Short, specific answers to the questions that come up right before a deposit. Not general sourcing theory.
Factory quotes and final invoices rarely match. Here's where the 7-12% gap comes from and how to close it before your deposit moves.
Three to five suppliers gives you a real comparison without wasting months. Here's what to compare and when you have enough to decide.
What a factory's reply speed on WhatsApp or email actually signals about whether you're dealing with a real manufacturer or a trading company.
Red flags in a supplier's first email that predict production problems later. What to watch for before you send a deposit.
A normal manufacturer deposit is 30-50% of order value. Here's what justifies more, what's a red flag, and how to push back.
Seven specific questions to ask your manufacturer before signing a PO, covering yield, tolerances, lead time, and the gaps that cost founders money.
The checks worth doing yourself: business license, video calls, reverse image search, and the point where they stop being enough.
The tells that separate a real factory from a well-dressed middleman, and why rigidity is the biggest one.
Tooling amortization, yield drift, and paperwork mismatches: what routinely sits outside the headline quote.