Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast

What is the process of reducing costs in your supply chain without making your product worse? This is a tricky subject and needs to be handled with care. Luckily for you, we have already gone through this many times and can help you successfully cost down your supply chain by helping you find another way to potentially save money and what to look for when picking a vendor. We also give advice on what things you should choose to cost down and more. Learn what we did to get better pricing without sacrificing the quality of our product in this episode of the O.H.M. Podcast! To find out more about what we do, check out Opulo.io To see everything else we do, including social media, check out Opulo.start.page Check out the Maslow CNC Machine O.H.M. Podcast Merch is now here! Intro song: Complicate YaOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution LicenseAd song: Forever YoungOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered if your product is truly worth the time and effort to bring it to market? How can you ensure your product resonates with your target audience? This episode delves into the significance of a PRD, discussing how it can pave the way for your product's success from the very beginning. To find out more about what we do, check out Opulo.io To see everything else we do, including social media, check out Opulo.start.page Google Podcast is gone! Check out this link for other sources where you can listen to us. O.H.M. Podcast Merch is now here! Intro song: Complicate YaOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few years ago, we chose to rebrand our company and open source project. From talking with lawyers to pitching awful name ideas, this was not an easy process. We get into the list of potential names, and how Opulo might have been named Crabapple Industries. To find out more about what we do, check out Opulo.io To see everything else we do, including social media, check out Opulo.start.page Don't forget that Google Podcast is going away in a few days! We will not be on YouTube Music, so you may want to check out this link for other sources where you can listen to us. O.H.M. Podcast Merch is now here! Intro song: Complicate YaOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution LicenseForever YoungOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we sit down with Thea Flowers, a huge advocate for open source who has done many things to be a beacon of light for others who believe in open source and open hardware as well. From running her own open-hardware synthesizer company to working at Google, Thea has contributed to many big projects and has even been a paid musician. She really has done it all. Oh, and did we mention she is the president of OSHWA? She is very impressive yet too humble to admit it. We hope you enjoy learning about Thea Flowers as much as we did! Thea's Blog Don't forget, Google Podcast is going away! We will not be on YouTube Music, so you may want to check out this link for other sources where you can listen to us. O.H.M. Podcast Merch is now here! Links to what we do and our social media can be found here: https://opulo.start.page/ References in this episode: Robin Williams Commercial'Working in Public' by Nadia Eghbal Intro song: Complicate YaOtis McDonaldCreative Commons Attribution License Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you make yourself obsolete? That question may sound odd at first, but as Opulo continues to grow, how do Stephen and Lucian handle offloading their tasks to others while maintaining the speed and precision needed to keep up with demand? This topic was a user-submitted topic from our O.H.M. Podcast Channel found on our Discord. Thank you, appaog, for the great question! To find out more about what we do: opulo.io Instagram Twitter Music by: Otis McDonald Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to own your data, and when is it okay to hand over the reins? Should you self-host or not? Stephen and Lucian discuss topics like when it is okay to give up some control for convenience and how to walk that fine line. Plus, they talk about what would happen if Discord or Google went belly-up tomorrow and how that would affect your business (Even if it is very unlikely). This topic has sure been an eye-opener and has since caused changes to how we look at what we do. Tune in to find out more! To learn more about what we do, check out Opulo.io Discord Instagram Twitter Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen and Lucian are asked to divulge more detail about how they handle making a new hardware release and how it is much more involved than a software release. Software is changeable, but hardware is permanent. That makes a big difference when considering what goes into a hardware release, including what you should do between prototyping and releases. As always, let us know what you thought of the episode on Discord in the #ohm-episode-discussion thread for Episode 13! https://discordapp.com/invite/TCwy6De For more information about Opulo, please check out the links below: Opulo Website Opulo Twitter Opulo Instagram Opulo Youtube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen and Lucian are asked to divulge more detail about how they handle making a new hardware release and how it is much more involved than a software release. Software is changeable, but hardware is permanent. That makes a big difference when considering what goes into a hardware release, including what you should do between prototyping and releases. As always, let us know what you thought of the episode on Discord in the #ohm-episode-discussion thread for Episode 13! https://discordapp.com/invite/TCwy6De For more information about Opulo, please check out the links below: Opulo Website Opulo Twitter Opulo Instagram Opulo Youtube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're excited to have guest Brad Collette! Brad is the cofounder and CTO of Ondsel, an Open-Core company working to improve FreeCAD. Ondsel is also building features on top of FreeCAD that are aimed specifically at commercial applications. We hear how Brad has been involved with FreeCAD development for over a decade, started Ondsel, and has been balancing them both! Lots of great discussion about open software UX, and what the future holds for FreeCAD. You can find Ondsel on Twitter, and their website where you can download their release of FreeCAD with huge UX and functionality improvements. As always, let us know what you thought of the episode on Discord in the #ohm-episode-discussion thread for Episode 12! https://discordapp.com/invite/TCwy6De Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're excited to have guest Brad Collette! Brad is the cofounder and CTO of Ondsel, an Open-Core company working to improve FreeCAD. Ondsel is also building features on top of FreeCAD that are aimed specifically at commercial applications. We hear how Brad has been involved with FreeCAD development for over a decade, started Ondsel, and has been balancing them both! Lots of great discussion about open software UX, and what the future holds for FreeCAD. You can find Ondsel on Twitter, and their website where you can download their release of FreeCAD with huge UX and functionality improvements. As always, let us know what you thought of the episode on Discord in the #ohm-episode-discussion thread for Episode 12! https://discordapp.com/invite/TCwy6De Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you make sure that the things being sent out your door are to the standard of quality that you would expect? How do you try to overcome human error when considering quality control checks? What's a QC Buddy, and why is traceability important? Take a lesson from Stephen and Lucian as they dive into this beefy topic that is hard to contain in one episode. To learn more about what we do, check out http://opulo.io Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you make sure that the things being sent out your door are to the standard of quality that you would expect? How do you try to overcome human error when considering quality control checks? What's a QC Buddy, and why is traceability important? Take a lesson from Stephen and Lucian as they dive into this beefy topic that is hard to contain in one episode. To learn more about what we do, check out http://opulo.io Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Automation tools can be a robot you bought off the internet, or it can be something you make yourself. When should you automate a task? Would automation reduce mistakes, improve quality, or improve joy? Sometimes, but not always! In this episode, Stephen and Lucian hope you learn something from some of their mistakes and some of their wins with automation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to time management, everything can seem important, but what is the most important to tackle right away? Picking between these can be tricky, yet finding the balance between being efficient and not running into burnout is important to figure out. Stephen and Lucian dive into the issues they have run into and how they have found solutions that work for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryan from V1 Engineering sits down to talk to us about how the desire for a 3D printer led to the birth of V1 Engineering. From working for free to outgrowing his jobs, Ryan had no plans to start a business and even pushed back from the idea of it. With a tremendous amount of attention and desire for his CNC design on Thingiverse, he finally listened to his boss and piers by giving his business 100% of his time and energy. Over eight years later, he is still going strong with a wonderful community and great products. To find out more about Ryan and his CNC machines, check out his website: V1E.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we guide you through what is essential to prepare for when buying stock. Whether you're just starting to sell your product or managing it while your company is already in full swing, Stephen and Lucian share their personal experiences and answer some of the most challenging questions in this category. They discuss topics such as how much stock is too much or too little to buy when running a hardware company and how to talk to vendors to get the best bang for your buck. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much are you focusing on existing products vs new products for the future? Do you stick with the customer base that is reliable or do you take a risk? In this episode, Stephen and Lucian will talk about tailoring to existing customers without losing what will bring in new customers, plus learning about 'the onion of tolerance'. They will even talk about other things including why changes to a product come out slower as a company gets bigger. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Communicating effectively with your community on an open source project is vital to keeping your project alive and healthy. But how do you make the right choice with so many options out there? Tune in and find out how Stephen and Lucian have made the tough calls of where to start and what they learned along the way! To learn more about what we do, feel free to visit our website at opulo.io If you would like to join our community of passionate people who love open source, please check out our Discord: https://bit.ly/3Pob9cI There's even a dedicated section for the Podcast in there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have our first guest! Chris is the cofounder and CTO of Sienci Labs, which makes the open source LongMill CNC. We hear how Chris and his cofounder Andy started the company, launching two successful Kickstarters, and what they have planned for the future. Now that we've had Chris on the show, we'll have him back for other episodes to give the Sienci perspective on specific topics in open source hardware. Find out more about Sienci Labs: https://sienci.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When is a tool worth paying for? How do you decide when a project is good enough for your company? Finding the right tool or project for your company can be tough. Lulzbot's blog post about OHAI: https://lulzbot.com/learn/introducing-ohai-kit-your-guide-to-open-hardware-assembly Opulo's assembly docs: ohai.opulo.io If you want to learn more about what we do, check us out at Opulo.io Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.