Side Hustle School Ep. 3319 - STORY: Physician Designs Plush Toys to Teach Anatomy
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Feb 1, 2026 A physician turned toy designer creates plush human organs to teach anatomy and comfort hospital patients. The story covers prototyping costs, manufacturing hurdles overseas, and choosing third-party fulfillment. It follows a Shopify launch fueled by ads, partnerships with hospitals, and lessons about quality control and outsourcing.
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From Ebook Characters To Plush Toys
- Dr. Ronak Mehta created an educational e-book with cartoon organs and later wanted plush versions of those characters.
- She hired an illustrator on Upwork and used those designs as the brief for custom plush manufacturing in China.
Approve Real Samples Before Production
- Approve physical samples, not just photos, before accepting production.
- Insist on remakes if quality doesn't match the sample and document issues thoroughly.
Outsource Fulfillment To Preserve Time
- Outsource fulfillment instead of warehousing and packing at home if your day job is demanding.
- Use third-party specialists to avoid shipping bottlenecks and preserve time for your main work.
