MBA

I’ve been investigating the possibility of trying to make a business out of making.1 This got me thinking about the best series and the best single post about making money out of making.  I got a lot out of these posts and I hope you will too:

• Ten Rules for Maker Businesses – Rule #1 Make a Profit.  Chris Anderson, author, entrepreneur, and named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, has probably written the best “Ten Rules” list for a maker who is considering selling stuff.  I’d rather have this list in my back pocket than an MBA any day.2 If you ever think about selling anything you’ve made, you should read every one of these posts:
  1. Make a profit
  2. It takes a lot of cash to stay in stock
  3. Buy smart
  4. Basic business rules still apply
  5. You get no leeway for being a maker
  6. Be as open as you can
  7. Create a community to support and enhance your products
  8. Design for manufacturability
  9. Marketing is your job
  10. Your second most important relationship is with your package carrier
• How the Innovation Economy is Turning Makers Into Manufacturers by Chris Anderson.  This is another Chris Anderson article – this time he’s writing with the benefit of the experience of having moved from a magazine editor-in-chief fiddling with one of the first 3D printer kits to cofounding 3D Robotics and becoming an entrepreneur.  Since his open source hardware drone company just raised $30 million in venture capital, he’s probably the kinda guy you wanna listen to.
• The Slowest $380 I’ll Ever Make. This is the tale of a man with a dream – a dream of making and selling electronic LED QR Code clocks.  Michael Ciuffo covers the money he made, lost, and made in painfully excruciating detail – with more than a little levity.  This is a cautionary tale for anyone looking to sell something awesome in their spare time – and some of the dangers hidden in success.
• How To Build A Hardware Startup – A complete guide from idea to market fit by Marc Barros.  This book by Marc Barros is published online at Adafruit along with a number of their posts under the heading of “maker business.”  I’ve only breezed through it, but it seems to contain a lot of focused detailed information and advice.

1. Photo courtesy of Poster Boy [↩]
2. Besides, no one makes pocket sized business school graduates, amirte? [↩]