We Design & Build Your Hardware

We design & manufacture
Industrial, medical, & consumer electronics
Small enough to fit in an oven

HQ in San Diego, CA. Manufacturing at our wholly-owned factories in Tijuana, Mexico and Dongguan, China.

Connor Bush

Post-CES Saturday. ✈️

Thoughts from the airport. 🛅

Every year CES shows us what’s new.
This year felt different. It showed us what’s back.

After years of pause, uncertainty, and “hurry up and wait,” the energy felt tangible. Hardware is back. People are moving. Projects are real. Deals are happening.

Yes, there was incredible technology on the expo floor. But what really stood out was where the most meaningful shifts were happening. In the hallways. Over meals. At happy hours. In the conversations between meetings.

Those in-between moments felt catalytic. Real problems, real timelines, real collaboration. The kind that actually turns ideas into products.

Software and AI are still everywhere, (and robot lawnmowers 🚜🤖) but this time hardware is leading the charge. The buzz wasn’t theoretical. It was practical, human, and fast-moving.

For the first time in quite a while, I’m walking away from #CES feeling deeply optimistic about the year ahead for all of us.

Connor Bush 🔋🖥📟

We Manufacture Your Hardware at Scale (USA, Mexico, & China) | Ecosystem, Pipeline & Partner Strategy

Happy #CES Week!

The goal this week is simple: overwhelm our industry with enthusiasm and optimism.

People don’t buy what we sell. They buy why we sell it, and who we are. You represent your company culture everywhere this week: in the airport, at happy hour, on the show floor, at the blackjack tables, and everywhere in between.

At the same time, the real work doesn’t pause. Open projects still need momentum. That may mean earlier mornings, a laptop in your backpack, or sneaking work in between meetings. CES is chaotic ... and chaos is where mistakes can happen.

Not for the faint of heart.
But for those up to the challenge, the rewards can be significant.

Grateful to work in this industry & with our peers. Let’s make it a great week in Vegas. 🎲✨

Behind every email, meeting, and deadline is a human life in motion.

Over the past month, I had to say goodbye to my dog on Christmas Eve and my cat just yesterday. It’s been heavy, but it’s also been a reminder I wanted to share here.

LinkedIn isn’t Facebook, and this isn’t about sympathy. It’s about perspective. Everyone you interact with is carrying something you can’t see.

So if someone is slow to respond, short on a call, or having an off day, try not to take it personally. Life is always happening in the background.

A little patience and grace go a long way, especially in professional settings.

Happy first Monday after CES.

The expo matters.

But in hardware and manufacturing, the pre-show and post-show matter even more.
#CES conversations are fun.

January and February decisions are what determine whether anything actually ships this year.

In our world, momentum is fragile. If we haven’t engaged by late January or early February, most “let’s ship in 2026” ideas quietly turn into “maybe next year.”

The recipe is simple:

Diligent pre-research

Clear, honest conversations during the show

Timely follow-up before momentum fades
Miss one ingredient and the whole dish falls apart.

If we talked at CES about shipping in 2026… now is the moment. For your own good 😅

I've NPI'd in places you couldn't even dream of DFM'ing from.

It’s Friday.

The flu is plaguing society.
Winter storms are looming.

Life is short.

Go outside and touch some grass.
Hug someone you care about.
Watch a show you’ve already seen twice.

Before all the deadlines, decks, and deliverables, remember:

We’re humans first.

Hustle culture has a time and place.
Tonight probably isn’t it.

Your project will still be there Monday.

I'm not ignoring anyone.

The CES flu-pocolypse struck me down yesterday. 

Take your vitamins!

co-founder & CEO @ Beacons AI | helping 8m+ creators build smarter businesses | Stanford AI PhD

my top takeaway from CES this year was...




the flu 🫠

I am registered for the 2026 AHR Expo! Learn more about HVACR's main event and join me in Vegas! https://lnkd.in/gTd8ZC33
#2026AHREXPO #AHREXPO2026 #AHREXPO

Choosing an electronics contract manufacturer isn’t about “best.”

It’s about best for your stage.

If you came from Google, Meta, or Microsoft, it can feel natural to go straight to a Tier 1 CM.

But many Tier 1s now require $25M+ annual spend and even then, you may not get the A-team.

That can mean slower responses, less prioritization, and limited access to leadership.

On the other end, choosing a small, fast, low-volume partner can be perfect early on but painful if you need to scale quickly. Not every agile shop can grow with you.

Too big and you lose agility.
Too small and you hit a ceiling.
Wrong fit and you risk delays or even getting “fired” by your manufacturer.

Often the healthiest path looks like:

⚪ Quick-turn / low-volume CM early
⚪ Overlap with a mass-production CM as you scale
⚪ Graduate to Tier 1 when volume truly justifies it

At scale, diversification matters too. Multiple geographies, multiple partners, and shared volume can reduce risk and increase resilience.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

And the most dangerous mindset in manufacturing is black-and-white thinking.

This is a multi-year (sometimes multi-decade) partnership.

🤝 Choose accordingly.

The EMS ecosystem in Mexico is alive and well. 

AND 

Thrilled to see all of the crazy growth from orgs in-region. 

Curious about nearshoring your production in 2026 and beyond? 

DMs are open!

#EMS #CM #ElectronicsManufacturing #nearshoring

Strategic Business Development Director | Driving Growth & Partnerships

In our Mexico factory today.
Assemblies moving out. Machines humming. Teams locked in.

The photo attached is just Building 1 of 3. All connected. Nearly 80,000 square feet moving in sync.

This is the part people don’t always see. The coordination. The discipline. The repetition done right. Boxes stacked because schedules were hit and quality held.

There’s something timeless about a shop floor that’s running the way it should. Materials flowing. People executing. Work leaving the building on time.

This is what excites me.
Real manufacturing. Real output. Real momentum.

AI notetakers. 

Which one is elite? 

tysm in advance <3

Must work across Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.

Planning 2026 event travel.

Where do I need to go? What do I need to see? Who do I need to meet?

Historically, I have done: CES, CEDIA, AHR, TechConSoCal, LA Tech Week, Seattle Tech Week, and SF Tech Week. 

What am I missing?

What are the best shows to mix and mingle with all folks doing great things in consumer, medical, and industrial electronic devices? 

TYSMIA <3

Thinking about heading to #NAMM on the 23rd w/ the homie Scott Cole .

I’ve never attended, so I’m curious to hear from the network.

From the perspective of a mass-production EMS/CM supporting consumer, medical, and industrial electronic devices with factories in China and Mexico, is NAMM a show worth attending?

Is there meaningful overlap with teams thinking about scaling hardware, supply chain, or next-gen product launches?

Would love any firsthand takes. TYSM

I'm renting a car and driving out to #AHR2026 on Sunday. 

Anyone else going to be in Vegas for the expo?

I am bringing the good word of mass production #electronics #manufacturing in China and Mexico. 

Also, going to be playing some Padel at P1 Padel Las Vegas on Sunday.

If you work in the electronics industry, and find yourself in Vegas on Sunday, and want to play some friendly competition with other folks in the hardware space, please drop a comment or send a DM!

I'll be walking the floor all day Monday and Tuesday. 

This is my first time back at #AHR in a few years. I am excited to see what is new and trending.

🔥 Tom Slocum

Your Future Homie- In- Law | Founder @ The SD Lab | Sales Consultant | 7x Strategic Advisor | 4x Sales Leader | SDR Coach | #empathyactivist

Hey I’m Tom I help B2B leaders, SDR teams and founders fix broken outbound when pipeline is dry and reps are stuck spinning

After 18 years in sales from 400+ daily cold calls in a cubicle to building $3M+ in pipeline from scratch I’ve built a repeatable system that gets outbound back on track

Here’s how I help

Weekly workshops (theory + tactical execution)

Rebuilt call flows, messaging and targeting

Sequencing + workflow installation

Call reviews with live coaching + scorecards

Fast performance gains tied to KPIs

Client Wins

Kustomer → 50%+ lift in meetings → 100% SDR attainment in 3 months
ServiceChannel → 30% SQL lift with sharper messaging + coaching
Rockledge, Distran → 10–20 meetings/month booked after outbound reset

I’ve also worked with brands like ServiceChannel, Kustomer, Apollo, ZoomInfo, Smartlead, Surfe and more to coach teams and represent their tools

Outbound isn’t dead it just needs fixing

👉 Want sharper messaging, predictable pipeline and reps who book meetings?

Book an Outbound Strategy Tour (Featured below)

Or join my newsletter (7K+ readers) for free outbound playbooks (below)

Founder

The SD Lab is a top-of-funnel sales consulting agency. The SD Lab offers customized services to help businesses optimize their sales process and achieve measurable results. The SD Lab offers a 14-week Revenue Acceleration program, Custom Sales Playbooks, and Team Coaching packages that cover all things Top of Funnel. If you're looking to optimize your sales process and achieve sales success, The SD Lab is here to help. Let's work together to transform your sales approach

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🔥 Tom Slocum

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