T-25-008 : Justin McAfee - Mechanical Engineer to Hardware as a Service CEO

TRADEOFFS · 20 Jun 2025 · 59m · Episode 8

What this episode covers

Justin McAfee, founder of Wright One, discusses his journey from a failed firefighter grenade launcher project to building advanced electric propulsion systems in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He explains how high tariffs forced the onshoring of manufacturing for his modular CPU cooling fans, which serve cryptocurrency miners with a 'cooling as a service' model. McAfee details the technical architecture of his ducted electric turbines, designed to enable affordable flying cars, and shares his strategy for navigating hardware fundraising by focusing on investors who understand the long-term vision rather than the commodity nature of the initial product.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies: Wright One, General Motors, GE, Pratt and Whitney, Rolls Royce, Bitmain, Joby Aviation, SpaceX, Tesla, Dyson
Products: WrightFan, Jeep, Chevy

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

The Hardware Story2 Oct 2024 · 1h 12m
Episode 2 - The Hardware Story of Ethereal Machines w/ Kaushik Mudda | Building a Deep tech Mfg company
Kaushik Mudda, Co-Founder and CEO of Ethereal Machines, explains how he and co-founder Navin Jain built India’s first 5-axis CNC machines after struggling to find affordable precision manufacturing in college. He details the company’s pivot from selling hardware to providing high-precision machining services for aerospace, defense, and healthcare sectors, citing a 75% reduction in production time for complex components. Mudda discusses the challenges of bootstrapping with only $100,000 in seed funding from Bluepoint, the strategic use of government patent schemes, and the critical importance of running parallel R&D experiments to accelerate deep-tech development.
Design for manufacturing & NPI Scaling production
1 chapters
Manufacturing Happy Hour17 Feb 2026 · 53m
275: Building a Brand New Manufacturing Company in the US with Andrew Johnson, Co-Founder of HeavyTech
Andrew Johnson, co-founder of HeavyTech and CEO of ShelfAware, explains how he and his partners built a hybrid and electric heavy machinery manufacturer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while maintaining his O-ring distribution business and VMI software company, ShelfAware. Johnson details the decision to crowdfund HeavyTech rather than pursue traditional venture capital to maintain creative control and engage future customers directly. He discusses the technical challenges of designing a diesel-electric hybrid compact trackloader from scratch, including developing proprietary hydraulic and thermal management systems, and emphasizes the importance of timing and diversification within the industrial sector.
Crowdfunding & preorders Mechanical engineering
10 chapters
Hardware to Save a Planet1 Aug 2024 · 42m
Climate Tech Innovations and Local Manufacturing for Global Impact with Laura Teicher of FORGE
Laura Teicher, President and Executive Director of FORGE, explains how the nonprofit helps hardware startups navigate the gap between prototype and commercialization, emphasizing the benefits of local manufacturing in New England. She details FORGE's three pillars—education, connection, and funding—and shares how targeted support, such as ruggedizing robots for BioBots, helps companies overcome technical and financial barriers. Teicher also discusses the impact of tariffs on domestic supply chains and offers career advice for entering the climate tech sector.
Manufacturing partners & offshoring Scaling production
9 chapters
The Builder Circle6 Jan 2026 · 18m
For Hardware Startups by Hardware People: Building The Builder Circle with Host, Sera Evcimen
Sera Evcimen, a mechanical engineer and startup mentor, explains the mission of The Builder Circle podcast to support hardware founders through case studies and practical advice. She details her background working on diverse products like satellites and robotics, which led to her hypothesis on common hardware failure modes. Evcimen outlines upcoming affordable resources, including 'The Building Blocks' strategy packages, designed to democratize high-quality hardware decision-making for startups with limited budgets.
Starting a product company Manufacturing partners & offshoring
1 chapters
Product Startup15 Jun 2023 · 21m
180: Hardware Startup Tips for Non-Technical Founders
Graeme Whitehead, a corporate Vice President and non-technical founder, explains how he designed, manufactured, and sold the CNCT Cooler, an ultra-high-end cooler for Tesla storage spaces, as a side hustle. He details the importance of identifying knowledge gaps, collaborating with Mako Design + Invent to achieve specific industrial design and mechanical engineering goals, and navigating manufacturing pushback. Whitehead also discusses leveraging rotational molding for quality, sourcing US-based manufacturers, and gaining traction by shipping free units to influencers without contracts.
Industrial & consumer product design Manufacturing partners & offshoring
8 chapters

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

T-25-008 : Justin McAfee - Mechanical Engineer to Hardware as a Service CEO

What this episode covers

Most relevant to

Topics

Mentioned

Related episodes from other shows

Episode 2 - The Hardware Story of Ethereal Machines w/ Kaushik Mudda | Building a Deep tech Mfg company

275: Building a Brand New Manufacturing Company in the US with Andrew Johnson, Co-Founder of HeavyTech

Climate Tech Innovations and Local Manufacturing for Global Impact with Laura Teicher of FORGE

For Hardware Startups by Hardware People: Building The Builder Circle with Host, Sera Evcimen

180: Hardware Startup Tips for Non-Technical Founders