Bre Pettis is very well known in the growing community of 3d printing. He has had a major impact on how new companies have shaped their products and services. Born in 1972, he is not considered a young entrepreneur but a key example of first mover advantage. First Mover Advantage is when a company is first in bringing a new service or product to the market. In November of 2008, Bre Pettis and Zach Smith cofounded an online 3d printing community driven interface named Thingiverse. Thingiverse was designed to be open to all and would allow users to design in 3d software and post it for others to download. Its success grew Pettis’s resume and rapport in the 3d printing community and helped him fund his dream. By 2009, Pettis and Smith had started their own 3d printer business Makerbot. MakerBot would soon become one of the first and most popular at home 3d print build kits where everyday users could design and develop their own ideas in physical prototypes.

Although highly successful, being one of the first major companies to implement DIY printers came with its downsides. MakerBot was a pioneer in a new industry and had to suffer from first time mistakes. At first, the 3d printers were marketed towards a niche customer base who already had a minor understanding of soldering and mechanical assembly. In the meantime, other companies saw this problem and began introducing prebuilt 3d printers which needed little to no assembly. It helped market to a much larger group of prospective customers who ideally favored simplicity. While MakerBot took a hit in sales they still had a strategic advantage in their rapport and overall consumer base. MakerBot got to work designing new printers which would become some of the most user friendly and convenient products in the 3d printing community. With the help of Thingiverse, a large online platform grew that did not discriminate against users of other 3d printers. I believe this helped MakerBot in the long run as myself and many others who have acknowledged the higher product standard which MakerBot’s machines are able to produce is worth its higher price in the long run.

Over the past 5 years I have used Thingiverse to help build everything from a simple camera lens adapter to a working guitar. I currently own a MakerBot and Ender style printer which have helped me create just about anything my heart desires. Thanks to entrepreneurs like Pettis and Smith, I and millions of other tinkering minds are able to put almost any idea in the palm of our hands.

Check out this awesome Netflix Documentary on 3d printing if you have the time. It covers the history of 3d Printing as well as Pettis’s shark like outlook on taking over the 3d printing world.

Print the Legend | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix