In Episode 63 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel and Matt Moseman kick off the new year by reflecting on 2025 and setting a more disciplined, profit-driven direction for 2026.
They dig into the shift from cash to accrual accounting, applying Profit First principles, and why growth without margin creates unnecessary stress. The conversation also covers product strategy decisions, simplifying automation offerings, market education challenges, and designing products that scale — not just technically, but operationally.
This episode covers:
Accrual vs cash accounting in automation businesses
Profit First mindset and financial discipline
Product mix decisions and scaling realities
Market education vs product elegance
Engineering capacity, CI priorities, and team accountability
Building companies from a position of strength
No theory. No fluff. Just two founders documenting the journey.
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.
In Episode 62 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel and Matt Moseman unpack a high-energy, high-stress week inside two growing automation companies.
They cover factory acceptance pressure, hiring engineers and machinists, refining interview processes, and the realities of scaling technical teams without compromising culture. The conversation also dives deep into sales and marketing execution — from viral product moments and conversion optimization to AI tools, website design, and where automation buyers actually want friction removed.
This episode touches on:
Factory acceptance weeks and capital equipment pressure
Hiring engineers, machinists, and culture-fit technical talent
Sales mistakes, boundary setting, and protecting founder time
Marketing automation, AI tools, and conversion optimization
When to outsource vs bring machining back in-house
Delegation, accountability, and founder bottlenecks
If you’re running or scaling an automation, CNC, or manufacturing business, this episode is an honest look at what growth actually feels like behind the scenes.
No theory. No fluff. Just two founders documenting the journey.
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.
In Episode 61 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel and Matt Moseman check in on a busy week inside two growing automation businesses.
They talk through real-world challenges around machine installs, troubleshooting communication issues, hiring engineers and machinists, forecasting workload, and balancing growth with capacity. The conversation also dives into marketing realities in manufacturing, paid ads performance, content strategy, and how small process improvements compound over time.
This episode covers:
Automation installs and on-site problem solving
Hiring strategies for engineers, machinists, and technical roles
Sales momentum, pipeline pressure, and start-date driven closes
Marketing experiments, ad performance, and ROI realities
Continuous improvement, version control, and product refinement
The mental load of running and scaling automation companies
If you’re building or running an automation, CNC, or manufacturing business, this episode offers an honest look at what growth actually feels like week to week.
No fluff. No theory. Just two founders building the future of industrial automation.
New episodes every week — follow the show to stay updated.
In Episode 60 of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael Gimbel (Gimbel Automation) and Matt Moseman (Developed LLC) dive deep into the real-world challenges and wins of scaling industrial automation companies. From hiring high-caliber engineering talent to fixing production bottlenecks, this episode is packed with insights for anyone in manufacturing, CNC automation, robotics integration, engineering leadership, and industrial operations.
This week, the guys break down:
Michael shares how bringing on a VP of Engineering instantly moved the needle across R&D, product refinement, and throughput — and why he regrets not making the hire sooner.
They talk through backlog pressure, longer lead times, and the shift from “selling hard” to “choosing the right customers” as automation adoption accelerates.
Growing automation companies means navigating terms, inventory, complex POs, and why cash-based accounting stops making sense once you scale.
Matt and Michael discuss Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, trade shows, SEO, and creating a central content vault to multiply high-value manufacturing leads without burning out.
Everything from metric hardware migration, foam insert redesign, fixture optimization, semi-automated CAM, and macro testing — to how small engineering details compound into big operational wins.
A field-failure story highlights the reality of building reliable CNC automation inside OEM limitations — and why redundancy, software updates, and customer communication matter.
They explore the mental load of running automation companies, balancing optimism with financial responsibility, and knowing when to push vs. when to stabilize.
Whether you're running a CNC shop, building automation products, integrating robotics, or scaling a manufacturing startup — this episode delivers grounded, shop-floor-real perspective you won’t find on typical business podcasts.
No fluff. No theory. Just two founders building the future of industrial automation.
New episodes every week — follow the show to stay updated.
Hosted by: Michael Gimbel (Gimbel Automation) & Matt Moseman (Developed LLC)Platforms: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • YouTubeThe Manufacturing Automation Podcast is where two automation-obsessed founders pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build, scale, and lead modern industrial automation companies.Every week, Michael and Matt jump into an open, unfiltered conversation about:• Growing and running automation companiesReal talk about backlog management, hiring struggles, team leadership, burnout, wins, screwups, and everything in between.• Sales & Marketing in the industrial worldFrom ad spend efficiency to SEO, attribution tools, content strategy, demos, and how deals actually get closed in a B2B manufacturing economy.• Engineering, R&D, and product developmentAutomation, robotics, fixtures, grippers, software—plus the reality of debugging, edge cases, failed tests, and the breakthroughs that make it all worthwhile.• Continuous improvement & real-world operationsProcess refinement, lean thinking, project flow, customer management, pricing discipline, and building systems that actually scale.• Life as founders in industrial automationMental load, personal growth, leadership evolution, and the mindsets that keep a business moving through chaotic seasons.Whether you’re a machinist, engineer, shop owner, automation integrator, or you’re building hardware and robotics from the ground up — this podcast gives you the honest, inside-the-shop perspective you won’t find anywhere else.No theory. No fluff. Just documenting the journey.New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and join the conversation.
Matt and Michael compare notes on a surprising truth: pushing lead times out actually improved close rates—and sanity. Michael shares how a few e-commerce fixes (cleaner checkout, aggressive email capture) plus Meta + Google PMax ads are finally delivering real ROAS, while Matt walks through shop-floor wins—from 1701’s palletized case-packing speeds to kicking off a multi-robot project. They dig into vendor-built subassemblies, a company-wide shift to metric, and email-gated Fusion CAD embeds that trade downloads for qualified contacts. The through-line: stop brute-forcing growth; eliminate steps, raise the bar, and let systems carry the load.
Matt and Michael open up about the hardest phase of growth yet—scaling while exhausted. From sorting through 500+ job applicants to navigating burnout, trade show fatigue, and the fine line between serving customers and setting boundaries, this episode gets real about what it takes to run a growing manufacturing business.
They cover trial-day hiring tests, customer scope creep, and the chaos of being your own head of engineering, sales, and ops all at once. Matt shares lessons from three back-to-back trade shows, and Michael reflects on how to rebuild systems, protect margins, and stop living in the “urgent and important” quadrant.
Along the way, they debate lifestyle business vs. growth company, what makes a good hire, and how to know when to pull back—or push forward. It’s a grounded, honest look at the messy middle of manufacturing entrepreneurship and the discipline required to build something sustainable.
Matt and Michael dive into the real-world challenges of scaling a manufacturing company—from letting go of control to navigating tough customers and trade show ROI. Michael reflects on learning to delegate, setting boundaries with unreasonable clients, and choosing which orders to take as demand grows. Matt, fresh off the MD&M trade show, shares how live events pressure-test both product and people—and how one broken AI sales tool turned into a valuable workflow lesson.
Together, they explore the balance between sales velocity and buyer confidence, why faster isn’t always better, and how to decide when a trade show is worth the investment. The conversation expands into marketing automation, Shopify strategy, and 3D model integration, revealing how small process improvements compound into massive leverage.
The episode closes with a candid look at leadership transitions, hiring discipline, and rediscovering excitement in “boring” systems—because in manufacturing, scaling isn’t just about building better machines; it’s about building better companies.
Matt and Michael sit down to unpack the growing pains that come with scaling from builder to CEO. From juggling trade shows and staffing shortages to fixing water jets and optimizing Shopify conversion rates, this episode captures what it really looks like to grow a manufacturing company in real time.
They discuss the balance between speed and control, the discipline of hiring slowly, and the struggle to delegate when production pressure is high. Michael reflects on hitting the limits of what worked for a $2M company—and what it takes to evolve toward a $4M operation—while Matt shares how consistency, recurring revenue, and system thinking define sustainable growth.
The conversation moves fluidly between cash flow, client terms, financing models, and trade show ROI, all tied together by one theme: learning to work on the business, not just in it. Whether you’re an engineer, entrepreneur, or operator trying to scale, this episode is a candid look at the mindset shift required to lead through growth.
Matt and Michael talk about what it really takes to show up well—at trade shows and in business. They break down their evolving trade show strategy: why it’s not just about leads, but about relationship-building, visibility, and operational readiness. From planning booth logistics and displays to clarifying who’s in the booth (and why), they share how events like WESTEC are forcing better systems back at home base.
They also dive into team culture and hiring, discussing how to maintain high standards while keeping morale strong, plus lessons from recent hires who are reshaping how work gets done. The conversation touches on vendor relationships, R&D updates, and even a few AI workflow experiments—the practical kind that actually save time instead of adding noise.
By the end, it’s clear: whether it’s a trade show floor or the shop floor, success comes down to the same things—clarity, consistency, and communication.
Matt and Michael get candid about what it takes to scale manufacturing companies in 2025. Michael shares how “caring less” and enforcing reciprocity with customers—matching their cadence and demanding payment before implementation—has improved both cash flow and relationships. They discuss dealing with late invoices from billion-dollar corporations, the reality of tiered customer rules, and why sometimes dropping uphill battles (like bead-blast anodizing) makes everything smoother.
The conversation digs into vendor strategy: outsourcing only by referral, working with smaller shops as if they were part-time employees, and tracking accountability with a vendor Gantt chart. Matt pushes back, emphasizing long-term sustainable partnerships and highlighting the tradeoffs of Michael’s approach.
On the sales and marketing side, they cover reshoring trends, smart website conversion upgrades (mobile checkout fixes, email capture, weekly newsletters), and the ROI of focusing on conversion over top-of-funnel leads. In R&D, both hosts share incremental product improvements—from new grippers and all-metal push-to-fit fittings to quick design tweaks for field failures.
They wrap with company-wide updates: A3 certification prep, SOP consolidation, ISO/UL goals, and a renewed focus on employee career development through structured reviews. It’s an honest, practical look at balancing short-term tactics with long-term strategy in automation and manufacturing.
Matt and Michael unpack how they’re shifting from firefighting to systems. They talk about rewriting core values around reciprocity (no pay, no play—match the customer’s cadence), and how fixing a broken mobile checkout button quietly tripled Shopify conversions. They share an SOP that lets the team turn complex proposals in under 24 hours (11 proposals in ~10 days), prep for an A3 certification audit, and roll out vendor- and customer-facing Gantt charts to make dependencies—and delays—undeniably clear. They also get real about AI tools breaking in production (why leverage beats replacement), delegating with Loom to small vendors, and even the occasional two-by-four “field fix” when parts show up bent—all in service of building the companies and lives they want.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt reflect on how accountability—both with customers and within their teams—is reshaping the way they operate. From confronting delayed payments and setting clearer boundaries, to revising sales strategies and rethinking when to say yes to massive projects, they dig into the hard lessons of staying disciplined. The conversation also covers refreshing their marketing tools, updating the automation partner eBook, and the importance of hiring higher-caliber engineering leadership.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt open up about the stress of balancing heavy workloads with cash collection delays, vendor issues, and rising trade show costs. Michael shares how short staffing and delayed payments collided to create a frustrating crunch, while Matt reflects on managing questions from the team and keeping operations moving despite fatigue. Together they explore how to decide when to say no, avoid unnecessary scope creep, and keep product development disciplined—even when the pressure mounts.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt recap a whirlwind couple of weeks—from the headaches of a misconfigured turnkey install to the stress of managing short staffing and nonstop work. Michael shares how deals are finally starting to move after a slow stretch, while Matt reflects on team growth, updated marketing content, and refining sales SOPs. Together they dig into how quoting systems, AI tools, and continuous improvement efforts can help bring more rhythm to the business.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt dive into the strange paradox of rising inquiries but fewer deals actually closing. They share the grind of following up on slowed decision-making, why the economy might be driving hesitation, and how they’re responding by refining processes, tightening supply chains, and pushing continuous improvement. From CI experiments to new product refinements, this episode captures the tension of short-term frustration alongside long-term optimism.
In this episode, we break down how to keep jobs moving efficiently from the moment a quote is issued to final delivery. We discuss ways to tighten scheduling, align team priorities, and ensure execution stays on track — all while reducing bottlenecks and meeting customer deadlines. Whether it’s coordinating resources or fine-tuning the quoting process, you’ll hear practical strategies to improve turnaround times and keep production running smoothly.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt explore the often-overlooked “middle game” of business growth—the stage where old systems start to break, but the new ones aren’t fully in place yet. They share lessons on recognizing the signs of outgrown processes, evolving leadership approaches, and turning friction into fuel for the next phase.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt unpack the hidden cost of trying to be too helpful. They talk through how well-meaning customer interactions can quickly spiral into distractions—and what it takes to stay focused on your core business. From learning when to say no, to redesigning how help is offered, this episode dives into the hard work of protecting team capacity without sacrificing customer trust.
In this episode of the Manufacturing Automation Podcast, Michael and Matt explore what happens when communication volume becomes its own problem. From flooded Slack threads to endless requests for clarity, they unpack how overcommunication often points to broken systems. The conversation touches on leadership stress, channel fatigue, and the need to adjust both mindset and infrastructure when signal turns to noise.