Why We Don’t Baby Our Machines | Lean Built - Manufacturing Freedom E103

As this episode begins, Andrew shares the lessons learned from a recent Matsuura mishap—how a forgotten chip fan caused an unexpected repairs and expensel—and how these bumps in the road are part of owning the machine, not just using it.

This leads to Andrew and Jay digging into the balance between pushing limits and preventing crashes, using real-life examples of breaking tools (sometimes on purpose) to discover the edge of performance. The conversation also touches on company culture and the psychology of failure in machine shops, including the value of giving employees permission to experiment—and even fail—in healthy ways.

Later in the episode, the discussion pivots into leadership philosophy. Drawing inspiration from Perry  Maughme's The Relentless Few podcast and Simon Sinek’s thoughts on measuring success, they challenge the traditional obsession with long-term goals. Instead, they advocate for direction, momentum, and principle-driven decision-making. The episode ends with a preview of a future conversation on healthy workplace conflict—and the importance of “normalizing awkwardness.”