If Portland can do it, why can't we??

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on May 29, 2009 at 10:35pm

Jack - I'm not blaming you for a damn thing! Rather, I'd like to thank you. I'm so glad you chimed in! I was a bit surprised that the weblink provided so much discussion but so glad that it did. The beautiful thing that's hard to see is that I believe we all want Indiana to shine.

Permalink Reply by Jack Pincus on May 29, 2009 at 12:16pm

Regions are not only defined by their location and resources They are also defined by their state-of-mind. I know Portland Oregon very well. It has a vastly different state-of-mind than Indiana. Its collective state-of-mind fosters activities such as Techshop. It would require a significant change in Indiana’s state-of-mind for something similar to occur. I’m not optimistic that will happen. Indiana has a tradition of working hard to maintaining the status quo. In addition, the groups in power who might induce a change in the state-of-mind are heavily invested in their message that everything is okay to accept that change is needed.

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on May 29, 2009 at 8:50pm

Thanks, Pat, for sharing. Jack Pincus is right; the email sparked quite a few interesting perspectives. The principle points of the email discussion related to the current situation in Indiana and whether the culture change and overcome the "powers-that-be".

I agree with the current state of affairs. But I also believe somehow, some way we have to overcome the thinking that mediocrity is okay. Maybe I'm an optimist?

While only a few people have responded, I'm sure more will chime in soon.

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Permalink Reply by Jack Pincus on May 29, 2009 at 9:20pm

Not having the facility is not related to settling for mediocrity. The conversation drifted from the facility to the cause of Indiana's problems.

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on May 29, 2009 at 10:33pm

Thanks for the clarification, Jack. I forgot that not every on SI has the intimate details of previous conversations.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Dager on May 29, 2009 at 10:34pm

I like the ideas presented, we have a similar facility in Fort Wayne called the Innovation Center. But without public funding it would not be a reality.

I read the article twice and the statements that jumped out at me:
1. With the early successes, we hope to be profitable by the end of year. I doubt that is will continue to be the case as expenses, maintenance and full realization of costs are finally realized. I would wonder how the others are surviving and how long they have been in existence or ever profitable.
2. They talk about the expensive machines but mention the proliferation of hand tools. That says the people that talk about the sizzle but settle on something less when it becomes time to do the actual work.
3. Talking about a T-shirt gun as a significant accomplishment, and a model of something sounds like hobbies not businesses, which is great but don't confuse it with the sounds of industry.
4. 110 members sound great but how many are needed to break-even? And what will be the renewable rate?

Without sounding to much like a realist, I believe it is great endeavor. However, the reason it works in Portland and the other places may be from sources of funding that we are not aware of. There may be more discretionary money for these "Hobbiest" to use or share in. If it was economical feasible and you had enough hand on inventors willing to take the plunge, I think you would see more of it. The small business incubators around the states have try to do similar things with moderate success.

I think that the idea sounds great but if it is doable, I challenge a few to help out a local tool and die, fabrication, machine shop, etc and collaborate with exiting businesses and workforce to create a structure to do the same. What would be the difference? The difference is that someone already understands the cost and cannot get funding to build a T-shirt bazooka!

P.S. I love it when I get to try to catch a t-shirt without dropping a brat or spilling a Bud!

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Permalink Reply by Lalita Amos on May 30, 2009 at 12:35am

I'm not very eager to do something that's already been done. Instead, I'd like to see what we'd come up with using the brilliant people we have. Emulation is quite a different skill than innovation.

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on May 30, 2009 at 12:42am

Touche!

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Permalink Reply by Joe Dager on May 30, 2009 at 2:10am

Very nicely said!

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Permalink Reply by Jon D. Speer on May 31, 2009 at 9:54am

Lalita,
Here is my "innovative" twist. I of several companies that are relatively close to Indy that would love to do more with entrepreneurs and start-ups. I know several of the companies have sophisticated equipment. Maybe something like this is a way for them to get noticed. Maybe there is equipment that is out of date for their purposes but might be just fine for prototyping purposes. Regardless, rather than buy into a franchise, maybe there is a way to create our own version that fits the "mindset" of the people in Indiana.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Lee on May 30, 2009 at 8:05am

The right brains will rule !!!

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Permalink Reply by Scott Saxon on May 30, 2009 at 5:59pm

I will start by apologizing if I step on any toes here, but if nothing else, I will give you some food for thought.

Necessary?

Assuming a TechShop is not necessary could be correct and it could be incorrect. If I were to tell you that if a TechShop were to be built in Indiana, that it would be extremely likely that new innovative ideas would grow there that could change the world for the better, would you then say it might be necessary?

Desirable?

Chris says that it's not desirable enough or it would have already have been done. Actually, TechShop is a relatively new idea and has grown a phenomenal following in the 2 1/2 years it has existed. There have been similar enterprises, but nothing like TechShop has ever been done before. And certainly not to the extent that the three TechShops that now exist have done. So it is being done. And they are growing. One in Menlo Park, CA Oct 2006, one in Durham, NC March 2009 and one in Portland, OR in April 2009. More will follow.

Steph seems to embody the potential TechShop member with her vitality and open mindedness. She would be the one to buy a membership in TechShop and explore all the possibilities she could find. She would take classes on the laser cutter, the ShopBot and maybe even the machine shop. Just to see what is interesting.

And by the way Joe, The tools at each location are substantial, not just a few hand tools as you seem to suggest. I'm more familiar with the TechShop Durham location, so I'll tell you that there is a 5' x 8' ShopBot CNC table router there that cost $18,000. The table saw is a Saw Stop. $5000. The $30,000 Dimension SST1200 3D printer will make ABS plastic parts for you. The Epilog Helix 45 Laser Cutter was over $22,000. The list continues and the numbers are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The welding room has 2 TIG, 2 MIG, 2 Oxy-Acetylene setups, a hand held plasma cutter and spot welder. The machine shop is completely filled out with 2 Mills, 2 lathes, a big CNC mill, and all the rest of the sheet metal equipment and all the tooling needed to run a complete prototyping business if you wanted to do so.

Textiles lab, electronics shop, mini machine shop, Vinyl Cutter and more. Oh, did I mention the 12' x 4' CNC Plasma cutter? You won't find this stuff in the average basement shop. Make no mistake about it, TechShop is a very well outfitted place to make things.

Investing.

All three locations have been completely funded by individuals, with no guarantees, and two of the locations have done so in these troubled financial times. That alone says a lot about people wanting this sort of place. We all remember the quote from Field of Dreams, "Build it and they will come". At all three TechShops another phenomenon has occurred. "They will come and build it." Almost all of the buildout at the Durham location was from volunteers that wanted nothing more than to help to make this a reality.

Discussion going circular.

This is simply because there has not been enough information to discuss. Clearly you need more information, which is why I am adding a bunch.

State of mind of a region.

Many people said that you couldn't build a TechShop anywhere else but Silicon Valley. Phooey. I have been to many places around the country and have found that people are creative everywhere. Does Indiana not have any The Home Depots? Do you not have crafts shops? Do you not have RC airplane clubs, and woodworking stores and all sorts of other places that cater to people who are creative? Of course you do. Old Chinese Proverb: Man who says it cannot be done, should not interrupt man who is doing it. Please speak for yourself when limiting dreams. Don't take them away from others. I learned a long time ago that if you look for a reason that something will not work, you will find it every single time. But if you look for ways it can be done, more times than not, you will find that too.

And finally, will it last?

Who knows? TechShop could not have picked a worse time to try something new. Or could they? While the economy is tanking, they are still gathering money from lenders, they are still selling memberships and they are teaching a significant number of classes every week. The 110 member number is significant because it represents a good portion of what is required to support a TechShop. Each location has a 500 member cap, after which, people will have to go onto a waiting list. In the Raleigh-Durham Triangle area, there are about a million and a half people. About 1 2000th of that number will fill the place. And it takes a lot less than that to support it.

The most important point of all.

TechShops are a place for like minded and not so like minded people to get together to share ideas and create new things. The Community that has already grown around the TechShop idea is a supportive, creative, wonderful bunch of people. Steph, you'll fit right in. And so will the rest of you if you just give it a chance. Don't be so quick to shoot down something because it has never been done before. It's amazing what you see when you look for the positive features instead of the negative ones.

Just by reading this one thread, I already know there is a lot of powerful brain power here. I hope you use it for the betterment of all. Perhaps that means retaining the status quo. perhaps it means boldly going where you may not have gone before. Whatever it means to you, I hope you find it.

If you're interested in more information, just do a search for TechShop and add Durham, Portland or Menlo Park. You'll find substantial websites for all three locations.

Thanks for listening,

Scott Saxon
TechShop Durham Founder

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