585: The $100K Mistake Most Founders Make with Manufacturers (and How to Avoid It) (Best of Foundr)

The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Kian Golzari is one of the world’s leading experts in sourcing and product manufacturing—developing over 2,500 products and visiting 500+ factories.

In this episode, he shares how to go from idea to product without getting burned by bad suppliers or poor-quality manufacturing. Whether you're working with Alibaba or building a custom product from scratch—this is your playbook.

What you’ll learn:

• How to vet suppliers and avoid common sourcing mistakes

• His exact 3-step product development system

• How to approach factories like a pro (even if it’s your first product)

• Why negotiation is more about positioning than price

• What he’s learned from working with the NBA, UN & billion-dollar brands

• His best tips for working with Chinese manufacturers in 2025 and beyond

If you’re creating a physical product or want to improve your margins—this episode will save you time, money, and a ton of headaches.

Foundr Community Offers

Want 1-on-1 mentorship to launch or scale your brand faster? Apply for eCommerce coaching: → Starting your ecom biz? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → Already selling and want to scale? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want all-access to step-by-step training from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders? Start your Foundr+ $1 trial today → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Omnisend | Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get started.

Connect With Nathan Chan Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect With Kian Golzari Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube → Click Here

Follow Foundr for More Business Growth Strategies YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here