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. The real story of one of India's leading sustainable packaging suppliers, useful both as a supplier lead and as a case study in... yourstory.com Article Sustainable Packaging Provider Bambrew Readies for the Next Phase YourStory
  2. A concise reference to bookmark and re-read once you're actually negotiating, when the difference between the models has real... centerofcommerce.com Article White vs Private Label vs Contract Manufacturing Center of Commerce
  3. Frames the decision through an ecommerce operator's lens, inventory, differentiation and marketing implications, not just... veeqo.com Article White Label vs Private Label: Which One Is Best for Ecommerce? Veeqo
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. An India-based nutraceutical private labeller with ready-to-brand formulas across dosage forms, a useful second data point for... blisslifesciences.com Tool Private Label Manufacturers in India Bliss Lifesciences
  7. A newer Ahmedabad-based third-party manufacturer spanning nutraceuticals, healthcare, cosmetics and cleaning, useful for... growequal.com Tool Growequal: Third Party Nutraceutical Products Manufacturing Company in India Growequal
  8. Video How To Develop A D2C Product? Shopify
  9. A free, fill-in-the-blanks brief format you can strip down to the essentials a factory actually needs: dimensions, materials,... asana.com Template Product Brief Template Asana
  10. Founder-by-founder origin stories that repeatedly land on the same lesson: the first product was rough, shipped anyway, and got... npr.org Podcast How I Built This with Guy Raz Guy Raz / NPR
  11. 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
  12. 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 →