Make your product

From a sample you'd put your name on to a factory that will actually make it.

What founders use for make your product, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. A catalogue of the specific cons that trip up product founders, the golden-sample switch, fake certifications, price... cosmosourcing.com Article Common Supplier Scams and How to Avoid Sourcing Fraud Cosmo Sourcing In 4 answers
  2. The clearest explanation of why a physical, signed sample, not a spec sheet, is the real definition of 'correct' once... insight-quality.com Article What Is a Golden Sample in Manufacturing, and Why Are They Essential? Insight Quality In 4 answers
  3. Makes the direct case for treating the pre-production sample as your last checkpoint before a batch you can't easily undo. ninghowapparel.com Article The Importance of the PP Sample: Risk Control & Golden Sample Insights Ninghow Apparel In 4 answers
  4. Turns the BCD/SWS/IGST formula into a usable tool, HS-code-based, current-rate landed-cost estimate before you commit to an order. dutydecoder.com Tool India Import Duty Calculator DutyDecoder In 3 answers
  5. The official government calculator, the source of truth to cross-check any third-party landed-cost tool against before you... icegate.gov.in Tool Custom Duty Calculator ICEGATE (Indian Customs) In 3 answers
  6. A concrete worked example of how India clusters by category, mapping Moradabad, Jaipur and Jodhpur to specific metals and... indiasourcing.net Article Indian Metal Products and Sourcing Hubs Guide India Sourcing Network In 3 answers
  7. The best tactical breakdown of MOQ negotiation, with the crucial insight that packaging (not the product) usually sets the real... guidedimports.com Article 10 Proven Strategies to Lower a Factory's MOQ Guided Imports In 3 answers
  8. A practical, India-grounded checklist for turning an IndiaMART search into a vetted supplier, verify GST, sample first, avoid... dhanshikaexports.com Article How to Identify Good Suppliers on IndiaMART Dhanshika Exports In 3 answers
  9. Fraud advice straight from the platform most Indian founders source on, naming the exact red flags: too-good pricing,... corporate.indiamart.com Article Don't Get Scammed: Red Flags for Online Buyers on B2B Platforms IndiaMART In 3 answers
  10. A concrete step-by-step for one of the most-imported D2C categories, sequencing IEC, GST, supplier vetting and landed cost... eximpe.com Article Import Electronics from China to India: Step-by-Step Method Eximpe In 3 answers
  11. An Indian export house's ground-level account of how many sample rounds are normal and what each one is actually checking for. kbexports.com Article The Textile Sampling Process Explained KB Exports In 3 answers
  12. Goes deeper than the beginner comparisons on the economics, where each model's MOQ, upfront investment and IP ownership... rspinc.com Article Private Label Vs. Contract Manufacturing: Differences RSP In 3 answers
  13. The clearest plain-English walk-through of the design-to-CAD-to-prototype pipeline, useful as a checklist even if you outsource... design2market.co.uk Article How to Develop a Product Design2Market In 3 answers
  14. An ecommerce-accounting platform's clear breakdown of what belongs in landed cost versus COGS, the exact confusion that quietly... a2xaccounting.com Article Understanding Landed Costs for Ecommerce A2X In 2 answers
  15. A government body's own explanation of the BCD + SWS + IGST formula that actually determines your landed cost into India, the... investindia.gov.in Article Calculation of Import Duty in India, Formula, Online Tools and Exemptions Invest India In 2 answers
  16. Combines duty and GST/IGST into a single estimate, useful as a second opinion when your DutyDecoder or ICEGATE numbers need a... seair.co.in Tool Customs Duty Calculator with GST Seair Exim In 2 answers
  17. The clearest end-to-end framework we've found for going from product idea to first order, and it hammers the one thing... shopify.com Article How to Find a Manufacturer for Your Product in 8 Steps Shopify In 2 answers
  18. A recent, India-specific six-step sourcing playbook that maps regional hubs to platforms (IndiaMART, TradeIndia, GlobalSources)... estorefactory.com Article How to Find Reliable Indian Suppliers and Manufacturers eStore Factory In 2 answers
  19. The default starting point for finding Indian manufacturers by category; filter by Manufacturer type, GST-registered, and... indiamart.com Tool IndiaMART B2B Marketplace and Supplier Directory IndiaMART In 2 answers
  20. Walks through the ten manufacturing-specific clauses that protect a brand, delivery terms, quality control, inventory risk, IP,... pandadoc.com Template How to Create an Enforceable Manufacturing Agreement PandaDoc In 2 answers
  21. A real Indian founder story showing the private-label-to-own-manufacturing decision in action, when the couple couldn't find a... yourstory.com Article This D2C Couple Built Their Own Factory After Failing to Find a Manufacturer YourStory (SMBStory) In 2 answers
  22. The classic, hard-won account of how factory relationships quietly degrade, quality fade, spec creep, and margin games,... Wiley Book Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game Paul Midler In 2 answers
  23. A DTC-specific playbook that frames the real decision every founder faces: stay on Alibaba, build a direct factory... portless.com Article How to Source Products From China: A DTC Playbook Portless In 2 answers
  24. The classic account of how factory relationships quietly degrade after the first good batch, essential mental preparation... goodreads.com Book Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the Tactics Behind China's Production Game Paul Midler In 2 answers

Show the next 24

The questions

Developing your product 6

From idea to a sample you'd put your name on.

How do I actually go from a rough idea to a working prototype? 4 → What should I actually put in a product brief or spec sheet before I approach a manufacturer? 3 → How many rounds of samples should I expect before something's actually production-ready? 3 → Should I hire a product designer, or can I figure this out myself? 3 → How do I know people actually want this before I spend on tooling or bulk development? 3 → All 6 questions in Developing your product →
Finding manufacturers in India 7

Find the factory that will actually make your product.

How do I actually find a manufacturer to make my product in India? 5 → Should I go private label or contract (custom) manufacturing? 4 → The MOQ is way too high for me. How do I lower it or start with a small batch? 4 → How do I vet a factory before I trust them with a real order? 4 → How do I avoid getting scammed by a supplier? 3 → All 7 questions in Finding manufacturers in India →
Importing & global sourcing 6

Source from China & abroad without getting burned.

How do I actually import a product from China as a small D2C brand with no existing supply chain? 2 → What's actually different between working direct with a factory, buying off Alibaba, and hiring a sourcing agent? 2 → What do I legally need in India to import goods, IEC, GST, anything else? 3 → How do I estimate my true landed cost before I commit to an order? 4 → What are the classic ways first-time importers get scammed or burned? 3 → All 6 questions in Importing & global sourcing →
Private label vs white label vs own mfg 6

Pick the make-model that fits your margins.

What's actually the difference between private label, white label and full contract manufacturing? 3 → I'm just testing an idea, should I start with white label or private label? 3 → When does it actually make sense to move to contract manufacturing with my own formula? 3 → If I go private label, do I actually own my formulation, or does the factory? 3 → Where do I find private label manufacturers in India for cosmetics, food or supplements? 3 → All 6 questions in Private label vs white label vs own mfg →
MOQs, samples & quality control 6

Small first orders, samples that match, QC that holds.

The MOQ is way too high for me, how do I actually get it lowered? 4 → What's a 'golden sample' and why does it matter so much? 3 → How many sample rounds should I go through before approving a design for production? 3 → What is AQL and how do I actually use it to inspect a batch before it ships? 3 → Should I hire a third-party quality inspector, or can I trust the factory's own QC? 3 → All 6 questions in MOQs, samples & quality control →
Packaging design & development 6

Packaging that survives shipping and sells the product.

What's the difference between primary and secondary packaging, and do I need to nail both from day one? 3 → How do I design packaging that survives shipping without blowing up my cost per unit? 3 → How do I create an unboxing experience without blowing my packaging budget? 4 → Where do I get custom packaging made in India, boxes, mailers, pouches, at a low MOQ? 3 → What labelling is legally mandatory on my packaging in India? 2 → All 6 questions in Packaging design & development →
Product costing & COGS 6

Know your landed cost to the last rupee.

What's the actual difference between COGS and landed cost, and why does mixing them up wreck my margins? 3 → How do I calculate my true landed cost per unit, including duty, freight and GST? 3 → What import duty and GST will I actually pay bringing goods into India? 3 → How do I set my price once I actually know my costs, what margin should I be targeting? 3 → What free tools or calculators can I use to model landed cost before I place an order? 3 → All 6 questions in Product costing & COGS →
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