Managing Vendors and Repairs as a Busy Founder

Welcome back to Founder Mode!

As founders, we love to think about the big picture—strategy, growth, product, customers. But sometimes the thing that slows us down isn’t strategy at all. It’s something smaller, like a vendor or repair process dragging on longer than it should.

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Going back, it sounds boring, but the reality is this: downtime kills momentum. Broken equipment, delayed warranty claims, and slow vendors can all cause minor issues. These issues add up quickly. And if you don’t learn how to manage them well, they can drain both time and energy.

I recently faced a situation like this. It reminded me of some simple yet powerful rules for dealing with vendors and repairs.

Deconstruct Your Blockers

When a project is stuck, the worst thing you can do is ask, “Any update?” You’ll usually get a vague answer, and nothing will move faster.

Instead, break the problem down. Ask yourself:

• Is this a financial block (like waiting for warranty approval)?
• Is it a technical block (like waiting on an engineer’s review)?
• Or is it an administrative block (like paperwork stuck in the wrong inbox)?

Once you isolate the specific hurdle, you can tackle it head-on.

You Are the Project Manager

Even if you’ve hired experts, no one cares about your downtime as much as you do. You can’t assume the shop, the manufacturer, or the vendor will coordinate on their own.

That means you have to play project manager. You’re the one scheduling calls, asking the right questions, and connecting the dots between all parties.

It doesn’t have to take hours. A quick call to get everyone aligned can save weeks of back-and-forth emails.

Push for Timelines (Even If They’re Vague)

One of the easiest traps to fall into is accepting “we’re working on it” as an answer. That’s not good enough.

Always push for a timeline. Ask:

• “Will we know by today?”
• “Will this be resolved next week?”

Even a tentative date on the calendar helps with accountability. And once you know the bottleneck (like a one-week engineering review), you know exactly what to follow up on—and when.

Separate Confidence from Commitment

This one is subtle but important. Vendors often speak with optimism. They’ll say things like:

• “We’re confident we’ll get this approved.”
• “We think it should go through.”

But optimism isn’t commitment.

In my case, they pushed hard for warranty coverage. However, the real issue was getting technical approval. Until that was confirmed, nothing else mattered.

Learn to tell the difference between hopeful words and strong promises. It will save you from chasing smoke.

Stay Proactive Without Burning Out

The last piece is about balance. Yes, you need to stay on top of the process. But you can’t let vendor drama eat your entire day.

I keep a simple rule: spend 10 minutes each morning reviewing open vendor items, then move on. That way I’m proactive without letting it consume me.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Don’t just ask for updates—break the problem down to the true blocker.
2. No one will care as much as you. Act as the project manager.
3. Push for timelines, even if they’re rough estimates.
4. Learn to spot the difference between confidence and commitment.
5. Stay proactive, but contain the time you spend on vendor issues.

Final Thoughts

Managing vendors and repairs isn’t glamorous. But these little processes can create big drag if you don’t handle them well.

The founder’s job is to keep the momentum alive. That means knowing when to zoom in, break a problem down, and move it forward yourself.

Every hour of downtime you clear is an hour you get back to focus on building. And in a founder’s world, those hours add up.

See you next week,

-kevin

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