Tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in April 2025 intensified the push to reshore U.S. manufacturing, particularly in electronics. But a year later, the sector is still bleeding jobs, even as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung pump billions into new facilities. Employment in computer and electronic product manufacturing has declined by 18,100 jobs over the past year, per March 2026 Federal Reserve data, shedding an estimated 2,000 jobs since December. Total manufacturing jobs are down by 75,000 from March 2025, including…
A place for electronics manufacturing leaders and visionaries to learn from their peers. →
Build Better Handbook
A place for visionaries to learn from their peers about getting culture right, NPI, Production, and evaluating new technologies
From Counterfeits to Sanctions: Securing Supply Chains in an Era of Conflict
Petcube’s Alex Neskin Embraces Imperfection to Deliver Innovation
How to Prepare for Tariffs in 2025: Leaders Share Lessons and Strategies
Aerospace and Defense: Headwinds &Tailwinds for Electronics Manufacturing in 2025
Materials Planning with Andre Neuman-Loreck
The Apple-China Symbiosis and What it Means for the Future of Electronics with Patrick McGee
Steven Nickel on How Google Designs for Repair
Navigating Factory Moves and Scaling production with Wayne Miller
Get Me Outta Here! Racing to Full-Rate Production Somewhere Else
Overcoming the Three Body Problem in Electronics Manufacturing
Designing for Instrumental - Simple Design Ideas for Engineers to Get the Most Out of AI in NPI
Shining Light on the Shadow Factory - Rework, Retest, and Bone Piles
Welcome to the Build Better –what started as a work in progress Handbook documenting what I've learned from admired leaders, my experiences, and observations from over 100 NPIs, has now become a hub for sharing manufacturing lessons.
When Samuel Weiss and I founded Instrumental in 2015, we aimed to eliminate inefficiencies in electronics manufacturing. Starting with a bold idea, minimal funding, and professional credibility, we sought to create tools to build the best products. Today, our mission is broader: empowering engineering and operations teams to excel.
Through years of industry experience, I've seen that challenges aren't just technical but cultural. Leaders learn best from peers, and Build Better aims to share their insights and frameworks. Divided by product lifecycle stages, it includes leadership lessons, tactics, and practical content for daily operators. We cover news, create video content, and host our Annual Summit every fall.
