The Andrew Faris Podcast Lessons From Living Inside China’s Supply Chain For 5 Years
Sep 29, 2025
Sean Agatep, cofounder and COO of Vincero, shares his unique insights from five years inside China's supply chain. He discusses how the experience shaped Vincero’s development and led to building strong relationships with 38 suppliers. Sean emphasizes the importance of choosing stable, profitable growth over hyper-growth and how personal priorities influenced business strategies. He contrasts the complexities of sourcing watches with simpler products and advocates for operational excellence in eCommerce, showcasing the power of steady growth and practical building.
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Living In China Built Product Expertise
- Sean and his college friends moved to Guangzhou right out of school and learned manufacturing firsthand.
- Living near factories let them attend issues in-person and deeply learn how suppliers and relationships work.
Complex Supply Chains Have Hidden Layers
- Watch manufacturing contains many layered suppliers rather than a single factory.
- Understanding those layers lets you iterate designs and reduce surprises in production.
Keep Multiple Suppliers As Backup
- Maintain A, B, C suppliers and negotiate them against each other on every PO.
- Use redundancy so you can slot backups in when a supplier drops off.