How to Choose a New Product Development Firm

With endless accomplishments & the inspiring leadership LA NPDT, one of the leading new product development companies celebrates its first anniversary.

December 1, 20179 min read

Konstantin Dolgan

Written by Konstantin Dolgan, Ph.D., NPDP

Founder & CEO, Product Development Engineer

Published December 1, 2017Updated August 19, 2026

With endless accomplishments and the inspiring leadership of its founders, LA NPDT, one of the leading new product development companies, has made a significant impact in Louisiana and worldwide with its exceptional new product development services.

LA New Product Development Team is proudly celebrating its first anniversary. LA NPDT, one of the leading new product development companies, opened its doors in the fall of 2016 and has never looked back since. Konstantin Dolgan and Onega Ulanova were the two founders of this team that has now become a symbol of inventions and offers a wide range of new product development services in prototyping, commercialization, product design and development.

“We are delighted to have completed our debut year which was a tremendous success and we have great plans for the years ahead.” Said Onega Ulanova. She is the Co-Founder of the LA New Product Development Team.“We have a diverse group of people working here with diverse experiences and most of our team members are the graduates of the Louisiana Tech University”. According to the co-founder, the company supports the alumni of Louisiana Tech University.

Our Clients

The clients of LA NPDT have been featured in several leading media outlets including the New York Times, Business Insider, Animal Planet, Shreveport Times, and many others. LA NPDT offers a diverse offering of new product development services.

Another amazing fact about the company’s clientele is that these clients come from a very diverse array of backgrounds.

From property rental companies such as Bayou Property Rentals to product designs for electronic gadget companies, corporate offices, automotive industry, real estate, e-commerce and high-tech organizations, the clients of LA NPDT have shared phenomenal reviews regarding the services offered by the company.

Community Involvement

LA NPDT is unlike any other new product development companies. We strive to make generous contributions in supporting the local community. The dream of Onega and Konstantin with this company was to make this world a better place.

They have succeeded a lot in this mission. Konstantin Dolgan was also recently nominated for the prestigious 40 Under 40 Award. Konstantin is a Ph.D. with a rich experience in engineering as well as research and development.

These attributes make him an exceptional asset for new product development services. The company has participated in and organized multiple events.

Some of which include the SEBD workshop, FastTrax, USPTO day, and several others.

“Unlike other new product development companies, LA NPDT is basically an end-to-end product development company that makes ideas possible”. Said Konstantin Dolgan, while talking about the company. “Our mission is to facilitate business prosperity through product innovation.

I can proudly say that we have made significant progress in this one year”. He further added while talking about the company’s mission. With his leadership and vision, the startup that was born several years ago now has an international clientele.

Apart from work, Konstantin is a soccer player, a dog owner, and a volunteer at various organizations.

What drives us

The core values of LA New Product Development Team are diversity, appreciation, and equality. We also value the opinions and experiences of each team member. We excel in well-thought decision making, dedication, and integrity above all.

Moreover, the experts working at the company believe in thinking outside the box. We believe in doing it right the first time. Our company is known for delivering according to its promises.

We offer innovative new product development services. Healthy arguing among the members is also appreciated.

“We at LA NPDT, strongly believe in using collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship, and risk-taking. In order to achieve consistent and effective results for our clients”. Said Onega Ulanova, while talking about the company’s core strategies.

“We are proud to be a multicultural team and bring the best from all of us for the betterment of our customers.” She added.

As a co-founder and business development manager at LA New Product Development, Onega is passionate about offering new product development services to help companies breathe life into their brand and their existing or new product portfolios.

Before co-founding the LA NPDT, she was the youngest female International Lead Auditor at the American Petroleum Institute.

Our Team

The diversity in its team makes the LA New Product Development Team the ideal choice for diverse types of projects. As one of the leading new product development companies, LA NPDT, receives a wide range of small and large-scale projects from various industries.

In simple words, LA NPDT, unlike other new product development companies has become a one-stop solution provider for the aspiring as well as existing entrepreneurs and during its first year, it has already received several phenomenal testimonials from its long list of satisfied clients.

For inventors, innovators and revolutionaries, the LA New Product Development Team provide a complete range of new product development services from product conceptualization, prototyping, marketing, product design, and development.

Our Achievements

Some of the significant achievements made by the LA NPDT company during this first year also include the grant from LA Tech’s Innovation Enterprise Fund for the internal project Grapheno.

This project went on to become one of the finalists in the BioChallenge Innovation.

Moreover, Konstantin Dolgan was inducted as a jury member at the 2017 INPEX tradeshow. In addition, LA NPDT was also one of the sponsors of LA Startup Prize.

The company has also been featured on several major platforms including KTBS, Silicon Bayou, NOEW, and many others. Also, the videographers and photographers at the company received several international awards and recognitions during this one year.

LA New Product Development Team Featured on KTBS 3, Shreveport, Louisiana, September 2017

As one of the leading new product marketing companies, LA New Product Development Team, has become a member of some of the most prestigious clubs and organizations, such as the Rotary Club, BNI, the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, the Bossier City Chamber of Commerce, the LA Tech Alumni association, BBB, ASQ, SPE, and some other.

A+ BBB Accredited Business, BNI, Rotary Club Member – LA NPDT

Our Future

Furthermore, the LA New Product Development Team is always striving hard. Our new product development services play an integral role in the economic development of Louisiana. They will also continue promoting local entrepreneurship in the area and several other initiatives.

In this regard, the company has participated in several initiatives including the Firestarter’s Sponsors and Advisors for Louisiana Startup Prize of 2017, Educational event organizing at an SEBD event, hosting and marketing of the 2017 ‘Innovate Her’ event to name a few.

LA NPDT has recently participated in INPEX 2017. We also helped in organizing ‘The Future Jobs’ Conference with LEDA.

Our Leadership

With the inspiring leadership of Konstantin and Onega, LA NPDT is setting a new trend in new product marketing companies. We are also polishing a new generation of independent thinkers and creative business strategists. The company is growing along with its clients, which is truly remarkable.

The accomplishments made in one year’s time are impressive in this industry. We plan to continue to innovate our new product development services. And to offer our clients the best possible product design and development experience.

With an aim and theme of “Making Your Ideas Possible”, the LA New Product Development Team has a promising future.

LA NPDT Founders and Roles

Founder Name
Role
Background/Recognition
Konstantin Dolgan
Co-Founder
Ph.D. in Engineering, Research & Development, 40 Under 40 Nominee
Onega Ulanova
Co-Founder, Business Development Manager
Former International Lead Auditor at API

Frequently asked questions

What services does LA NPDT offer?

LA NPDT offers a wide range of new product development services. These include prototyping, commercialization, product design, and product development. They also provide complete services from product conceptualization to marketing. The company serves as a one-stop solution provider for entrepreneurs.

Who founded LA NPDT?

LA NPDT was founded by Konstantin Dolgan and Onega Ulanova. Onega Ulanova is also the Co-Founder and Business Development Manager. Konstantin Dolgan holds a Ph.D. with experience in engineering, research, and development. He was also nominated for the 40 Under 40 Award.

When did LA NPDT begin operations?

LA NPDT opened its doors in the fall of 2016. The company is celebrating its first anniversary as a leader among new product development companies. This indicates a focus on their initial year of operation.

What industries do LA NPDT's clients come from?

LA NPDT's clients come from a diverse array of backgrounds. These include property rental companies like Bayou Property Rentals, electronic gadget companies, corporate offices, the automotive industry, real estate, e-commerce, and high-tech organizations. Their clients have been featured in media outlets like the New York Times.

What a new product development firm actually does

A new product development firm is not a design studio, a contract manufacturer, or a freelance engineer with a CAD licence — although it borrows from all three.

Its job is to carry a concept across the gap between an idea that works in a founder's head and a product that can be built repeatably, certified, shipped, supported and sold at a margin.

That means industrial design, mechanical and electrical engineering, firmware, design for manufacturing, prototyping, tooling management, supplier qualification, compliance testing and pilot production, sequenced so that expensive decisions happen after cheap information arrives, not before.

The firms that fail their clients are almost never the ones with weak CAD skills. They are the ones that skip the sequencing and let a beautiful concept reach tooling before anybody costed it.

Four engagement models and when each fits

Model
How it is priced
Best for
Main risk
Feasibility / discovery sprint
Fixed fee, $6k-$25k, 2-6 weeks
Unproven concepts, unclear physics or cost target
Ends with a report, not a product — budget the next phase
Phase-gated fixed price
Fixed fee per phase, re-quoted at each gate
Defined products with a known feature set
Scope changes get expensive; requires disciplined requirements
Time and materials retainer
Monthly rate for a named team, $15k-$60k/mo
Evolving products, connected hardware, long programs
Needs an engaged client-side owner or it drifts
Build-operate-transfer
Retainer plus handover milestone
Funded startups building an internal team
Handover quality depends on documentation clauses you must write in

Budget and timeline ranges you can plan around

Product class
Design and engineering
Tooling and setup
Certification
Concept to pilot production
Simple moulded consumer good
$25k-$70k
$18k-$60k
$2k-$8k
5-9 months
Battery-powered connected device
$90k-$260k
$45k-$150k
$15k-$60k (FCC/CE, safety, radio)
10-18 months
Wearable or skin-contact device
$120k-$300k
$60k-$180k
$25k-$90k (biocompatibility)
12-20 months
Light industrial equipment
$150k-$400k
$30k-$120k
$20k-$80k (UL/CSA)
12-24 months
Class II medical device
$250k-$900k
$80k-$250k
$100k-$400k (510(k), QMS)
18-36 months

Treat these as planning envelopes, not quotes. The single largest swing factor is not complexity but requirement stability: programs where the target user, price point and regulatory path are fixed before CAD starts land near the bottom of each range, and programs that redefine the product after tooling release routinely double the total.

What a scope of work must contain before you sign

  • A written requirements document with target landed cost, target retail price, duty cycle, environment, user profile and the markets you will sell into.
  • Named deliverables per phase — not "CAD" but "parametric solid models, 2D drawings with GD&T, a released BOM with supplier part numbers, and a tolerance stack analysis".
  • Explicit IP assignment covering CAD, firmware source, test fixtures and documentation, effective on payment rather than on project completion.
  • Tooling ownership stated in writing, including the right to move tools to another factory and who pays for shipment and re-qualification.
  • A prototype plan naming how many builds, at what fidelity, and what question each build answers.
  • Change control — a defined process and rate card for scope changes, so mid-program requests do not become a renegotiation.
  • Exit terms — what you receive if you stop after any phase.

Red flags worth walking away from

Red flag
What it usually means
Better answer to hear
A firm quotes the whole program before requirements exist
The number is padded, or the scope will be cut later
"Let us run a paid two-week feasibility phase first"
No manufacturing partners named
Design will be thrown over the wall
Named factories, and DFM reviews scheduled with them
Portfolio shows renders only
Nothing reached production
Photos of moulded parts, tooling, and shipped units
IP transfer "on project completion"
Leverage if the relationship sours
Assignment on payment of each invoice
Certification treated as a later problem
Rework after design freeze
A compliance plan drafted during discovery
One generalist on the project
Depth gaps in EE, firmware or DFM
A named team with disciplines listed

A ten-question vetting call

  • Which products in your portfolio reached mass production, and how many units shipped?
  • Which one went badly, and what changed in your process afterwards?
  • Who specifically will do the work, and what else are they on?
  • How do you set and track a landed-cost target through the program?
  • What is your DFM review cadence, and who from the factory attends?
  • How do you handle tolerance stack-ups on assemblies like ours?
  • What does your test plan look like before a design freeze?
  • How do you document firmware and hand it over?
  • What happens if the first tool trial fails dimensional inspection?
  • What do we own, and when?

Frequently asked questions

How much should a first engagement cost? A discovery or feasibility phase in the $6k-$25k range is normal and is the cheapest way to test whether a firm thinks clearly. It should end with a requirements document, a cost model and a phased plan you could hand to a different firm.

Is a local firm better than an overseas one? For design and engineering, timezone overlap and the ability to hold a prototype in the same room matter more than the postcode. For tooling and production, what matters is whether your firm has an existing, audited relationship with the factory and visits it.

Who owns the tooling? You should, and it should say so in the contract. Tools built under a factory's name are a common way for a supplier to lock in future orders at prices you cannot negotiate.

Should I file a patent before hiring anyone? A provisional application plus a mutual NDA is usually enough to start. Filing a full utility application before the design has survived prototyping often protects a version of the product you will not ship.

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