How 3D Printing Could Change More Than We Think

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So if you follow our Twitter feed, you saw the awesome news that Teenage Engineering, a synthesizer company, encourages people to print 3D replacement parts for their synthesizers.

Now that’s awesome on the whole cool-technology-culture, thing.  It’s also pretty awesome from a customer service perspective.  But I want you to think about this a bit further.

  1. This idea is great for making things easier on companies and customers.
  2. There are sites like Shapeways that will 3D print for you.
  3. There are also industrial collectives that have various tools people pool money to use.
  4. This is a lot like Print On Demand.
  5. Print On Demand is spreading, such as Kodak’s deals with CVS. (If Kodak can stop laying people off so they don’t have enough people to do it).

Now you probably see where I’m going here.  If POD is spreading, 3D printing can spread as well – it certainly seems to be.  I can easily see companies like CVS, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. keeping 3D printers around to make custom components.  Hell, some companies may let you print entire products in time.

Think what this means culture – and of course career wise.

  • People will need to be able to operate these things.  This changes supposed retail jobs and may give people options to move up at careers – and think of how companies may need POD or 3D printer managers and experts.
  • Companies could use this as further outsourcing.  They could literally exist as entities providing directions and support to print.
  • This changes consumer behavior.
  • This chances storage and mailing behavior.
  • This will bring up a lot of fascinating legal challenges (go for it geek lawyers).

So what do you think?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

 

Quick Geek Beacon Update!

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For those of you who don’t subscribe, let me gently nudge you into subscribing to my newsletter.  It’s a good way to keep up with my efforts and a way to get a bit of personal “group coaching” on geeky careers.  This month’s subject is trust, and I think it’ll be pleasantly surprising (and unpleasantly pleasantly revealing).

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

The Offensive Job Search

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Last week I talked about what I meant by going “on offense” in one’s career.  I thought I’d itemize my thoughts to give people ideas and directions.

By “Going on The Offensive” in your search I basically mean taking the initiative in a focused, planned way that involves activity before response.

So here’s Steve’s Quick Guide to Taking The Offensive as it were:

HAVE A GOAL: Have a goal for your life and career that you really want and hold onto it hard.  This gives you direction, inspiration, and guides you in repurposing events and opportunities.

HAVE A PLAN: Have a plan for reaching your goal.  You want an outline that you can act on.

MEASURE RESULTS: Measure your progress.  Turn things into numbers.  For instance, if you want to make money as an artist, keep track of money you make each month.

HAVE A NEXT STEP: Always know what your next step is and do it – even if the next step is “take a week off to rest.”  You should be able to, at any time, take one hour and move yourself forward.

HAVE AN EDUCATION PLAN: Train yourself.  Have a plan to train yourself.  Do it.

REPURPOSE: Ask how you can use your current job, experience, contacts, etc. to work towards your goals.

CHANGE AS NEEDED: Do adapt – but don’t give up too easily.  You’ll need to learn when to change and when not to.

ASSOCIATE WITH SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE: Friends, professional associations, what have you.  You need people that keep you going and that you go places with.

STAY UP ON NEWS: Stay up on news relevant to your goals and dreams so you stay inspired and informed.

Note that most of this is being active.  It may be a kind of martial-arts like waiting for activity or precise strike, but active it is.

That’s really the key to an Offensive Job search – actively pursuing things in the appropriate way and not giving up.

So how are you going to take things on the Offense?

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.fantopro.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.