# S5E51 Manish Kumar | Being CEO at SOLIDWORKS

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2024-12-20
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 51
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks

## Summary

Manish Kumar, CEO of SOLIDWORKS and VP of R&D at Dassault Systèmes, discusses the evolution of the company from its 1995 launch to its current cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform. He details the development of X Design, a browser-native CAD application built for future devices, and explains how SOLIDWORKS integrates AI to automate tedious tasks like drawing creation. Kumar also shares personal anecdotes about early product failures and the strategic pivot to cloud computing that defined the company's modern success.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=0) Introduction and Manish's Engineering Origins
- [8:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=506) Early Days of SOLIDWORKS and Software Evolution
- [14:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=871) The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and Unified Data
- [21:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=1271) X Design: Cloud-Native CAD for the Future
- [35:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=2106) AI Integration and Automating Mundane Tasks
- [39:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=2388) Customer Feedback and Product Roadmap
- [46:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=2810) Lessons from Product Failures and Risk Taking
- [56:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-20-s5e51-manish-kumar-being-ceo-at-solidworks#t=3397) Closing Thoughts on Embracing Change

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- SOLIDWORKS (product)
- Dassault Systèmes (company)
- 3DEXPERIENCE (product)
- X Design (product)
- X Shape (product)
- Rhino (product)
- Pro/ENGINEER (product)
- Geometric Software Services (company)
- Apple (company)
- ChatGPT (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [153: The Evolution of CAD Product Development Software](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-12-07-153-the-evolution-of-cad-product-development-software) (Product Startup)
- [S3 E1: Mastering Tech Adoption and The Hardware Development Workflow with Jon Hirshtick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-09-30-s3-e1-mastering-tech-adoption-and-the-hardware-development-workflow-with-jon-hir) (The Builder Circle)
- [122: Modern Methods for New Product Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-04-13-122-modern-methods-for-new-product-development) (Product Startup)
- [Jon Hirschtick from Onshape/PTC; Favorite robotics startups of 2021](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-10-07-jon-hirschtick-from-onshape-ptc-favorite-robotics-startups-of-2021) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Additive Manufacturing, Then & Now: A Conversation with Alex Oster, Autodesk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk) (Additive Snack)

## Citing this page

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