Welcome back to the Smarter Every Day podcast. Today we dive into Destin’s Smarter Scrubber experiment—his ambitious quest to “make something in America.” He started with a simple idea: a stainless-steel scrubber manufactured from coast to coast. He toured waterjet shops and welding studios only to find that “machine shops all across the South are booked out for months.” Even basic plating and assembly pushed costs above two dollars per scrubber, compared to just fifteen cents overseas. “I learned the real cost of making things in America,” Destin admits. He uncovered hidden challenges—minimum order quantities, high labor rates, and months-long lead times—yet he also discovered “an incredible talent pool ready to innovate.” While it wasn’t a financial win, Destin calls it “one of the most rewarding failures” he’s ever tackled. Stick around as we unpack what this experiment teaches us about American manufacturing today.
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