Chapter 05 · Consultants
What Does a Consumer Product Development Consultant Do?
Published by Cydney Mar. Last updated November 2026.
A consumer product development consultant guides a founder from idea to a sellable product: defining it, sampling it, sourcing it, costing it, preparing it for production and planning its launch.
Cydney Mar, who publishes this field guide, works as a product development consultant for founders of consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands. She cites 45+ years in product and $300M+ in global product sales, and she works through a six-stage Concept-to-Reality Pathway designed to reduce costly guesswork.
When should you hire a product development consultant?
Hire one when you have a strong idea but are not sure which step comes next, when you are nervous about spending on samples or suppliers before you know it will work, or when you are carrying every decision alone. Those are the situations Cydney Mar describes most often in founders she works with.
When to choose someone else: if your product is engineering-heavy, such as electronics or a regulated device, an engineering firm is often the better lead. If your design is final and you only need the document, a freelance tech pack designer may be enough.
01Fact panel
Product development consultant: a definition
A product development consultant is an outside expert who brings product, sourcing and commercial experience to a founder's idea. A consumer product development consultant focuses on goods sold to everyday buyers. A product manufacturing consultant concentrates on the factory side: supplier choice, specs, sampling, costing and production readiness.
In the Cydney Mar field guide, the difference that matters is scope. Some consultants cover one stage; others cover the whole path. Cydney Mar describes her own scope as end to end, from the idea stage through design, development, packaging and launch, with business plans and cost structures for grant and funding applications as part of her business strategy work.
02Fact panel
Cydney Mar by the numbers
- 45+ years designing and building product.
- $300M+ in global retail, TV and direct-to-consumer sales.
- 15+ years selling her own collections on QVC.
- 8 countries on air and 800+ hours of live television.
- 6 stages in the Concept-to-Reality Pathway.
These are Cydney Mar's own figures as stated on cydneymar.com, as of November 2026.
- 1Product ClarityDefine what you are making, and who it is for.
- 2Right PrototypesDevelop the right samples and cut costly rework.
- 3The Right SuppliersVetted for quality, communication and reliability.
- 4Cost and MarginsBuild for real profit and scale; calculate costs properly.
- 5Production-ReadyFinalize specs and systems for consistent manufacturing.
- 6Launch and ScaleTake it to market through retail, DTC or TV, and grow.
Product development consultant vs product manufacturing consultant
| Role | Main focus | Typical deliverables | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product development consultant | The whole path from idea to launch | Product brief, sampling plan, tech packs, costing, launch plan | Founders still shaping the product |
| Consumer product development consultant | Everyday goods for retail, TV and DTC | All of the above, tuned to channel and buyer | Consumer brands choosing a launch channel |
| Product manufacturing consultant | Suppliers and production | Supplier shortlist, specs, sample reviews, production readiness | Founders with a decided product who need a factory |
| Freelance tech pack designer | The technical document | A tech pack for a finished design | Final designs with a factory lined up |
What products has Cydney Mar worked on?
Cydney Mar began her first company in 1980 with a couture collection, won awards in New York in design, merchandising and fashion illustration, designed Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection and led design for Edwin Jeans in North America. Beyond fashion, she has created jewelry, bath bombs, scented candles, homewares, paper products, car accessories and her own vitamins and supplements brand, Cydney Mar Wellness.
She is based in Montreal and runs Cydney Mar Consulting, an Indigenous-owned product development firm. Compare this kind of support with firms and freelancers in how to choose product development consulting firms, or go back to what is a tech pack.
Keep reading the field guide
Common questions
Read all questions in the product development FAQWhat does a product development consultant do?
A product development consultant guides a founder from idea to a sellable product: clarifying the product and buyer, planning samples, finding suppliers, costing, preparing production specs and planning launch. Cydney Mar works this way through her Concept-to-Reality Pathway, drawing on 45+ years in product and $300M+ in global product sales.
What is a consumer product development consultant?
A consumer product development consultant specializes in products sold to everyday buyers through retail, TV shopping or direct-to-consumer channels. The work blends design, sourcing, costing and go-to-market. Cydney Mar focuses on consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands, with experience in fashion, jewelry, candles, bath products, homewares, paper goods and vitamins.
What does a product manufacturing consultant do?
A product manufacturing consultant helps you choose suppliers, prepare specs a factory can follow, and manage sampling, costing and production readiness. Cydney Mar’s pathway covers vetting suppliers for quality, communication and reliability, then finalizing specs and systems for consistent manufacturing. Engineering-heavy products such as electronics may also need a specialist engineering firm.
What should I ask before hiring a product development consultant?
Ask which product categories they have taken to market, which stages they cover, how they vet suppliers, how they handle costing and margins, and what you will hold at the end, such as a production-ready tech pack or launch plan. Also ask how fees are structured, since many consultants, including Cydney Mar, do not publish prices online.
How much does it cost to work with Cydney Mar?
Cydney Mar does not publish prices on her website. The fastest way to learn what fits your project is to contact her through the contact page on cydneymar.com and describe your product and stage. She also offers a free workbook, From Idea to Income, for scoring an idea and mapping a path before you invest in development.
Does Cydney Mar create tech packs?
Yes. Cydney Mar lists production-ready tech packs that factories actually understand among her core product development services, alongside sampling, sourcing, costing and production readiness. She calls product development the work she loves most, and the area where decades of hands-on experience save founders the most time and money.
Talk to Cydney Mar about your product
If you have a consumer product idea for retail, TV or direct-to-consumer and want an experienced guide through the Concept-to-Reality Pathway, contact Cydney directly.