# The Future of Hardware, Manufacturing Startups, and Industrial Policy with Nick Pinkston (Part 2 of 3)

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2022-10-21
- Length: 39m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com

## Summary

Nick Pinkston, CEO and founder of Volition, discusses the challenges of hardware startups, noting that consumer hardware is easily knocked off by Chinese manufacturers while hard tech suffers from long payback periods and impatient VC funding. He argues that additive manufacturing will not replace traditional processes but rather be enhanced by computing and AI, citing Path Robotics' use of computer vision for welding edge cases. Pinkston highlights the importance of industrial policy, suggesting the US needs to reinvest in foundational manufacturing R&D and vocational training to compete globally, while also emphasizing the need for better community building between startups and large corporations.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=0) Introduction: The Physical World and The Interval
- [5:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=305) Hardware vs. Manufacturing Startups and Defensibility
- [12:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=725) The Evolution of VC Interest in Manufacturing
- [15:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=925) Additive Manufacturing, AI, and Path Robotics
- [18:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=1131) High-Performance Verticals and Industry Bias
- [21:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=1279) Community Building and Connecting Startups to Big Industry
- [25:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=1541) Regional Manufacturing Hubs: LA, Midwest, and Boston
- [29:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=1743) US Industrial Policy and Historical R&D Investment
- [31:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-10-21-the-future-of-hardware-manufacturing-startups-and-industrial-policy-with-nick-pi#t=1892) Regulatory Hurdles and Vocational Training Needs

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Volition (company)
- The Interval (other)
- Path Robotics (company)
- Atomic (company)
- Formlabs (company)
- Desktop Metal (company)
- Carbon (company)
- Vention (company)
- Alcoa (company)
- MTM (Association of Manufacturing Technology) (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#037 - Disrupting with digital manufacturing, with Nick Pinkston of Plethora, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-09-13-037-disrupting-with-digital-manufacturing-with-nick-pinkston-of-plethora-usa) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [140: Local Manufacturing for a New Hardware Invention Idea](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-07-140-local-manufacturing-for-a-new-hardware-invention-idea) (Product Startup)
- [Violet Su on hardware manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2025-07-08-violet-su-on-hardware-manufacturing) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Episode 2 - The Hardware Story of Ethereal Machines w/ Kaushik Mudda | Building a Deep tech Mfg company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story/2024-10-02-episode-2-the-hardware-story-of-ethereal-machines-w-kaushik-mudda-building-a-dee) (The Hardware Story)
- [The Hard Truths About Reshoring American Manufacturing w/ Eddy Azad](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-04-21-the-hard-truths-about-reshoring-american-manufacturing-w-eddy-azad) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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