A century ago, companies deliberately made products that wouldn’t last. Today, that model is being dismantled—by regulators, by consumers, and by a new generation of businesses built around repair, not replacement.

In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the repair relationship revolution—from sweeping right-to-repair laws reshaping global manufacturing to companies like Framework and Lodge building loyalty through products designed to last. It’s a story about more than hardware—it’s about how fixing what’s broken can create stronger customer relationships than replacing what works, and why the future belongs to businesses that design for longevity, trust, and connection.


Episode Links:

• Wikipedia — Phoebus cartel
• The Great Lightbulb Conspiracy
• Lightbulb Cartel a Dark Spot in Lighting History
• Oregon Passes Right to Repair Law: First to Ban Parts Pairing
• Oregon Legislature passes Right to Repair bill after four-year student effort
• Oregon Legislature — SB 1596 Final Text (Chapter 69, 2024 Laws)
• Common rules promoting the repair of goods
• Incoming EU right to repair requirements: The key things every global manufacturer should know
• European Parliament — Right to repair: the EU's actions to make repairs more attractive
• Right to Repair Europe — The state of Right to Repair in 2026
• Apple Support — Self Service Repair
• Apple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts (April 2024)
• AppleInsider — Apple expands Self Service Repair to iPhone 17 lineup
• AppleInsider — iPhone 17e & M4 iPad Air parts now on Self Service Repair Store
• The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR / ITU)
• As electronic waste surges, countries look for answer
• Global E-waste Statistics Partnership
• Framework's Series A-1 and Community Participation
• Framework raises $18m to move beyond modular laptop
• Framework Raises $18M In New Funding
• PitchBook — Framework Computer 2026 Company Profile
• Wikipedia — Framework Computer
• PCWorld — Framework Laptop 16 review
• TechSpot — Framework Laptop 16 (2025) Pros and Cons
• Everything Framework Just Revealed at Its 2026 Modular Laptop Event
• Five Years of Framework
• Lodge Cast Iron — About Lodge
• A Seasoned Family Business
• The Bitter Southerner — Lodge Cast Iron
• Lodge Foundry in South Pittsburg Cooks up an American Icon
• After 123 Years, Lodge Cast Iron is Still Family-Owned
• Lodge Manufacturing Investing $56M In South Pittsburg, TN Expansion
• Lodge Manufacturing Company to Expand Marion County Operations
• Wikipedia — Service Recovery Paradox
• Service Recovery Paradox: A Meta-Analysis (de Matos, Henrique, Rossi 2007)
• From service failure to brand loyalty: evidence of service recovery paradox (2025)