At the core of all products are the materials that deliver the critical characteristics that allow them to perform. Whether it is the advanced ceramics used in orthopaedic implants, the anti-reflective and anti-scratch coatings on prescription eyeglasses, the diamond substrates keeping LEDs from overheating, antimicrobial nano silver infusions in bandages and creams, or emergency shut-down materials used in commercial nuclear reactors – our lives would not be the same without the incredible advances in materials and material science of the past 40 years.
For over four decades, Blakely has focused on taking breakthrough technologies, especially advanced materials, and turning them into products that succeed in the market. He’s built, grown, and exited technology companies across sectors, from defense applications to disaster response.
One lesson shows up every time, amazing material is not the same thing as an amazing business.
Start With Market Pain, Not Material Properties
The first mistake materials innovators make is leading with the science. The problem isn’t the technology. It’s because customers don’t buy properties. They buy outcomes.
“Customers want lighter, safer, longer-lasting, cheaper, faster,” Blakely explains when working with advanced materials startups. “If you can’t clearly explain who the buyer is, what problem you’re solving, and why they’re willing to pay, you’re not commercializing yet. You’re still discovering.”
The EOTech incident illustrates this principle. Blakely didn’t sell the technology based on holographic optics or reticle engineering. He sold it based on what mattered to operators in the field; better target acquisition, reduced visibility to enemies, and improved mission outcomes. When Delta Force operators used their personal credit cards to buy the product, it wasn’t because they cared about the materials science. It was because the sight solved a life-or-death problem better than alternatives.
Prove You Can Scale Before You Can Sell
Brilliant materials fail constantly, not because the science doesn’t work, but because the material can’t be produced consistently, at scale, or at a cost the market will accept.
“The factory is your real competitor,” Blakely notes after watching numerous advanced materials companies struggle with this transition. “Many great materials fail because they can’t be made consistently, at scale, or at a cost the market will accept. Commercialization isn’t just technical. It’s about process, supply chain, quality, and execution.”
By the time most companies realize manufacturing economics don’t work, they’ve already raised capital, hired teams, and built customer expectations based on unit economics that were never achievable.
Blakely’s approach de-risks manufacturing early. “The goal is simple,” he emphasizes. “Prove you can ship it, not just demo it.” That means validating manufacturing processes, qualifying suppliers, and stress-testing quality systems before scaling sales. It’s slower initially, but it eliminates failures that happen when companies scale sales faster than their ability to deliver consistently.
Build a Commercialization Engine, Not Just a Product
In advanced materials, companies rarely scale alone. The fastest path to market usually involves pairing strong technology with partners who already have distribution, trust, and market access.
“Borrowing the market is often smarter than trying to build it from scratch,” Blakely says when discussing partnership strategies with materials companies. That might mean licensing technology to established manufacturers, co-developing applications with downstream customers, or structuring distribution deals that leverage existing sales channels.
But partnerships only work when the company has built what Blakely calls a “commercialization engine”, the right team, the right capital, and a credible story. “Markets punish exaggeration, and trust is a growth asset,” he notes.
Companies that overpromise on performance, timelines, or capabilities burn through partnerships faster than they can replace them.
Impossible Is Just What It Looks Like Before It’s Commercial
Turning advanced materials into market-disrupting products requires leading with market pain, proving you can scale, and building real commercialization infrastructure. It’s not glamorous. But it’s what separates technologies that stay in labs from technologies that change industries.
“If what you’re building feels impossible, here’s what I’ve learned over a lifetime of doing this. Impossible is often just what it looks like before it’s commercial,” Blakely concludes.
Connect with Keith A. Blakely on LinkedIn.
