Links to websites are probably the best thing you can include on a resume. They are nice checkboxes on paper, but playing with something you built is invaluable.
It is a free country, but this is a gross idea. Thankfully it seems not to be attracting any entrants. MIT's 100K competition gives almost the same cash outlay for no equity and MUCH better connections and support. According to his model he gets 10% AND $800K in "management fees" if everything was to go as planned (100 entrants per quarter). I hope this is the last we hear of them.
Personal Fabrication Machines. Not expensive/rare 3D printers though, there are over 1MM personal paper cutting machines like the CriCut and CraftRobo that have already been sold. They need good software to drive them. I think there is a tremendous market opportunity here and would be interested in any feedback people have.
There are some slides fleshing the concept out on this page:
Beading is another HUGE hobby worth billions of dollars per year. Go to a Michael's craft store and you will see hundreds of square feet devoted to it. Part of the thought with the jewelry was that you could order the whole thing complete OR get components and assemble it yourself.
Joez, Good point about the social nature of the product. It is referenced obliquely on the Joolme slide, but also stands true for the other two. I'll work on that.
I would certainly consider someone with Supply chain experience. I have some knowledge by virtue of my job, but it would be a welcome addition.
Kickstarter is a great idea! It would be cool to "Syndicate" that and a YC round:)
Callmeed, I completely agree. The quality of the cofounder is paramount. My goal is to find people who are interested in the concepts and then share more info about myself. As I mentioned on the site, my current job is awesome and I'm trying to fly under the radar a bit. Great point though.
Wow Patio, thanks for the kind words! I agree, it is a fantastic market filled with passionate customers. I hope I can find a cofounder with half as much enthusiasm!
Yeah I see a lot of reporters going gaga over Web 3.D because of the physical production aspect and the way it fits in with the whole numbering scheme. I see as many readers of this site rolling their eyes though.
re: back of envelope math, I concur, but I showed it to some people who were fairly bright and they commented that the rev potential wasn't called out, when it actually was more modestly. People tend to flip though these quickly so its spelled out a bit pedantically.
re: name - just wanted something generic that also referenced the goal. Happy to change it if pg or anyone else has a problem. No pretensions intended.
Thanks moe, I love twitter and music as much as the next guy, but I think there are hundreds of other cool uses for technology. Especially things like the CNC paper cutters that you can get at Hobby shops for $250. One of the founders of MakerBot has a cool line that went "Steve Wozniak couldn't have predicted 4Chan in his wildest dreams when he was building the original Apple" I think we are at a similar stage with these devices. Will be interesting to watch, even more interesting to build!
I have a couple ideas for startups in this space. Would love to know what you all think. Products/Companies that cater to a largely female, largely suburban audience have a tremendous amount of potential.
My main interest is combining the web with custom manufacturing technology to help people build anything they can imagine. I'm also interested in ideas usually discussed under the banner of "Web Meets World" "Internet of Things".
In short I really like the internet and plastic. I'd like to combine those two things in satisfying ways.
Interesting evolutionary pathway. Biomimicry was a big fad in mechanical and industrial design when I was in school. I wonder if this kind of "nature" story could lead to innovations (or at least thought tangents) in coding or user interface.
This service seems in line with Magic Jack and WebKinz. Software designed for lower tech experiences people who value utility, but not a pure pixel based experience.
This class of startup is really interesting. From what I've read MagicJack could do $100MM in revenue and WebKinz is a cash factory throwing off $750MM per year. Both utilize software, but it isn't the lead aspect of the service.
These companies really fly under the radar relative to the other hot startups of the day. ReadWriteWeb covers them to some degree, but it is an area that deserves a LOT more coverage.