#supply-chain
125 episodes
#3940: AI Agents vs. 40-Year-Old EDI: Who Wins in B2B Procurement?
Can AI agents replace the 40-year-old EDI system that still runs trillions in B2B commerce?
#3939: What a Purchase Order Actually Is (Legally, It's Not an Order)
A purchase order isn't a command — it's an offer. Here's why that distinction matters for every B2B transaction.
#3924: Can You Make a Hi-Vis Vest for a One-Year-Old?
A dad with a toy forklift discovers why ANSI safety standards make toddler hi-vis vests mathematically impossible.
#3921: The Pallet Problem: Why Your $30 Box Costs $40
Why ordering ten industrial boxes costs more than forty-eight — and how to hack the gap.
#3915: Where Do All the Used Euroboxes Go?
Why thousands of industrial bins vanish from consumer view — and how to find them.
#3914: How a Shipping Container Outflies a 737
One metal box holds more cargo than a passenger jet's entire belly. We measure global trade in cubic meters.
#3908: Why Napkins and Steel Cost the Same to Ship
Discover why carriers charge by volume, not weight, and how dim weight can triple your shipping costs.
#3905: The Sound of Escape: Euroboxes and Rental Life
How a 60-year-old industrial box standard solves the psychological weight of housing instability.
#3783: The Ice Cream Algorithm: How Ben & Jerry's Engineers Flavor
Inside the melt rate index, cocoa butter barriers, and supply chain decisions shaping Ben & Jerry's 2026 lineup.
#3774: Smuggling Drones Into Iran: The IKEA Approach
How Israel reportedly built a covert drone base inside Iran using flat-pack components and front companies.
#3730: The Hidden Logic of Alibaba MOQs
What really drives those wildly different MOQs on Alibaba? Setup costs, customer filtering, and raw material lot sizes.
#3729: The Hidden Tiers of B2B Account Management
Why your $50 order gets a script and a $500K order gets a dedicated rep — the arithmetic behind B2B service tiers.
#3684: Your Home Inventory Can’t Order Groceries (Yet)
Supermarkets have APIs, but they’re not for you. Here’s how AI agents are changing the game.
#3672: Inside America's Industrial Supply Chains
Grainger, Fastenal, MSC, and McMaster-Carr compared. Who sells to consumers, who requires a business account, and where to actually shop.
#3656: From Spec Sheets to Career: Inside Procurement
Love researching products and finding suppliers? That’s a real career path. Here’s how procurement works.
#3624: How the Military Invented the Shipping Container
The military invented the shipping container before Amazon existed. Inside the parallel universe of defense logistics.
#3606: The Secret World of Dumpster Diving
What people really find in dumpsters—from $4,000 espresso machines to historical love letters.
#3602: Can You Clear Customs Yourself?
Do you need a customs broker license to clear your own imports? It depends entirely on which country you're in.
#3594: When Europe Tilts and America Cracks: Israel's Compound Scenario
What happens when Europe's politics shift and US support fractures simultaneously? A scenario analysis on Israel's future.
#3589: Why a Black Plastic Pallet Beats Wood for Outdoor Storage
Wood pallets rot outdoors. Steel is overkill. The best option for patio storage is a black HDPE plastic pallet with UV stabilizers.
#3588: The Secret Economy of Pallets
Blue pallets are rented. Red pallets are tracked. Here’s how to know if that “free” pallet is actually theft.
#3566: Why Hezbollah Still Uses Above-Ground Warehouses
Precision manufacturing can’t happen in a tunnel. Here’s how Hezbollah balances concealment with industrial necessity.
#3556: Israeli Construction Safety: Falls, Enforcement, and the Labor Gap
Israel's construction fatality rate is 2-3x the OECD average. Falls from height cause 60% of deaths, and enforcement is sparse.
#3551: What Happens to Your Stuff After the Moving Van Leaves
The hidden world of container consolidation, freight forwarding, and customs that most international movers never tell you about.