Supply Chain and Product Businesses

Why this path matters

Physical products live or die on landed cost, working capital, and inventory discipline.

What you will understand

• How a single sale actually makes — or loses — money.
• The physics of moving physical products profitably.

Modules in this path

Core Margin Math · Unit Economics

• Unit Economics Basics
• Contribution Margin
• Gross Margin versus Real Profit
• Break-even CAC
• Break-even ROAS
• Ad Cost per Order (Cost per Click → Cost per Order)

Acquisition Economics · Unit Economics

• Blended CAC versus Channel CAC
• Customer Lifetime Value
• Payback Period
• Revenue Quality versus Revenue Volume
• Fixed Costs versus Variable Costs
• Operating Leverage

Costs, Leverage, and Safety · Unit Economics

• Margin of Safety in Pricing
• Hidden Costs per Transaction
• Refund-adjusted Profitability
• Chargeback Risk
• Cash Conversion Cycle
• Inventory Turnover

Cash Flow Realities · Unit Economics

• Dead-stock Risk
• Working-capital Traps
• Profit versus Cash
• Why Fast-growing Businesses Can Still Go Broke
• Revenue Concentration Risk
• Customer Concentration Risk

Concentration and Stress Tests · Unit Economics

• Supplier Concentration Risk
• The One Bad Month Stress Test
• Price Elasticity
• Demand Destruction
• Price Anchoring
• Decoy Pricing

Pricing Power and Fees · Unit Economics

• Bundle Economics
• Subscription Economics
• Buy-now-pay-later Fees
• Marketplace Fees versus Direct-to-customer Margins
• Reading Financial Statements

Landed Cost and Freight · Supply Chain

• Landed Cost
• Minimum Order Quantities
• Freight Economics
• Air versus Ocean Freight
• Import Duties
• Tariffs

Working With Suppliers · Supply Chain

• Customs Brokers
• Incoterms
• Supplier Payment Terms
• Quality Control
• Supplier Diversification
• Domestic versus Overseas Manufacturing

Product Strategy · Supply Chain

• Private Label Strategy
• White Label Strategy
• Product Differentiation
• Packaging
• Product Bundles
• Returns as Product Design

Inventory Discipline · Supply Chain

• Demand Forecasting
• Safety Stock
• Reorder Points
• Stockouts
• Backorders
• Inventory Aging

Physical Product Traps · Supply Chain

• Counterfeits
• Supplier Exclusivity
• Supplier Negotiation
• Single Unit versus Pallet Shipping
• Why Cheap Products Are Expensive Businesses
• Why Physical Products Fail While Selling

Suggested tools

• Ad Cost per Order Calculator
• Contribution Margin Calculator
• Break-Even CAC Calculator

Suggested case studies

• A Regional Equipment Rental Operator
• A DTC Brand That Grew Into a Cash Crunch