Hardware Podcasts

The Pitfalls and Potential of Implementing AM with Joris Peels & Max Bogue of 3DPOD

Additive Snack · 19 Nov 2024 · 1h 10m · Episode 6

What this episode covers

Joris Peels of AM Research and Max Bogue, founder of Wobbleworks and creator of the 3Doodler, discuss the current state of additive manufacturing, arguing that the industry must move beyond hype to focus on frictionless, application-specific solutions and sustainable business models. Bogue details how Wobbleworks bootstrapped the 3Doodler via Kickstarter, avoided premature retail expansion, and found unexpected success in assistive technology for the visually impaired. Peels advises large organizations to implement additive manufacturing through 'sandbox' projects and bottom-up innovation rather than top-down mandates, highlighting the critical role of change management and cultural acceptance.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up and early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Wobbleworks, AM Research, EOS, Stratasys, Formlabs, Bosch, John Deere, Tesla, Boston Dynamics, SpaceX, Adidas
Products
3Doodler, Ultimaker
Chips
Arduino
Materials
PCL, Isomalt, ABS
Also
3DPOD, 3Dprint.com, Kickstarter

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 46m

    Samuel Feller | Product & Project management, Kickstarter, & DIY Product Launch

    Samuel Feller, a mechanical engineer and founder of awkward engineer, discusses his career transitions from structural and aerospace engineering to product management, consulting, and running his own business selling panic button light switches. He details the experience of launching an analog voltmeter clock via Kickstarter, explaining how he learned to distinguish between a creative hobby and a viable business model, particularly regarding the challenges of distribution and manufacturing costs like injection molding tooling. Feller shares his project management philosophy, emphasizing the importance of asking 'what do I get? When do I get it?' to streamline communication, and highlights the value of collaborating with machinists early in the design process to optimize for manufacturability.

    Crowdfunding & preordersDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    8 chapters

  • Product Startup · 30m

    083: Benefits of Additive Manufacturing for New Inventions

    Steve Grundahl, founder of Midwest Prototyping, explains how additive manufacturing enables 'pop-up manufacturing' for startups, allowing them to produce small batches without the high capital risk of injection molding tooling. He argues that early production runs should be viewed as a feedback mechanism rather than a profit center, using real user data to validate demand before committing to expensive tooling. Grundahl highlights that additive manufacturing allows for complex geometries and rapid design iteration, making it ideal for products with short life cycles or frequent updates, such as GoPro accessories.

    Design for manufacturing & NPIScaling production
    7 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 46m

    S7E32 Steven Szymeczek | From Taking Things Apart to Teaching Engineers How to Build

    Steven Szymeczek, a mechanical engineer and adjunct professor at Boise State University, discusses his journey from designing crop-duster components to launching a product development business and now managing a university lab. He details the challenges of early entrepreneurship, including the difficulty of pricing projects appropriately and the importance of building a network of manufacturing partners rather than relying on unreliable early 3D printing technology. Szymeczek also explains the rapid evolution of additive manufacturing, highlighting the shift from messy resin printers to accessible, fast systems like Bamboo Lab and Formlabs X1, and how these tools enable engineers to fail early and learn quickly. Finally, he describes his current role at Tech Help Studio Blue, where he leads a product development lab that gives students hands-on experience with real client projects, ranging from 3D-printed combat robots to medical devices.

    Prototyping & iterationStarting a product company
    7 chapters

  • The Builder Circle · 55m

    S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed

    Christian Reed, CEO of Reekon Tools, explains how he bootstrapped the company from a side project to an 8-figure business without VC funding, validating the idea with a $1.2M Kickstarter campaign. He details the manufacturing lessons learned at Formlabs, including how a supplier's factory fire forced a mid-cycle component swap, and describes building a 3M+ social media following through consistent, raw content creation. Reed emphasizes the importance of engineers thinking like entrepreneurs, focusing on product benefits and brand building rather than just invention.

    Crowdfunding & preordersManufacturing partners & offshoring
    9 chapters

  • Thoroughly Considered · 40m

    3: Onward

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss the failure of their Obi Kickstarter campaign and how it led to a strategic pivot toward smaller, lower-risk products. They detail the development of the Apple TV Remote Stand, which they manufactured in-house using a desktop CNC router, and the iClip for Apple Watch, produced via Shapeways. The hosts analyze the financial and operational lessons learned from these contrasting approaches to product design, manufacturing, and timing.

    Crowdfunding & preordersDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    5 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Additive Snack. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.