147: What “Tether Golf” Can Teach You about Supply Chain with Co-founders Jesse Darley and Randy Koplin

What do golf, beer caps, and face masks have in common? It turns out this week’s guests on Manufacturing Happy Hour!

Tether Golf Co-Founders Jesse Darley and Randy Koplin join the show to talk about their innovative new golf-inspired game and what it takes to get a product like that to market.

Both Jesse and Randy are no strangers to product businesses, having launched products from beer cap maps to COVID-19 face mask accessories. This time, they turned their attention to design Tether Golf – a head-to-head putting game that brings a fun twist to golf.

We talk about supply chains - how to pick one that allows you to scale and iterate quickly, and what Jesse and Randy have learned from their previous product businesses. Randy and Jesse also explain why business relationships with suppliers and manufacturers are the heart of any successful product venture.

In this episode, find out:

• How Tether Golf works
• What they learned from previous ventures
• Why finding local vendors is best for your supply chain
• What you need to look for in a localized supply chain
• Why business relationships are so important
• Lessons learned from previous businesses
• Why YouTube is such a helpful business resource
• What the future holds for Tether Golf
• Advice for aspiring product entrepreneurs

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “People wait too long in small businesses to offload the things that really someone else can do better.” – Jesse
• “Make them, prototype them, and don't worry if it's a silly idea. Just get it out there.” - Randy
• “Keeping [supply chains] local helps foster relationships.” - Randy

Links & mentions:

• Tether Golf, a head-to-head putting game co-founded by Jesse and Randy
• Beer Cap Maps, the original laser cut plywood and steel maps of your state or country that let you create unique wall art using bottle caps from your favorite beverages
• Jonco Industries, Milwaukee-based product manufacturers
• Pubcast Worldwide, our first interview with Jesse (on a different podcast) from 2017

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.