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. Written by an actual private-label manufacturer, so the explanations are grounded in what factories can realistically offer at... indigoprivatelabel.com Article White Label vs Private Label vs Contract Manufacturing Explained Indigo Private Label
  2. A marketing-agency perspective that ties the manufacturing choice to how defensible your brand actually is against copycats. thatcompany.com Article White Label vs. Private Label, The Differences Explained That Company
  3. A real Indian D2C founder's account of product decisions from the ground up, grounded in Indian sourcing and category... coralslub.com Article How to Build a D2C Brand: Lessons from Building Coral Slub Coral Slub
  4. Written by an Indian private-label manufacturer, so the product-development steps are grounded in what an Indian factory can... hcpwellness.in Article How to Start a D2C Brand in India HCP Wellness

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 →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →