The manufacturing mistakes founders don’t see coming

How to Choose the Right Manufacturer

Most first-time founders pick factories based on price, MOQ, and speed. That’s exactly how things go wrong.

The samples look great. Production “works.” But weeks later, quality issues start showing up because the factory was never set up to make your product consistently at scale.

Before you commit, here’s what actually matters:

• Can they explain how quality is controlled (not just that it is)?

• Does their process change at different volumes?

• Are they choosing methods based on durability, not just cost?

• Is what you see in the sample what shows up in production?

If you’re new to jewelry, or physical products at all, this guide breaks down where manufacturing really fails and how to avoid learning it the hard way.

Why Fragrance Failed DTC

Fragrance looked like a perfect DTC category. Small SKUs, high margins, emotional branding. But it stalled because the old model depended on department store counters, sales associates, and authority to explain scent. Early DTC relied on visuals, education, habit, and easy replenishment. Fragrance had none of that, until culture stepped in.

What finally unlocked growth:

• Fragrance didn’t need better logistics, it needed translation

• Smell was replaced by emotion and storytelling

• Authority gave way to peer-to-peer discovery

• Platforms like TikTok removed the discovery bottleneck

• Brands like Phlur proved the category rules had changed

If you’re building in a category that “should” work but doesn’t, the lesson isn’t tactical, it’s structural.

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