The Maker Revolution

CHAPTER 2Tools and Knowledge

In this chapter, I will explain how access to tools, knowledge, capital, production, and markets has radically changed the equation for starting companies, particularly hardware companies. I'll cover how this access is an exciting development for education, innovation, and job growth. I will explain what new tools there are, what new knowledge there is, where new markets have developed, and how capital is being accessed.

ACCESS TO TOOLS AND TRAINING

How powerful is access to tools? People move to be near them. Can you imagine? One makerspace member told me he had been waiting to retire until we opened a location in a city that he could retire to. A programmer at Microsoft in Seattle, he didn't want to move to the Bay Area to retire, but as soon as we announced the Austin, Texas, location, the member quit his job, sold his house, and retired to Austin. Others have moved close to makerspaces so they could start their companies. One venture-backed team in Boston temporarily moved its entire engineering team to Menlo Park, California (the site of the first TechShop space) for a few months to build their first functional prototype so they could close their second round, which they were able to do. We had at least three people move to the Bay Area to become members of our Menlo Park location. I know of several members who live in different parts of the country who took extended vacations, from one to six months, to come and take as many classes as ...