Separating the Con Man from the Co Man

How to Source a Contract Manufacturer

De: William FX Madden

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Most food founders fail at manufacturing. Not because their product is bad, but because the manufacturing world plays by rules nobody tells them about. The second edition of Separating the Con Man from the Co-Man shows you those rules before they drain your bank account, break your supply chain, or sink your company.

This fully updated edition reflects the new reality of food manufacturing after COVID: selective co-mans, fragile supply chains, stricter regulations, and a level of operational complexity that blindsides unprepared brands. If you are thinking about outsourcing production, this book may save your business.

This edition gives you the insider knowledge most consultants never share:

• How to recognize the difference between a true manufacturing partner and an operator who will ghost you when things get tough
• Why the co-man landscape flipped and why you now have to "sell" yourself as a client
• The hidden preparation work every founder must complete before any co-man will take them seriously
• How to tell if your recipe can scale or if it will collapse the moment it hits industrial equipment
• The real financial math of outsourcing and why most founders underestimate capital needs by 50 to 70 percent
• The common disasters that destroy promising brands and the patterns that predict them with eerie reliability
• How to avoid being trapped by minimums, bad contracts, or a co-man who controls your entire production schedule

You will not get theory. You will not get sugarcoating. You will get twenty-five years of real experience with brands that scaled, brands that struggled, and brands that were one bad run away from shutting their doors.

Who this book is for:

• Food and beverage founders outgrowing home or commercial kitchens
• Early and mid-stage brands considering their first co-manufacturing partnership
• Entrepreneurs preparing for retail expansion, distributors, or larger wholesale accounts
• Any founder who wants to avoid expensive mistakes before they happen

If you want practical guidance, blunt honesty, and the operational truth about scaling your product through someone else’s facility, this book will give you clarity you cannot get anywhere else.

Before you sign a co-manufacturing agreement, read this book. It may be the most profitable decision you make this year.