Pi hardware to validate real-world usage quickly before investing in custom production hardware.
- Children became the primary usability test group because their behavior immediately exposed friction points and design flaws.
- Hardware constraints drove innovation. Limited controls and minimal inputs forced the team to create more intuitive product interactions.
- Yoto evolved through multiple hardware generations as real-world family usage exposed challenges around durability, connectivity, and battery performance.
- Device observability and fleet monitoring became increasingly important as Yoto scaled globally and needed visibility into issues occurring in the field.
- OTA update strategy matured alongside fleet growth, helping the team manage reliability improvements and software iteration remotely.
- Regulatory complexity around connected kid devices continues to increase, particularly around cybersecurity and children’s data protections.
- Community became a major product advantage, with parents contributing feedback, creating custom content, and shaping future product improvements.
Listen to the Podcast episode: memfault.com/resources/hardware-at-software-speed-with-bootloop
Join the Interrupt Slack: [https://interrupt-slack.herokuapp.com](https://interrupt-slack.herokuapp.com/)
Suggest a Guest: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf76qnsUDznyIJfC2OXCC_dIwR8v9z1yvE3PPlOhfsNCR_sug/viewform?usp=header
Follow Nordic Semiconductor:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nordic-semiconductor
- Instagram: instagram.com/nordicsemi
- Facebook: facebook.com/nordicsemiconductor
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@nordic_semiconductor
- Twitter (X): twitter.com/NordicTweets
Follow Memfault:
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/memfault
- Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/memfault.com
- Twitter:twitter.com/memfault
Other ways to listen:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coredump-sessions/id1804647817
iHeartRadio: iheart.com/podcast/269-coredump-sessions-271043539
Amazon Music:music.amazon.com/podcasts/a5a780d4-7f14-4ed8-bda6-dd1aa4e98479/coredump-sessions)
GoodPods:goodpods.com/podcasts/coredump-sessions-668730)
Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Coredump-Sessions-id6534689?country=us
Visit our website: nordicsemi.com
