Making Awesome - 3D Printing, Inventing, Making, Small Business

Patents, a dirty word in the 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing industries for hobbyists, but as you get closer to professional and industrial, they become a part of doing business. You can use a patent in a way that benefits a community as a whole or as a way to stifle competition and maintain market superiority. Let's talk about how patents can protect innovations and drive growth, parti...

In this episode, we delve into the pivotal role that customer feedback, through reviews and testimonials, plays in transforming a small business from a passion project to a full-time enterprise. We will examine the impact of such endorsements on credibility, digital presence, and consumer trust. Our business got a 1 star review this week, from someone we have never spoken to, and I do not know why...

Let's talk about maintenance on your 3D Printers and why, as a hobbyist, doing it is incredibly important, but on print farms, you may opt to take a different route. All sparked from a conversation in our Discord, the idea that maintenance takes up way too much time for a small business became obvious and had us all talking about what we do and why. Topics to cover: Why should you do maintenan...

This week we dive back into the $$$ of running a business, with the difference between Markup and Margin. Knowing these terms is essential for any small business wanting to keep an eye on their finances, but not knowing what separates them, and why that matters can make you grossly overestimate your profit. We will give some examples, go through why the numbers may SOUND good, but why in reality,...

This week we will be interviewing the guys behind Rocky Mountain Rep Rap fest ( @rockymountainrrf ): Justin, Zach, and Mike. Together they came up with the idea of a festival surrounding 3D Printing in the Rocky Mountains and it went AMAZING, at least from an outsiders perspective! Let's talk with the team and learn what it REALLY takes to run one of these events the first time, things they wo...

With the conclusion of the East Coast Rep Rap Festival 2023 a name change was announced. ERRF will now be called @_3DPrintopia which has some of us feeling both good and bad. The name makes sense, it is easier to explain, but is this the writing on the wall for REP RAP, or is this simply just a branding move? Topics to discuss: Why branding matters How a bad brand can hurt the cause Why a rebrand...

Contracts. No one likes them, some, recently of course, decide that they do not matter for them, and violate the deal. This is bad. Let's delve into the vital role that contracts play in our personal and professional lives. Join us as we explore why contracts are essential for clarity, trust, and legal protection in various contexts, from business partnerships to everyday transactions. Specifi...

Marketing. The thing that most makers say they hate or they are terrible at. I feel this. Let's go through best practices, how you can be unique, and how you can stand out amongst the competition. Even if you go into a market with competition already, as a new comer to that market, you can not only see what others are doing wrong, but also, how to stand out. What will set you apart may vary ac...

Right to Repair is a BIG deal and 3D Printing is an industry where the "Fine I will just do it myself" kind of people will thrive. Giving control to repair back to the consumer turns the normal game of cat and mouse for parts around on the manufacturers, with some taking note, and others pushing back. 3D Printing shows that with a few hours or less on CAD, some filament and/or resin, you...

This week we will get into dealing with problems! From bad communication, on either side, to simply getting it wrong, no maker business is safe from mistakes. How you deal with them will separate you from your competition! We will tackle the unexpected bumps in client relationships. Dive into firsthand accounts of missteps, and more importantly, our strategies for addressing and resolving them. Fr...

This week let's dive into working with clients, dealing with deliverables, and ultimately Making Awesome with 3D Modeling and 3D Printing. From the initial onboarding to the final product delivery, let's dig into the best practices to foster fruitful collaborations while cautioning against common pitfalls. Topics to cover: Onboarding Communication, and how it can make or break this relatio...

This week we are talking with Dennis, Co Founder and CTO of  @Thangs3D  ! Thangs is the latest 3D Model repository to come up and they are doing some AMAZING things for designers! Ask Dennis ANYTHING about Thangs, it's future, and the parent company Physna! Some about Dennis: Dennis is the Co-founder, CTO at Thangs and 3D super nerd. Prior to Thangs, he had various product and leadership roles...

This week let's dive down the rabbit hole of designing for a living. 3D Modeling in programs like @AutodeskFusion360 , @PixologicZBrush , @BlenderOfficial , and others! There are some tricky things to navigate beyond just getting good in the programs themselves. Things like licensing, how to paywall properly, @Patreon vs. platforms like @Thangs3D , @Printablescom , @Myminifactory , @cults3d956...

This week we have a VERY special guest for EPISODE 150 of The Making Awesome Podcast, @Nero3D ! You all know him, love him, and envy the beard, but let's meet the man behind the maker! Former Tool and Mold maker, falling into content creation was certainly not on Nero's radar, but because of Voron and the human malware, we are all graced with this awesome streamer! We have some fun topics...

This week lets talk all about what makes a good printer for a business and potentially crown a winner in certain price categories! A business has significantly different needs than a hobbyist, so a bone stock Ender 3 is definitely not a good buy! But what is?? Topics to cover: Features you NEED in a 3d printer Features you WANT in a 3d printer Major Manufacturer discussion Expensive and few, or ch...

This week we are joined by Elliott from @polycam6558 the MOST POPULAR app in #3dscanning ! Utilizing a combination of photos and LIDaR (when available) PolyCam is able to really push limits of mobile 3d scanning FROM YOUR POCKET!! Join us as we talk all about how the idea happened, why phones, and more! Some about Elliott: Elliot Spellman is the Co-Founder at Polycam - the most popular 3D scanning...

This week we will talk all about one of the hardest things to deal with in a business: Time management. With having to do so many things, it can be hard to prioritize things for the time you have each day. Let's discuss some good techniques, and some easy pitfalls. Topics to cover: Prioritize tasks Set specific goals Create a schedule Time Blocking Anti Multitasking delegation (if possible) SA...

This week is an interesting one, this conversation is sparked because we are losing a Musketeer. One of our staff is choosing to continue their pursuit of a doctorate degree and because of that, they are leaving the company, and it got me thinking, we have never discussed all this on the show before, so, no better time than now! Everyone, please with the best of luck to future Dr. Simona Rivero as...

This week we are talking all about the importance of designing! If you are looking to start your own business doing 3D Printing, having some basic skills to make parts for your clients can definitely add to your bottom line, but there is more too it than skill alone. Topics to cover: Why knowing 3D Modeling is important? Which program should you start with? What are some of the basic skills you sh...

This week we are going down the path of customer service. Since having some really poor experiences dealing with companies lately I would love to talk all about what is right, what is wrong, and how you, as a company, small or large, and keep your customers happy, even when things go wrong! Topics to Cover: What is appropriate for customer service? How to know if you are meeting the needs of your...

This week we are joined by my father, Kenneth Posner for a WONDERFUL Father's Day Special! We will be discussing the impact of 3d printing in education! Some information about Ken: With over 30 years of professional experience, Kenneth has become a powerhouse in the College world, transforming schools to be leaders in student life. Winner of the regional Jim Scott Award in 2006, a prestigious...

SPECIAL GUEST this week! We have Vladimír Víšek who is in charge of Sustainability at @Prusa3D . He is going to talk to us all about this report and what it was like diving deep into how Prusa makes their products! https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirvisek/ This week we will be taking a DEEP DIVE into the Prusa Sustainability report and talking about what we can all do to make 3d printing more sus...

This week we will be talking about the old adage: the best time to start a business was 10 years ago and the second best is today. Is that true and does it matter to you? Topics to Cover: When is it right to start a business? Know when to hold em and know when to fold em What are some signs you are ready to go full time? What are some risks with being your own boss? Why might you choose to NOT go...

This week lets talk about the business of #3dscanning. It was a topic I recently discussed on Maker That Money on the @Repkord channel that seemed to get some traction. We will dive into it further today. I will talk all about the business of 3d scanning while also looking at other scanning options out there. MtM episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh9I76suMBc Topics To Cover: Why is 3D Scann...

This week lets talk about the state of the #3dprinting industry and what all have happened in these last few months! So many new machines, developments, and trends happening, with so many new advancements from @BambuLab clones like the @Creality3D K1, klipper machines aplenty like the @Sovol SV07 and more! Would love to talk about it all! Topics to cover: What have we seen for trends so far in 202...