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All Episodes

China Manufacturing Decoded — 101 episodes

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Title
1

Gold: NRE Costs Exposed: How One-Time Engineering Bills Can Sink Your Product (Ep. 49 revisited)

2

Why Hardware Projects Stall: Avoiding 'Failure to Launch'

3

Why Version 1 Shouldn’t Be Perfect (And What to Do After You Launch)

4

Gold: The NPI Playbook — How to Take Ideas to Mass Production (Ep. 20 revisited)

5

How to Cost Your Product Properly (Design-to-Cost Explained) | Paul Adams

6

Product Compliance Mistakes That Kill Hardware Projects (Avoid These Early)

7

Design to Cost: Hit Your Price Target Before Production

8

Low Volume Production in China: What Actually Works

9

When Early Orders Backfire: The Worrying Cost of Skipping Part Qualification

10

Iran Conflict Fallout: Rising Costs & Delays for China Manufacturing

11

Manufacturing in China for the U.S. in 2026: Tariffs, China+1, and the Real Cost of Moving Production

12

U.S. Supreme Court Shake-Up: Trump’s 2nd-Term Tariffs Overturned (BONUS)

13

Choosing the Right Manufacturing Process & Avoiding Production Bottlenecks (DFM, Capacity, and Line Balancing)

14

Are You Building What People Will Actually Buy? How to Validate Demand, Customers, and Features

15

China & India IN. The USA OUT? Tariffs, Alliances & Supply Chains.

16

Prototype ≠ Production: The Million-Dollar DFM Mistake

17

CES 2026: China’s Robot Revolution: Humanoids, Edge AI and Rapid Prototyping

18

New Product Development Explained: The Hidden Risks Between Idea and Production

19

Square Pegs, Round Holes: Picking the Right Manufacturer for Your Product

20

The Iron Triangle of NPI: What to Sacrifice: Time, Cost or Quality?

21

2026 Manufacturing Trends: Tariffs, China+1, Repairability, AI & ‘Smart’ Factories

22

Spotting Kickbacks In China Manufacturing: Middlemen Could Be Costing You

23

Can You Afford to Manufacture Your Idea? Budget Truths from Idea to Mass Production

24

Mold in the Container: How to Protect Your Shipments from Devastation

25

How to Hire a Real Quality Manager in China/Asia

26

How to Reduce Injection Molding Costs Without Sacrificing Quality & Reliability

27

What The October 30 Trump–Xi Trade Framework Means for US Importers

28

Designing for Toughness: How to Specify & Achieve the Right IK Rating

29

Who’s Responsible? EU & UK Product Compliance Explained (AR, Importers & Dropshipping) [Feat. Roberth Jonsson of 24HourAR]

30

When Wearables Fail: Swelling Rings, Cracked Watches, and Failing Earbuds

31

BONUS: China rare-earth export controls vs. U.S. 100% tariff threat + what it means for manufacturers

32

From Sketch to Factory: Industrial Design For Manufacturers (Feat. Vera Roldan)

33

Getting PR Right and Trade Fair Tips for Hardware Startups

34

Fail‑Safe by Design: Avoiding Catastrophic Product Failures

35

Choosing the Right Polymer Processing Method

36

Plastic Playbook: Choosing The Right Polymer

37

BONUS: China’s Oct 1 Export Overhaul: What Every Manufacturer Must Do Now

38

Prototype to Production: 7 Sneaky Pitfalls to Avoid

39

When To Sign Off On Injection Mold Tooling — Inside the Journey from DFM to T0→T2

40

Traffic Lights for Product Success. How Phase Gates Save Time & Money

41

Tariffs, Trade War, and the Factory Floor: Buyer Risks in 2025

42

Pilot Runs: Crucial for Manufacturing Success

43

India Overtakes China in US Smartphone Shipments: What It Really Means

44

Q&A: Invention > Marketplace, Shorter Manufacturing Timelines, China V West Biz Culture Differences, etc.

45

The Rise and Struggles of Smaller E-Commerce Sellers: Lessons from 2015 to Now

46

Retail vs. Amazon FBA vs. D2C: Logistics & Product Prep Clarified

47

Vietnam-US Trade Deal: Trump’s Tariff Tactics & Transshipment Troubles

48

China's Rare Earth Monopoly: A Looming Supply Chain Crisis?

49

Tesla's Cybertruck Debacle: Reliability, Politics, & Plummeting Sales

50

More Than Just A Box: Guide To Making Packaging

51

Protect Your IP: Strategies for Safely Sourcing Components

52

Exploring the book: "Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company"

53

Post-Brexit Compliance: Selling in the UK vs the EU

54

Trading Companies Explained (BONUS)

55

Breaking the Mold: How 3D-Printed Tooling Is Revolutionizing Plastic Prototyping

56

China Tariff Reductions (May 12) Breakdown: Temporary Relief for U.S. Companies [BONUS]

57

Tariffs, Trade Shifts & Tactics: A U.S. Importer's Guide (Feat. Owen Haacke of Supply Chain Shark)

58

Getting It Right from the Start: Essential Guide to Working with Manufacturers

59

India Rising: Can It Replace China as a Manufacturing Giant?

60

Toy Safety, Trade Wars, and Tariffs: Why Compliance Matters More Than Ever (Feat. Thierry Bourret)

61

Top 10 FAQs about Chinese Contract Manufacturing: Part 2

62

Tariffs, Tactics, and Trade Shocks: Breaking Down Trump's ‘Liberation Day’ Policy Blitz (BONUS)

63

Top 10 FAQs about Chinese Contract Manufacturing: Part 1

64

Manufacturing Process Controls = Better Product Quality

65

Quality Inspections Guide: Minimize Risk, Maximize Quality

66

How Life Cycle Assessments Drive Product Sustainability Changes

67

Production-Ready? Critical Deliverables & Validations You Can’t Skip

68

BONUS EPISODE: Trump Adds ANOTHER 10% Tariff To Chinese Products.

69

Using Early Field Failure Analysis (EFFA) to Prevent Product Disasters

70

2D Drawings in Manufacturing: A Timeless Tool

71

Risk Assessments: Taming Project and Product/Process Level Risks

72

Fame to Bankruptcy: France's Angell E-Bike Startup's Story

73

BONUS EPISODE: Trump Hits Canada, Mexico, and China with Tariffs

74

Tooling BEFORE Final Prototypes: A Necessary Leap of Faith?

75

Factory Audits on New VS Current Suppliers: Safeguarding Quality & Minimizing Risks

76

Building Quality at the Source: Lessons from Industry Leaders

77

Who To Bring YOUR Product Idea To Life? CM with vertical integration VS Separate Suppliers.

78

Importing to the USA, HTS Code Tips, and Handling Tariffs (Feat. Owen Haacke of Supply Chain Shark)

79

2024 Review: A Year-End Reflection and a Look Ahead

80

Metal Injection Molding: The Best Process You AREN'T Using

81

Exploring MVP vs SLC: Which is Right for Your Product Launch?

82

Trump's Second Term: Tariff Talks Ignite Global Tensions

83

Revolutionizing Manufacturing with AI: Insights from Bryan DeBois

84

DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly): Deep Dive

85

Unpacking the Product Requirements Document

86

Analyzing Different types of Testing Labs and their Activities

87

When and How to Switch Suppliers? Detailed Advice.

88

IF Trump is re-elected, what about US-China Relations?

89

Agilian Technology: Inside Sofeast's Manufacturing Powerhouse

90

What's in your Bill of Materials?

91

Which Manufacturing Processes Will You Come Across In Asia, And What Are They?

92

Global Supply Chain Shifts: Freight Costs, Dropshipping Hurdles, & Upcoming U.S. Strikes

93

Product Warranties: What period do you need?

94

Mastering Prototype Accuracy: A Comprehensive Guide

95

From Product Concept to Market: Costs, Milestones, and Pitfalls.

96

Automation's Impact on Global Supply Chains. Book Deep Dive: "Arriving Today: From Factory to Front Door, Why Everything Has Changed About How and What We Buy"

97

Component, Production, and Inventory FAQs

98

Silicone Compression Molding: What's The Big Deal?

99

Quality Disputes: Legal Protections for Buyers in China's Legal System

100

3 "Must-Follow" Product Design Optimizations & Best Practices

101

Prototyping and Testing FAQs: How many Iterations and what Tests to be Safe & Compliant?