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All Episodes

China Manufacturing Decoded — 111 episodes

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Title
1

Why User Experience Is Harder Than Engineering

2

What To Do When Production Has Already Started But Problems Keep Appearing

3

Product Integration: Why Working Subsystems Fail When Assembled

4

Are Trade Shows Still Worth It? How to Find and Assess Suppliers (Listener Question)

5

Gold: 3 QC Plans You Need To Make Before Production (Ep. 30 Revisited)

6

Setting Up a New Factory? Ask These Questions First (Feat. David Collins III, CEO of MTG)

7

The Truth Behind “8–12 Weeks”: Injection Mold Tooling Timelines Exposed

8

QC During NPI: Build Quality In Before Mass Production

9

Why Working Prototypes Fail in Production, Part 2: The Failure Patterns and Fixes

10

Why Working Prototypes Fail in Production, Part 1: What Changes Before Mass Production

11

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

12

Why Hardware Projects Stall: Avoiding 'Failure to Launch'

13

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

14

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

15

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

16

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

17

Design to Cost: Hit Your Price Target Before Production

18

Low Volume Production in China: What Actually Works

19

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

20

Iran Conflict Fallout: Rising Costs & Delays for China Manufacturing

21

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

22

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

23

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

24

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

25

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

26

Prototype ≠ Production: The Million-Dollar DFM Mistake

27

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

28

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

29

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

30

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

31

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

32

Spotting Kickbacks In China Manufacturing: Middlemen Could Be Costing You

33

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

34

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

35

How to Hire a Real Quality Manager in China/Asia

36

How to Reduce Injection Molding Costs Without Sacrificing Quality & Reliability

37

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

38

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

39

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

40

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

41

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

42

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

43

Getting PR Right and Trade Fair Tips for Hardware Startups

44

Fail‑Safe by Design: Avoiding Catastrophic Product Failures

45

Choosing the Right Polymer Processing Method

46

Plastic Playbook: Choosing The Right Polymer

47

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

48

Prototype to Production: 7 Sneaky Pitfalls to Avoid

49

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

50

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

51

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

52

Pilot Runs: Crucial for Manufacturing Success

53

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

54

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

55

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

56

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

57

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

58

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

59

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

60

More Than Just A Box: Guide To Making Packaging

61

Protect Your IP: Strategies for Safely Sourcing Components

62

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

63

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

64

Trading Companies Explained (BONUS)

65

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

66

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

67

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

68

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

69

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

70

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

71

Top 10 FAQs about Chinese Contract Manufacturing: Part 2

72

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

73

Top 10 FAQs about Chinese Contract Manufacturing: Part 1

74

Manufacturing Process Controls = Better Product Quality

75

Quality Inspections Guide: Minimize Risk, Maximize Quality

76

How Life Cycle Assessments Drive Product Sustainability Changes

77

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

78

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

79

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

80

2D Drawings in Manufacturing: A Timeless Tool

81

Risk Assessments: Taming Project and Product/Process Level Risks

82

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

83

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

84

Tooling BEFORE Final Prototypes: A Necessary Leap of Faith?

85

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

86

Building Quality at the Source: Lessons from Industry Leaders

87

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

88

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

89

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

90

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

91

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

92

Trump's Second Term: Tariff Talks Ignite Global Tensions

93

Revolutionizing Manufacturing with AI: Insights from Bryan DeBois

94

DFMA (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly): Deep Dive

95

Unpacking the Product Requirements Document

96

Analyzing Different types of Testing Labs and their Activities

97

When and How to Switch Suppliers? Detailed Advice.

98

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

99

Agilian Technology: Inside Sofeast's Manufacturing Powerhouse

100

What's in your Bill of Materials?

101

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

102

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

103

Product Warranties: What period do you need?

104

Mastering Prototype Accuracy: A Comprehensive Guide

105

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

106

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"

107

Component, Production, and Inventory FAQs

108

Silicone Compression Molding: What's The Big Deal?

109

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

110

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

111

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