S3 E8: Navigating and Managing Contract Manufacturers with Peter Russo

The Builder Circle · 27 Jan 2026 · 1h 14m

What this episode covers

Peter Russo, a hardware mentor and entrepreneur with 15 licensed brands and $250M in retail sales, shares strategies for managing contract manufacturers (CMs). He emphasizes treating CMs as internal departments, securing IP and tooling ownership in contracts, and avoiding single-source dependencies. Russo also discusses cultural fit, exclusivity negotiations, and how startups can overcome being perceived as 'crappy customers' through storytelling and respect for the supplier's time.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies: Scale for Climate Tech
Tools: KiCad

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S3 E8: Navigating and Managing Contract Manufacturers with Peter Russo

What this episode covers

Most relevant to

Topics

Mentioned

Related episodes from other shows

#257 Co-Man Due Diligence 101 with Riot Energy and Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

#134 How to Make and Scale Your Product with Jamie Valenti-Jordan, Catapult Commercialization Services Part 2

How to Select a Contract Manufacturer

#023 - Developing consumer products with an all-in-one manufacturer in China that is just different, with Jacob Rothman of Platform88, China

Introducing: It's only a Prototype Podcast