
In this episode of First Things First, I sit down with Kim Hansen from TrapMe, a Danish company developing and distributing IoT solutions for the pest control industry. Kim shares the story of how TrapMe came to be and discusses the technology behind this game-changing smart tool for rodent control.
The Story:
An Electronics Company Sets Out to Build a Better Mouse Trap
Kim brings us a story of an electronics company that wanted to build a better mouse trap – literally. He describes the process of discovering what pest controllers need, finding the right technology partners, and testing the product itself.
The Lesson:
Find Out What Your Customer Needs
What can you learn from a story about a mouse trap? A lot actually!
- Talk to your customers. Doing research and speaking directly to your target customer can reveal a lot of important information about their needs.
- Develop principles early on. It’s important to have some basic principles in your mind about what you want from the product before you start development. Stick to those principles, and make sure your application delivers.
- Keep it simple. The technology may be complex, but the application doesn’t have to be. Make sure your products are easy for the end-user to operate and get value from.

About Our Guest: Kim Lauridsen Hansen
Kim Lauridsen Hansen is the Manager of the TrapMe Branch, a division of CB Svendsen A/S. Previously the Danish CEO for one of Europe’s largest pest control industry suppliers, Kim brings years of experience in the pest control industry. Kim is an integral part of growing the dealer network to distribute TrapMe’s connected rodent trap.
You can reach out to Kim on LinkedIn.
To learn more about TrapMe, visit www.trapme.eu or check out the CB Svendsen A/S site.
Show Notes
Don’t miss some of this episode’s memorable moments:
2:50 – Meet Kim Hansen, learn more about TrapMe, and find out how it all got started.
8:50 – Kim discusses the principles they operated on when developing the connected rodent trap and how they overcame the challenge of a working with a less tech saavy industry.
15:10 – Find out how the TrapMe smart tool for rodent control works.
19:45 – Discover how embedded SIM technology enabled TrapMe to easily and quickly operate over different networks across 32 countries.
23:10 – Kim talks about testing the product and technology to make sure it could withstand the conditions that pest controllers often encountered.
31:50 – Learn more about how data collected from connected devices provides better customer outcomes.
34:37 – Chris and Kim talk about the key takeaways from TrapMe’s experience.
38:30 – Find out where you can reach Kim and learn more about TrapMe and CB Svendsen.
39:50 – Kim shares one last thought about the importance of being open in IoT development and ensuring that your customers can get the most out of your product.
Quotables
Additional Resources
About Our Sponsor
First Things First is sponsored by Telit, a global provider of wireless connectivity modules, platforms, IoT operator services and professional services. Telit supports thousands of direct and indirect customers by enabling hundreds of millions of connected ‘things.’ With almost two decades of IoT innovation experience, Telit delivers secure, integrated end-to-end IoT solutions for many of the world’s largest brands, including enterprises, OEMs, system integrators, and service providers across industries.