# Chaos, Curiosity & Chipmaking: Larry Robbins' Wild Ride Through Manufacturing, 498

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/chaos-curiosity-chipmaking-larry-robbins-wild-ride-through-manufacturing-498
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/chaos-curiosity-chipmaking-larry-robbins-wild-ride-through-manufacturing-498.md
Podcast: [Making Chips Podcast for Manufacturing Leaders](https://stenobird.com/podcast/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170)
Published: 2025-12-08T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://makingchips.libsyn.com/chaos-curiosity-chipmaking-larry-robbins-wild-ride-through-manufacturing-498
Audio file: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/pscrb.fm/rss/p/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/makingchips/MC498.mp3?dest-id=237805
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/making-chips-podcast-for-manufacturing-leaders-439170/episodes/chaos-curiosity-chipmaking-larry-robbins-wild-ride-through-manufacturing-498
Duration seconds: 2849

## Resource

Some conversations feel scripted. This one… absolutely did not. Larry Robbins walked in ready to talk life, passion, family, culture, workholding, philosophy, and whatever else popped into his head — and somehow it all connected back to manufacturing. This episode of MakingChips is one of the most unhinged, hilarious, honest, and wisdom-packed conversations we've ever recorded. Larry has been in the industry for nearly 46 years, and he's collected enough stories, scars, and laughs for ten careers. From his father dragging him into the business ("long hair doesn't work here") to his famous explanation that SMW makes "magic hands," Larry blends humor and experience into lessons every shop owner needs to hear. His passion for the industry is unmatched — and his candor is even better. Throughout the episode, the crew dives into culture, leadership, lying (don't), modularity, flexibility, high-density workholding, predictable setups, financing equipment, and why you should stop crawling across a dollar to pick up a dime. Larry opens up about the future of manufacturing, warns against bad advice, and reminds everyone that machining touches every single thing in the world. If you're ready for an episode that's equal parts educational and unhinged in the best possible way, buckle up — Larry Robbins is in rare form. Segments (1:00) Larry's background, early failures, and the stories that shaped his approach to leadership (3:31) An investment in ProShop is an investment in your business (3:32) Culture, loving your work, and leadership lessons (5:07) Entering the family business, retirement humor, and long-term commitment (7:23) The reality of workplace culture, honesty, and handling difficult employees (10:02) Integrity, truth-telling, and early lessons on character (13:18) Appr…

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