This is a key component in why hardware start-ups are hard. Proof of concept: dead easy, as long as physics does not make your product impossible. Prototype: a little harder. 0-series: already quite hard (that's roughly what the story above was about). Mass manufacturing: super hard.
It's also why manufacturing samples should never be taken as indicative of what a plant will actually put out and you still need to sample the actual product to determine if quality is acceptable or not.
Lots of companies doing business with third world producers have found this out the hard way. (And then there is malicious substitution as well to content with.)
And requires skill sets that seem really similar but are not actually all that similar. They are linked through engineering design but yeah...they aren't.
It's also why manufacturing samples should never be taken as indicative of what a plant will actually put out and you still need to sample the actual product to determine if quality is acceptable or not.
Lots of companies doing business with third world producers have found this out the hard way. (And then there is malicious substitution as well to content with.)