Sounds like jargon, but DFM is one of the sharpest tools small makers can use. Design for Manufacturing (DFM) means shaping a product so it can be made efficiently, without fragile parts, wasteful steps, or surprise costs. Apple, Dyson and IKEA use it, but it isn’t only for giants. Any company that turns an idea into a physical product (startups, niche consumer brands, even service firms making their own hardware) should apply DFM thinking. The simplest way to start: Sit down early with a...