3 Supplier Questions That Save You Months of Wasted Time (Most Founders Don’t Ask This!)

If you're meeting a new supplier, these three questions reveal more than hours of small talk. I've sat through dozens of glossy presentations, nice catalogs, polished sales pitches, even factory tours. But the fastest way to know if a supplier is the real deal is asking the right questions upfront. Three simple ones will tell you more than a whole RFP process. Who are your top three customers? This shows credibility. If they claim NDAs, that's fine. But ask a follow up question. Can you share industries or markets you serve instead? That still tells you if they have experience in your category. Number two is what's your monthly capacity? This shows reliability. If they're too small, you risk delays. If they're too big, you risk being deprioritized. You need alignment with your growth stage. Number three, what's your defect rate or QC rejection rate? Every factory has one. If they say zero, they're not being honest. You want a supplier who tracks quality metrics and owns up to problems. Your next supplier call Lead with these three questions. They'll cut through the fluff and save you months of wasted time.