You paid for it. They sold it again.
That compliance package you funded? Your factory is now bundling the same approvals with units they ship to future customers.
G06 Production-ready? Prove it (EVT/DVT/PVT)
"We are almost production-ready" is how hardware founders lose credibility with experienced investors. Burned investors ask one question:
G05 One line in your BOM is sabotaging you (Lead Time)
Your product is not late because of the factory. It is late because you ordered components like you were buying
Loyalty is not a sourcing strategy
The supplier who saved your product launch three years ago might sink your next one. Loyalty feels good. Ignoring the
Break your product before your customers do (HALT/HASS)
Factories love gentle testing. It keeps yields high, paperwork clean, and hides design flaws until your customers find them for
When you see NRND, don't panic
The IC you selected six months ago just showed an NRND flag. Your instinct is to panic and redesign. That
G03 AQL
Your inspection report says "passed." Your ops team says quality is handled. But many teams ordering inspections cannot
This is how $200 saves you $200,000 (Pre-shipment inspections)
Your supplier just sent you photos of the finished goods looking perfect.
Those photos are marketing, not evidence. If you
G02 Golden Sample
I've seen founders send perfect drawings and tolerance stacks, then act surprised when the production unit feels "
Crowdfunding is not free cash
The most common misconception I hear from founders: "We will launch on Kickstarter and the backers will come."
