@dweetle: You probably have a YKK zipper on you right now. But the story behind it is far bigger than a zipper. In 1934, Tadao Yoshida started a small zipper business in Tokyo. At first, zippers were made by hand. Then in 1950, an American buyer showed Yoshida a machine-made zipper that was cheaper and better. Yoshida realized something terrifying: His entire business was becoming obsolete. Instead of giving up, he imported the machinery, studied it, and eventually began building his own machines. Then he went even further. YKK started making almost everything it needed itself: → Brass → Thread → Fabric tape → Zipper components → Manufacturing machinery Instead of depending on suppliers, YKK built control over the entire production chain. That became one of the company’s biggest competitive advantages. Today, YKK produces more than 10 billion zippers a year and operates globally. The lesson isn’t really about zippers. It’s about what happens when a company doesn’t just improve its product… but takes control of how the product is made. Sometimes the strongest moat isn’t the thing you sell. It’s everything behind it. Follow @dweetle for more. DM for credits or removal. #Business #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Manufacturing #Tech

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Thursday 03 September 2026 17:05:06 GMT