Most golfers obsess over their gear—but almost none of them build it. Jared Doerfler did. After playing college golf and spending years in sales, he found himself pulled back into the game he loved—but this time, through the lens of product creation. With zero machining experience, he quit his job, bought a beginner CNC mill, and decided to manufacture putters himself, from his garage. In this episode, we dive into how Jared taught himself CAD/CAM, figured out the physics behind great putter design, and slowly carved out a niche in a crowded marketplace. This wasn’t a white-label brand with flashy headcovers—it was a soul-first, steel-cut, full-stack operation. You’ll hear how golf gave Jared the idea, how family gave him the work ethic, and how sheer persistence turned that idea into a functioning business. From naming each model after towns tied to his grandfather to prototyping for months just to get the sound right, Jared’s approach to design and manufacturing is anything but casual. Whether you’re a golfer, a builder, or someone with a product idea burning in your brain, this episode is a masterclass in starting from zero—with nothing but curiosity, grit, and a love for the game. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... (0:15) Stay tuned: Top Shops 2025 registration coming soon! (1:09) Jared explains how he transitioned from sales into self-taught CNC work (2:52) Jared’s family history in manufacturing and how that shaped his path (6:34) Discovering a niche product to design and manufacture himself (10:05) The decision to make the product in-house vs. outsourcing production (12:00) How MAESTRO can simplify inspection in automated processes (17:21) Jared explains why he started with a Tormach and how he upgraded (19:12) Teaching himself CAD/CAM, the CAM learning curve, and iterative machining (24:40) Jared’s first putter design and how aesthetics vs. precision played out (26:54) Grow your top and bottom line with CliftonLarsonAllen (28:32) Naming each putter after towns tied to his grandfather (30:53) Going to market: Balancing performance with style (35:46) Manufacturing breakdown: 4 ops, soft jaws, materials, and finish choices (39:14) Challenges with scale, inventory vs. make-to-order, and a growing scrap pile (41:30) Diving into the finishing and the post-machining process (44:45) Entrepreneurship talk: bootstrapping, debt vs. investors, and capital priorities (46:37) Pricing strategy differences between product businesses and job shops (48:35) Advice for aspiring founders and a nod to the massive challenge of job shops (54:34) Why you need to subscribe to the Lights Out podcast Resources & People Mentioned Stay tuned: Top Shops 2025 registration coming soon! Grow your top and bottom line with CLA Toolpath CloudNC Connect with Jared Doerfler Hanna Golf Connect on LinkedIn
[email protected] Follow on Instagram and Twitter Connect With Buy the Numbers Follow on LinkedIn Connect with Mike Payne on LinkedIn Subscribe to Buy the Numbers on Apple + Spotify Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK
Ireland