Hardware Podcasts

Ep. 7 - Buying Stock

Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 26 Oct 2023 · 1h 16m

What this episode covers

Stephen Hawes and Lucian Che Park of Opulo discuss the complexities of buying stock for hardware production, drawing on their experience scaling the Lumen P 3D printer. They cover vendor negotiation, determining optimal order quantities to balance cash flow with unit cost, and the critical role of purchase orders in defining payment terms and delivery responsibilities. The episode highlights strategies for managing supply chain risk, including dual sourcing and using planned purchase orders for long-term security.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Opulo, Formlabs, LCSC, Alibaba, Amazon, McMaster-Carr, Ramp
Products
Lumen P, Nema 17
Chips
STM32

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 25m

    Mitigating Risk Through Smart Procurement w/ Aaron Brimer

    Aaron Brimer, founder of the Manufacturing Procurement Guy podcast, joins host Joe Sullivan to discuss mitigating supply chain risk through strategic procurement practices. Brimer emphasizes the critical importance of second sourcing, inventory buffers, and negotiating payment terms over just unit price. He also highlights the necessity of involving procurement early in the buying process to avoid technical lock-in and maintain leverage with vendors.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    6 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 04m

    Cash Is King

    Dave Jones of AEV and Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics discuss the critical importance of cash flow management for hardware businesses, contrasting the capital-intensive nature of manufacturing with software. They explore strategies such as maintaining cash buffers, negotiating payment terms, using ERP systems, and understanding the DUNS number for supplier credit. The episode concludes with Chris Gammell announcing KiCon 2019, a new conference for KiCad users, and noting the show's migration to Pandora.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 58m

    What's In A Name?

    Dave Jones of EEV blog and Chris Gammell of Chris Gammell's Analog Life launch the first episode of The Amp Hour, discussing the nascent maker movement, the business models of open-source hardware companies like SparkFun and Adafruit, and the challenges of component sourcing. They analyze industry consolidation, the impact of major customers like Apple on supply chains, and the strategic use of low-cost development tools by companies such as Texas Instruments and Microchip to capture market share. The conversation highlights the trade-offs in engineering design, from BOM optimization to the realities of manufacturing in China versus local hand-assembly.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 04m

    Year End, 2017

    Dave Jones of AEV discusses the logistical and financial challenges of fulfilling his successful Kickstarter for the AEV Multimeter, including component supply issues and complex international shipping. Chris Gammell of Contextual Electronics critiques the Raspberry Pi Foundation's push for commercial use of their boards and discusses the rising cost of prototyping services. The hosts also reflect on industry trends, including the failure of Patreon's fee hike, the stagnation of 3D printing in manufacturing, and the lack of scalable open-source hardware companies.

    Crowdfunding & preordersLogistics & fulfilment
    7 chapters

  • Oxide and Friends · 1h 30m

    Scaling Manufacturing

    Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company discuss scaling manufacturing with colleagues CJ Mendes, Kirstin Neira, Erik Anderson, Aaron Hartwig, and Doug Wibben. They detail the transition from low-rate NPI to volume production using contract manufacturer Benchmark Electronics, highlighting specific engineering solutions like the Medusa and Reverso test boards to address fragile high-speed cables and press-fit DDR sockets. The team emphasizes their strategic procurement approach, building deep relationships with suppliers like Semtech and Texas Instruments to secure supply during the AI-driven chip shortage, while navigating compliance and tariff challenges for global expansion.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringDebugging & failure analysis
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.