One can see in this list that there are many ways to ease the pain of bringing an object to market without directly getting hands dirty in manufacturing. It'd be so much better if the burdens of sourcing, certifications, shipping, liability insurance, etc. could be taken off the engineer's plate.

Shipwire does this in fulfillment but the cost can be a barrier, and mfg.com or Alibaba are a step in the right direction but don't necessarily address the trust you need to have with your suppliers in lieu of becoming an expert. It's too much of a Wild West right now, and we need a sheriff.

Alas, it's not yet as simple as the "Print to China" that manufacturing-as-a-service promises. There are currently too many human translation layers that would impede reliable manufacturing APIs.