# Ep. 3 - Tools While Scaling Up; How Much Structure is Too Much?

- Show: [Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast)
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Length: 51m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much
- Listen: https://shows.acast.com/ohm-podcast/episodes/episode-3-tools-while-scaling-up

## Summary

Steven Oz and Lucian Shape Park of Opulo discuss their strategy for selecting software tools versus building internal projects as the company scaled from a garage startup to a growing manufacturing business. They detail specific decisions to buy off-the-shelf solutions like Gusto for payroll and Shopify for e-commerce to avoid reinventing the wheel, while choosing to build custom tools for CAD workflows around FreeCAD to support their open-source community. The hosts also explain their transition from Google Sheets to Liney for inventory management and their pragmatic approach to managing technical debt and testing infrastructure.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=0) Introduction: Tools vs. Projects Philosophy
- [4:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=243) Buying Off-the-Shelf: Gusto and Shopify
- [9:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=556) Choosing FreeCAD Over SolidWorks for Community
- [12:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=746) Switching from Google Docs to MkDocs for Assembly
- [20:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=1240) Inventory Management: From Sheets to Liney
- [25:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=1512) The Shoe Analogy: Buying Structure Early
- [26:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=1592) Over-engineering and the Nylon Winding Machine
- [33:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=1992) Knowledge Management with Guru
- [35:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=2123) Testing Jigs and Factory Data Logging
- [45:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-08-24-ep-3-tools-while-scaling-up-how-much-structure-is-too-much#t=2722) CRM Strategy and HubSpot Costs

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Opulo (company)
- Gusto (tool)
- Shopify (tool)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- FreeCAD (tool)
- MkDocs (tool)
- Liney (tool)
- Guru (tool)
- HubSpot (tool)
- LulzBot (company)
- Dzuki (tool)
- Fusion 360 (tool)

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- [97: Plateaus](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2023-04-06-97-plateaus) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Pull The Trigger](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-02-19-pull-the-trigger) (The Amp Hour)
- [#068 - Challenges of small manufacturers to organise their production and inventory, with Kristjan Vilosius of Katana, Estonia](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2019-05-15-068-challenges-of-small-manufacturers-to-organise-their-production-and-inventory) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [S6E39 Sam Holland | Informal Engineering Collective, the Hardware Handbook, & Donut Hole-Der](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-09-26-s6e39-sam-holland-informal-engineering-collective-the-hardware-handbook-donut-ho) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

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