Digikey, Mouser, and the Hidden Supply Chain of Components

What exactly are Digikey, Mouser, and Farnell? They look like websites from 1998, but they're the backbone of the global electronics supply chain. This episode unpacks the difference between MRO suppliers (Grainger, Talmir) and electronic component distributors, why their "ugly" websites are actually perfectly designed for engineers, and how these distributors became quiet saviors during the chip shortage. Plus: how a single facility in Thief River Falls, Minnesota (population 8,500) stocks 2.7 million components and ships them same-day. Episode #472118 — open it directly at myweirdprompts.com/472118