Waqar Hashim, a product executive with 30+ years of experience in automotive engineering, IoT systems, and business leadership, leads Smartware Advisors with deep expertise across hardware, software, and product innovation.

We don’t just consult — we execute. Our advice comes from real-world experience, not just frameworks or slide decks. We roll up our sleeves and help founders make practical, fast progress toward market success.

Yes! We specialize in early-stage startups (pre-seed to Series A) but have supported growth-stage teams as well. We adapt to your size, speed, and needs.

We work with early-stage startup founders and product teams who are navigating the messy middle — from MVP development to product-market fit and scaling. Our sweet spot is helping teams that want clarity, speed, and results, not just more meetings.

We work with early-stage startups, scale-ups refining product-market fit, and companies entering new markets or adopting emerging technologies, helping them accelerate success and avoid common pitfalls.

Our team has deep expertise across automotive, mobility, IoT, energy storage, consumer products, software, and hardware integration, giving us a unique advantage in solving complex product challenges.

Yes! We partner with clients worldwide, offering virtual advisory, coaching, workshops, and consulting services across time zones.

 Smartware Advisors specializes in product management, MVP development, product strategy, startup advisory, agile transformation, corporate intrapreneurship, technical consulting, tailored training programs, and lifecycle management. We help startups, accelerators, and corporate innovation teams turn great ideas into market-ready products and support investors and VCs with product validation and risk assessment.

 We guide startups and corporates through the MVP process by identifying core features, prioritizing customer needs, and reducing time-to-market and costs. Our lean, structured approach ensures your MVP is positioned to drive early market traction and accelerate product-market fit.

We offer lifecycle management, scaling strategies, growth roadmaps, and product iteration support, ensuring products evolve effectively to meet market demands and drive long-term success.

We conduct and guide detailed market research, including target audience identification, customer pain point discovery, competitor analysis, and opportunity validation, providing startups, accelerators, and corporates with actionable insights.

Yes — we design robust product testing and validation strategies, run experiments, gather real-world user feedback, and ensure your product is market-ready before scaling.

We improve collaboration by implementing agile processes, aligning product, engineering, and marketing teams, and providing the tools needed to streamline communication across departments — just like a high-performing startup.

Yes, we deliver actionable training programs for startup founders, product managers, and corporate innovation teams covering agile product management, lean startup methods, MVP creation, product lifecycle management, and intrapreneurship roadmaps.

We partner shoulder-to-shoulder with founders, offering hands-on support, clear prioritization, and actionable strategies. We don’t disappear after delivering a report — we stay in the trenches to help you execute and win.

We’ll schedule a kickoff call, align on goals, and set up collaboration tools. You’ll also receive a welcome email with next steps.

Every proposal clearly outlines scope, deliverables, and expected outcomes. We don’t nickel-and-dime on hours — our focus is on helping you succeed in achieving your objectives.

We offer fixed-price monthly subscription packages, monthly retainers, or custom sprints depending on your needs. We focus on outcomes, not hours — so you get clarity on cost and deliverables upfront.

Absolutely. You can start with a focused sprint or roadmap project, then expand into ongoing execution support as needed.

We have successfully managed complex software-hardware integration products and are able to handle any custom needs . Let’s discuss your specific needs and we’ll tailor a package just for you.

No problem — we’ll draft an updated SOW or change order so expectations stay clear.

We typically use [Slack/email/project tool] for day-to-day updates and schedule weekly or biweekly check-ins. We’ll agree on what works best for you.

Most MVP development engagements are completed in 3 to 6 months, depending on complexity, scope, and organizational readiness.

We offer tailored solutions and flexible pricing models to accommodate startup budgets while delivering maximum value and prioritizing high-impact work.

The first month is focused on alignment, insight, and momentum. We usually start with a discovery session to understand your goals, challenges, and current state. Then, we dive into a focused sprint—this could involve refining your product roadmap, MVP definition, or market validation strategy. You’ll walk away with a concrete plan, clear priorities, and tangible next steps to accelerate your product development.

Definitely. We regularly collaborate with internal teams across engineering, design, product, and business functions. Whether you have a full in-house team or just one technical co-founder, we adapt to your workflows and help bridge any gaps—strategic, technical, or organizational—to keep your product moving forward efficiently.

You can expect sharper focus, faster progress, less waste, and more confidence in your product roadmap. Our goal is to accelerate your journey from idea to market while reducing risk and costly mistakes.

Startup founders typically see faster time-to-market, reduced development waste, and stronger alignment between their product and customer needs. We help clarify what to build (and what not to), so you avoid costly detours and get real validation early. Founders often leave with a sharper MVP, clearer roadmap, and better investor conversations.

We act as a force multiplier for your portfolio. Our support accelerates traction, strengthens product-market fit, and reduces product risk—all of which improve a startup’s chances of reaching key milestones. For early-stage investors, this can mean shorter funding cycles and stronger follow-on potential. We also help surface red flags and coach teams through execution bottlenecks.

Accelerators who partner with us see higher-performing cohorts, smoother demo days, and better-prepared founders. We provide hands-on product guidance, MVP framing, and roadmap clarity—ensuring each team is building what the market actually wants. Our structured support improves the quality of founder decisions and speeds up validation timelines.

For corporate teams innovating inside large organizations, we bring startup speed with enterprise rigor. Intrapreneurs benefit from our frameworks to prioritize quickly, test hypotheses, and build pilot products that solve real customer pain. We help navigate internal complexity, break down silos, and bring clarity to new product initiatives.

Startups gain access to expert support in MVP design, product-market fit discovery, product strategy, prototyping, competitive analysis, customer feedback loops, funding readiness, and team development — all essential for scaling efficiently and avoiding costly mistakes.

We help accelerators and incubators strengthen their cohorts through structured MVP workshops, industry-specific playbooks, technical mentoring, competitive analysis tools, and progress tracking dashboards, adding deep product expertise that drives startup success.

We help corporate leaders adopt a startup mindset, build agile innovation teams, develop intrapreneurial frameworks, integrate emerging technologies like AI and IoT, and align product innovation with corporate strategy, transforming legacy organizations into fast-moving innovators.

We assist startups with investor-ready pitch development, highlighting key product differentiators, aligning MVPs with market needs, and connecting founders to our network of accelerators and VCs to maximize funding success.

We provide technical due diligence, product capability assessments, organizational guidance, and roadmap evaluation to help VCs and investors de-risk their portfolios and improve startup success rates.

Absolutely. Many of our clients are early-stage startups that are still bootstrapping or preparing for their first funding round. We tailor our services to your stage—focusing on lean, high-impact activities like refining your MVP, validating product-market fit, and avoiding costly missteps. Our goal is to help you build traction and clarity so you’re investor-ready when the time comes.

Yes, we can. We help you craft clear, compelling narratives for your pitch deck, product roadmap, and investor Q&A. Our support includes aligning your MVP story with market needs, identifying differentiation, and validating the problem-solution fit—all of which make your pitch stronger and more credible. If you’re working with an accelerator, we’re happy to collaborate with them too.

You can reach us via our contact page or email us at info@smartwareadvisors.com.

Schedule a Free Strategy Session to learn how we can help accelerate your product goals.