Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Rachel Liaw of Fuse Inventory
On this episode of Coffee with a Founder, host Beck Bamberger sits down with Rachel Liaw, co-founder and CEO of Fuse Inventory. Rachel shares how she’s spent nearly a decade building a venture-backed company in one of the toughest and most unpredictable arenas out there: supply chain. She breaks down what it’s been like to weather constant industry upheaval, from tariff swings and COVID shockwaves to the ongoing cash-flow crunch hitting brands of every size.
Rachel also digs into how Fuse was using AI long before it was trendy, and why, even with all the innovation, the world of physical goods still comes down to boats, warehouses, and sometimes… pirates.
show notes:
00:21 - Startup longevity highlighted
01:24 - Fuse Inventory’s tech evolution
03:19 - Tariff turmoil and rapid adaptation
05:08 - Covid’s impact on inventory planning
10:44 - Small brands under pressure
13:24 - Fundraising and focus over hype