Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom

This week’s conversation covers a little bit of everything. Andrew shares stories from his trip to Japan, including what he noticed at Matsuura’s factory and a clever little chip briquetting machine that has everyone asking questions. Jay talks about viral video surprises on Instagram and YouTube, and the two compare notes on carts, pallet wrapping, and what lean looks like in real shops versus theory.They also touch on shop culture: why hospitality matters as much as process, and the challenges of keeping things moving when the boss is out of town.

In this solo debrief, Andrew recounts his visit to Matsuura’s plants in Japan, where he observed firsthand the discipline and detail that define Japanese manufacturing. He describes how Matsuura trains new employees years in advance, the precision of their hand-scraping process, and the consistency achieved by grinding every pallet on a single master machine.He also discusses the innovations he saw in Matsuura’s hybrid LUMEX metal 3D printing and machining technology, spindle balancing rigs, and integrated chip briquetting systems. Beyond the machines themselves, he reflects on Matsuura’s culture of multi-generational leadership, long-tenured employees, and a genuine curiosity about how customers use their equipment.Andrew explains the real opportunities in palletized five-axis automation, from reducing setups to unlocking flexible, high-mix production. He emphasizes that these machines require not just investment, but vision and continuous learning to realize their full potential.

Jay and Andrew swap stories about the constant balancing act between buying, making, renting, borrowing, and outsourcing. From renting camera lenses for product shoots to resisting the emotional pull of a first CNC machine, they dig into the real-life decision-making that keeps a shop lean (or clutters it up). You’ll hear about scissor lift negotiations, the pain and payoff of liquidating unused gear, the “what if” trap that fills shelves with obsolete parts, and the unexpected warranty calls that arrive the day after you throw something away. Along the way, they share practical takeaways on optioning machines, standardizing tools, leveraging smart plugs, and even giving unused hardware back to suppliers.

Andrew and Jay unpack a thought-provoking article from The Systems Thinker on the tension between learning and performance. How do you actually learn from failure? Is it a given that you will? The conversation ranges from morning meeting rituals and positive failure culture to the dangers of over-relying on data.Along the way, they talk chipped tools, misordered pipe, customized packaging, AI-assisted KPI dashboards, Harbor Freight, and more. 

Jay and Andrew discuss the true cost of doing business with “big name” clients who act like bullies. You know the ones. They demand unfair terms, they're slow to pay, they're quick to add red tape. Jay shares a personal story about walking away from a prestige customer that wasn’t worth the stress, cost, or collection headaches. Andrew adds cautionary tales, including lessons from a fellow shop owner who took the bait on a massive PO and paid the price in blood, sweat, and sleepless nights.They also talk about the power of peer advisory groups like Vistage and Convene. How do you avoid flying blind in your business? Get in a room with people who’ve already made your mistakes, and who won’t let you keep making them.Plus: hear about their strategies for preventative maintenance, visual controls (including genius 3D-printed “No Touchy” signs), and the delicate balance between food trucks, team morale, and post-lunch productivity crashes.

Jay and Andrew dig into the difference between organization and orderliness, unpack how simply arranging clutter isn't true organization, and how failing to eliminate what’s unnecessary leads to inefficiency, wasted time, and blocked flow.From red-tagging unused bandsaws to preserving museum-worthy prototypes, the conversation explores the emotional and practical side of decluttering. Jay shares a maintenance wake-up call involving a long-forgotten gearbox and walks through how proactive systems (like Trello and SOPs) can prevent downtime disasters. Then the duo touch on their favorite tools, ranging from $20 Japanese nippers to precision CMMs.You can get those amazing Fujiya pliers Andrew mentioned here and here.

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.”

Andrew and Jay trade stories and strategies around one of the most pivotal parts of entrepreneurship: risk.Jay recounts signing the papers for a commercial building just weeks before the world shut down in 2020—and how faith, clarity, and conviction helped him stay the course. Andrew reflects on leaving his teaching job, taking out his first major equipment loan, and learning to distinguish between high-stakes risks and small, reversible bets.Together, they explore:How to tell if a risk is worth it—and when it’s notThe difference between existential bets and strategic discomfortWhy every major leap should be built on a bedrock of small, disciplined movesLearning from others’ scars instead of earning your ownHow lean thinking shapes their approach to change, investment, and uncertainty

The first half of this episode is all about Inbox Zero (riffing on this blog post): what it really means, why it might not matter, and how to manage information overload without wasting time or energy.From there, Jay and Andrew dig into tool change times, Matsuura automation quirks, solenoid-driven air savings, and the oft-overlooked cost of compressed air. They also get nerdy about vacuum workholding—explaining the science behind efficient setups, the inevitability of leaks, and why not all vacuum systems are created equal.

In our 100th episode special, we take listener questions including:How to retain capital and make smart reinvestment decisionsLife expectancy of CNC machines and why not to be a machine collectorThe blessing (and curse) of early adoptionWhat really sparked our motivation to make our own productsHow we each implemented Lean without killing moraleRaising kids while running a shop—and how to inspire the next generation of makersA look behind the curtain at our most game-changing lean hacks, and what we’ve “borrowed” from each otherWhy you don’t need a business plan to start—and what matters moreWhether you’re new to the Lean Built community or you’ve been with us from episode 1, thank you for listening. Here’s to 100 more episodes of building freedom—one lean improvement at a time.Book mentioned: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber