1 is greater than 2 in Global Supply Chains Global firms typically manufacture to cover the global demand based on their aggregate production plan after receiving demand projections from all markets. One of the consequences of matching demand with manufacturing is that these plans generally ignore the impact of economic fluctuations such as the exchange-rate movements. Consolidated profits for global firms are significantly influenced by fluctuations in exchange rates, and there is an opportunity to incorporate exchange-rate uncertainty into global production planning. This study presents an operational hedging mechanism based on manufacturing less than the total global demand, termed as “production hedging.” Due to the uncertainty in exchange rates, the firm takes a conservative action and deliberately manufactures a smaller quantity than its total global demand. The study shows how manufacturing less can result in a greater profit. It provides prescriptions for marketing executives to quantify the economic value of market share. It also demonstrates why operational hedging, in the form of production hedging, is more valuable than financial hedging. Samurais vs. Ninjas: A Dilemma in Supply Chain and Operations Management Skills For almost half of a century, the field of supply chain and operations management has been trying to design efficient operations that will reduce waste and cut costs in processes. While this phenomenon provided large firms a competitive advantage, it did not translate to successful entrepreneurial ventures. I will describe my experiences of designing supply chains for start-ups, small- and medium-sized firms so that they can grow in a healthy and sustainable manner. These skill sets are distinctly different, often opposite of, the skill sets our profession developed, taught, and exercised in practice. The new skill sets rely on the methodology known as design thinking, a human-centered approach to solving problems developed by top innovation firm IDEO. The presentation will describe how these methods differ from traditionally taught skill sets, and how they are beneficial in creating nimble and flexible supply chains for start-ups and small firms.