Can you tell me a bit about your background and your current role?
I studied Industrial Product Design and during one of my internships I was asked to design a smart
lighting fixture that would be 3D printed, I started doing research and I was blown away by the
incredible design freedom. The speed and ease to create a final, functional product.
I literally thought”Why did I learn about mass production during my whole study? Ordering samples in china, adding draft angles, make sure the dimensions are perfect to fit 200 in a box, a product time to market of 2.5 years. Forget that, digital manufacturing is the future”
I saw the potential for this technology to transform the way we make and consume things. Right
after my graduation, I moved to Eindhoven in the Netherlands and I started working in the industry.
In the years that followed, I’ve worked in a few groundbreaking 3D printing companies and learned
everything I could about the technologies and applications.
What inspired you to start Addmio?
In my role as an Additive Manufacturing Designer, I’ve hosted workshops, gave lectures, and trained
teams on-site. I really enjoyed sharing my knowledge and experience and it kept surprising me how
much of an eye-opener this was to a lot of people. I discovered that there was a huge knowledge gap
and that there were so many more people that could and should benefit from this technology.
I decided to build a more scalable solution. A digital platform with online, on-demand courses, so I
could help and educate thousands of people instead of only a few at a time.
How to start a digital startup?
The beauty of a digital startup is that you don’t need much. A good laptop, a clear vision, and grit. I
think it is important to stay focused and efficient. It’s easy to hire a team of developers and spend
100.000 euros of funding in the first year. But can you create a product or service without upfront
investment and make 100.000 euros in the first year? That’s being an entrepreneur.
I used to build and sell websites 15 years ago so I could probably build an eLearning environment
myself if I wanted to. But that would take me years so why the hell would I do that? It is so much
better to work with existing solutions. Be efficient. Set your ego aside. Use a white-label app, use a
website builder. Your time is valuable so only do what you’re very good at and what adds value for
your customers.
Which are the critical points for a successful start–up?
Trust in yourself. Stay focused but agile. Reach out to the people you look up to and ask them for
feedback. And finally, work harder than everyone around you.
Where do you imagine this company in the next 5 years?
I was lucky enough to work in very diverse, young, international teams and I’d love to build my own
team that way. It is so enriching to be surrounded by people with different backgrounds, different
educational levels, different cultures.
5 years from now, I’d love to work with a team of superstars. Have a vibrant Addmio community. And
I want us to play our part in the growth and adoption of 3D printing.
If it wasn’t for your startup, what would you be doing now?
Good question. I think working in the 3D printing industry, probably in a different role and company.
I think that if I would have worked for a few more years in the industry I probably would have aimed
for a job at one of the really big players. To experience how it is to work in a corporate, a company
with thousands of employees.
What is that one piece of advice you would share with our readers?
Take the risk. If you dream of starting your own company, do it now. There will always be reasons not
to do it, there will always be people around you that advise against it.
Our brains are hardwired to avoid risks since the Stone Age, to stay alive. Now you have to fight that
feeling, that fear you’re feeling is unreal. Some of the most successful companies started in global
crises. See it as an advantage.
Prepared by,
Stanislava Angelova
/Editor at DiTech Media/
