Emilia and I presented this to the Southworks maker lab network on 5-31-17. I thought it might be helpful to those considering a product launch. We also discussed various technologies in production - 3D imaging, 3D print, laser, cnc, etc.

1. SHARED
MANUFACTURING
Presented by Nuha Nazy – Co-Founder & President
Emilia Rogowska – Co-Founder & Vice President

2. • Space
• Financing For Equipment
• Access to Technology
• Training
• Staffing
• Technical Skills:
Engineering, CAD/CAM
Designers, Prototyping
BARRIERS TO ENTRY

3. Z-axis is a place where inventors, designers, artisans, craftspeople,
and engineers can share equipment, technology, and ideas to
launch their next creation.
Z-axis offers a range of memberships levels geared toward artists,
makers and small businesses. The 30,000 s.f. space with $500K in
equipment and 9 production staff, providing resources for Members
who want to scale beyond a start-up shop or “DIY” home-based
location.
Fundamentally, Z-axis fosters a community for creative stimulation,
collaboration, education, and entrepreneurship.
SHARED MANUFACTURING

4. SIX ZONES & THREE ACCESS POINTS
Print
•Wide Format
•Giclee & Textiles
•DTG, Dye Sub, Museum Quality
Tech Shop
•3D Scan & Print
•Laser
Industrial
•Wood Shop, CNC,
•Metal Shop, Fabrication & Welding
•Paint Booth
Textile & Fashion
•Design to Production
•Partnership with Apparel Industry Board
•Mannequins, Button Hole, Lockstitch, Cover Stitch
Photo – Video Lab
•DSLR Cameras & 4K Video
•Green Screens, Lights
•Customizable LED Lights
Playground
•Events, Networking, Social
•Gallery
•Classes, Seminars
Membership
• Basic
• A la Carte
• Pro
Production
• Full or Partial - You
decide
• Dedicated Team
• Fulfillment
Events & Education
• Gallery
• Events – Networking,
Social
• Classes, Collaboration

5. FROM PROTOTYPE
TO PRODUCTION
Presented by Nuha Nazy – Co-Founder & President
Emilia Rogowska – Co-Founder & Vice President

6. Steps to
Success
Protect
Proof of
Concept
PrototypeProduction
Profit
Plan
6 Ps
– Rinse,
Repeat
Learned not
to use the
term “post
mortem”

7. Plan – ORC
• Objective
• Resources
• Time
• Money
• Staff
• Technology
• Space
• Constraints
• Time
• Money
• Staff
• Technology
• Space

8. Plan – Before you Produce
• Elevator Pitch – 30 seconds
• Your Story – 1 to 2 short paragraphs
• Executive Summary 2 pages max.
The summary should discuss:
• the company and team;
• the market opportunity, value proposition, and customers;
• the technology/innovation;
• key technology risks to be addressed by this effort;
• and the competition.

9. Business Plan
• SBA.gov and SCORE have easy to use templates –
start with those and edit as needed.
• Key pieces: P&L, Income Statement, Balance
Sheet.
• Separate out your Capital Expenditures and your
Operating Expenditures
• Keep it basic – you don’t know enough to project out
for 10 years or even 5 –
• Do market research to substantiate your numbers –
write down your references.
• Update Regularly – keep the old versions

10. Protect
• Copyright – easy, inexpensive, fairly long-term, fairly
easy to defend
• Branding & Trademark – moderately easy,
reasonably priced, lasts indefinitely with renewal,
easy to defend
• Patent – very difficult, very expensive, limited life,
difficult to protect – but it matters
• NDAs – mutual and unilateral – keeps honest
people honest, establishes intent to protect
• Each of these protections is only as successful as
your willingness to sue – and pay lawyers.

11. Proof of Concept
• Don’t spend more on the initial prototype than the
minimum, until you have done your proof of concept
evaluation.
• If the numbers don’t justify it, either pivot or get out.
Excel is your friend.
• Find someone who will tell you your baby is ugly.
• Ask the value users would place on your product.
Would they pay?

12. Prototype - Iterate
• Keep it local
• Control
• Time
• Quality
• IP Protection
• It doesn’t have to be pretty, just enough to test
• Get willing participants
• Limit variables from iteration to iteration
• Test and document – process, testing methods, results,
keep a journal, take pictures
• Adjust your business plan (including market research)
and IP documentation accordingly.

13. Prototype - Options
• DIY
• Do you have the skills?
• Do you have all the ideas you will need?
• Track your time and investment.
• Job Shop
• Experience
• Visit the shop
• Be specific, drawings aren’t enough
• Get an expert to do your GD&T evaluation before you spend $
• Design House
• Expensive
• But thorough
• This is where pretty starts becoming important
• Limit variables from iteration to iteration and pick a stop point
• Get to a point where you can start selling a decent product – and measure
success (or failure)
• Test and document – process, testing methods, results, keep a journal, take
pictures

14. Production - Initial
• Keep it local
• Time is the only commodity you can’t replace
• Money – may be higher, but see above
• Assume a loss
• Intellectual Property – ask Apple
• Avoid long-term investment in equipment and space
– run lean

15. Profit - Revenue & Funding
• Focus on funding initially
• Crowdsourcing
• Kickstarter
• Indiegogo, etc.
• SEC investor changes
• Republic
• NextSeed, etc.
• Sales – get paying customers
• Measure against plan

16. Rinse, Repeat
• Evaluate results against plan
• Lessons learned?
• Do the numbers still make sense?
• Pivot as needed
• The customer isn’t always right, but you should
listen anyway
• Options to scale
• Domestic
• NAFTA & EU
• Asia