This talk is from WIRED by Design, a two-day live magazine event that celebrated all forms of creative problem solving.

Many designers leave big-time gigs to found startups. Ethan Imboden might be the only one who's ever set off on his own to make sex toys.

At WIRED by Design, Imboden told the story of his company, JimmyJane, and its mission to bring design-forward vibrators to the masses. The unlikely journey began in 2002, when Imboden found himself at the Adult Novelty Manufacturers Expo. The products there were uniformly "frightening to look at, had porn stars on the packaging, and made audacious claims they couldn't deliver on," he says.

In the years that followed, Imboden designed a series of vibrators with a focus on user experience. But his desire to create perfect products drove the company into dire financial straits. JimmyJane eventually recovered, but the experience taught Imboden an important lesson in the realities of entrepreneurial design. "Startups require a different definition of perfection," he says. "Fast and cheap are requirements. They are non-optional."

For more on WIRED by Design, visit live.wired.com.