# 142: Preparing Your Product for Manufacturing Overseas

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2022-09-21
- Length: 27m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas
- Listen: https://productstartup.com/

## Summary

Mike Deigan, Vice President at Global Link Sourcing, explains that inventors must provide a design ready for manufacturing, including detailed engineering and electronics footprints, rather than just a visual concept. He contrasts the risks of sourcing directly via Alibaba—where traders, quality issues, and payment terms create disaster—with the safety and expertise of using established agencies. Deigan emphasizes that proper design for manufacturing (DFM) requires 80% of the effort on engineering and prototyping to avoid costly errors and ensure a viable product.

## Chapters

- [0:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=46) Introduction: Mike Deigan and Global Link Sourcing
- [3:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=205) The Myth of Direct Factory Sourcing and Design Readiness
- [6:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=398) Engineering vs. Conceptual Design and Feature Creep
- [10:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=646) The Cost of Poor Quality and the MVP Misconception
- [14:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=887) Required Documentation for Accurate Factory Costing
- [16:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=973) Alibaba Risks: Trading Companies vs. Real Factories
- [19:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=1190) Financial Risks and Logistics of Direct Sourcing
- [24:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas#t=1445) The Safety Net of Using a Sourcing Agency

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Global Link Sourcing (company)
- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- SC Johnson (company)
- Alibaba (other)
- Target (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 8 | From Prototype to Market: Design for Manufacturability with Untapped Engineering Resources](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2020-08-25-ep-8-from-prototype-to-market-design-for-manufacturability-with-untapped-enginee) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Darragh Hudson | How to Set up A Manufacturing Supply Chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-11-18-darragh-hudson-how-to-set-up-a-manufacturing-supply-chain) (Being an Engineer)
- [IDology #8 - Dos and Don’ts of product development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-02-15-idology-8-dos-and-donts-of-product-development) (IDology)
- [How to Outsource Product Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-12-21-how-to-outsource-product-development) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [An Interview with Chris Denney](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-10-15-an-interview-with-chris-denney) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-09-21-142-preparing-your-product-for-manufacturing-overseas. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Product Startup.