Q&A with Inventor and Founder Dan Cass - D3 Products and Liddle Speaker
D3 Products is a leader in innovative, space-saving products that disrupt the market. D3 Products was named one of the 10 hottest start-ups at the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and won the IBT award at CES in 2022. The company was awarded multiple patents for its engineering and design capabilities utilizing patented Intellectual Properties (IP) in consumer electronics. D3’s latest product innovation is a magnetic wireless “Liddle Speaker” that can magnetically attach to any surface including the qi2 MagSafe charging area of a phone or phone case.
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
My name is Dan Cass but I’m also known as “inventor Danny. ” I hold a masters in electrical with a reverse engineering mindset in consumer product development. I grew up in a small town in Michigan, where the pace of life was slow, and the community was close. From a young age, I had an innate curiosity and an uncanny ability to see things differently while building things in shop class. I had a teacher and mentor who let me design and build something out of nothing. This was the beginning of opening up to the creativity of a young mind. The shop class taught me not just about tools but the basic applications and processes that are used in working with wood, metal, and plastic that are used in today's products.
What or who inspired you to become an inventor?
I was trained to be a reverse engineer / technical sales manager while working for an automotive company. My colleagues were the best mentors that helped identify my weakness and guided me into looking into the future of technology. I learned how to build products based on futuristic concepts. Building something out of nothing involves a blend of creativity, technical skill, and strategic planning. When we designed the Liddle Speaker we needed to consider what problems it solves and does it touch the mass market from kids to adults to generate sales quickly.
What inspired you to create your product?
The catalyst that inspired me to create the Magnetic Liddle Speaker was during the pandemic. As the world shut down, our startup company was falling apart. Our access to capital stopped, our product tooling we started was incomplete because everyone was stuck at home. Out of nowhere, a new customer reached out and asked if we could make modifications to our design. This moment of realization is when the ah ha moment struck to develop a magnetic portable bluetooth wireless speaker that can be used to magnetically attach to anything! The frustration of the pandemic pushed us into a new direction to develop the Magnetic Liddle Speaker.
What is next for your business?
We are in the process of developing the Liddle Speaker Pro model set to come out in 2024. We believe the “Pro” model will trigger a movement by leveraging our future technology. The Liddle Speaker Pro will empower individuals with knowledge and skills needed to improve their quality of life with the most advanced tech features in a portable Liddle Speaker. Exciting times are right around the corner, watch for the Liddle Speaker Pro coming soon.
Who inspires you to be the best that you can be?
My sons Riley and Chandler! I raised them alone as a single father from when they were 7 and 10 and they have grown into remarkable young men. Both are now pilots and I couldn’t be more proud.
