# T-24-003 : Christina Perla - Industrial Designer to On Demand Manufacturing

- Show: [TRADEOFFS](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs)
- Published: 2024-10-09
- Length: 58m
- Episode: 3
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing
- Listen: https://tradeoffs.fm/3

## Summary

Christina Perla, co-founder and CEO of Makelab, discusses her transition from industrial design at Converse to running an on-demand 3D printing service. She details the company's hub-and-spoke expansion strategy, including a new San Francisco location and a planned Connecticut factory, while explaining why she rejected venture capital after a fund imploded. Perla emphasizes community building as a core growth strategy and shares insights on the 3D printing industry's current reckoning regarding reliability and marketing honesty.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=1) Introduction: Christina Perla and Makelab
- [2:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=150) From Converse to Entrepreneurship
- [5:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=325) The Verizon Oath Contract Failure
- [13:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=823) Acquiring the Vendor and Starting Makelab
- [18:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=1096) San Francisco Expansion and Hub-and-Spoke Model
- [22:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=1366) Venture Capital Failure and Bootstrapping
- [31:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=1890) Industry Reckoning and Reliability
- [47:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=2879) Community, Diversity, and Inclusion
- [50:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing#t=3051) Life and Business Partnership with Co-founder Manny

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Makelab (company)
- Converse (company)
- Verizon (company)
- Oath (product)
- Form 3L (product)
- Shapeways (company)
- Zometry (company)
- Desktop Metal (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Adopting an Entrepreneurial Mindset in Manufacturing with Krisztina “Z” Holly](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2019-10-28-adopting-an-entrepreneurial-mindset-in-manufacturing-with-krisztina-z-holly) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [EMS@C-LEVEL Season #2021 Episode #7 with Mariana Kobal and Shane Hassett, WAZP](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2021-08-09-ems-c-level-season-2021-episode-7-with-mariana-kobal-and-shane-hassett-wazp) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [Dylan Lundberg | Protolabs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-05-dylan-lundberg-protolabs) (Being an Engineer)
- [Aviator Nation: Paige Mycoskie](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-01-01-aviator-nation-paige-mycoskie) (How I Built This)
- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tradeoffs/2024-10-09-t-24-003-christina-perla-industrial-designer-to-on-demand-manufacturing. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to TRADEOFFS.