[quote style=”boxed”]Have a daily planner. Right down your daily tasks the night before your following day. Focus on 2 very important tasks and get them done before you move onto others. [/quote]
Braydon Moreno, CEO – Braydon has a BS in Management specializing in Entrepreneurship, so he was a natural choice to take the helm at Robo 3D. Braydon has extensive experience working in internet marketing, with specialties including SEO, social media marketing, and advertising campaigns. He is extremely detail-oriented and design savvy, as well as a bona fide technology visionary. He has also worked for several startups in mass manufacturing products overseas as well, giving him an ideal foundation to drive Robo 3D into unparalleled heights.
Where did the idea for Robo 3D Printer come from?
The whole idea spawned from a need for this kind of technology for product development. Back in 2011, we looked around and instead of forking up $2000 for a personal 3d printing machine, we decided to build one ourselves. After reading and researching and discussing with people on 3D printing forums, we gained knowledge about what people wanted and what people were yearning for in personal 3D printing. So we built this product for us and for people like us, which led us to want to share this technology and bring it to the world so we can see how our tool spawned imagination in people.
What does your typical day look like?
It’s a long day, but our startup is exciting. We work around the clock, we build cool things, we collaborate, and we brainstorm ideas. All our minds together have been able to do the things we have set out to do. There is so much more to accomplish. So many ideas to fabricate, so we take it day by day, but have a plan for the future in this space.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Well we thrive on enthusiasm and a persistence to make things happen. If we have an idea, we get together and really hash it out from all angles. We ask tough questions to each other, we want it to make sense at the end of the day. And if it does, then we will figure out a way to make it happen. It’s that simple. Never let a seemingly impossible task be impossible.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
3D printed electronics is something that we are all really excited about. Being able to customize circuitry based on exact needs and inexpensively is the future. We hope to incorporate 3D printed electronics into all our machines in the future.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I can-not stop. I have that itch inside me that wants to always push things to the next level. I always think of crazy ideas and say to myself, “is this possible?” And if it is, then what steps can I take to make it possible. Who can I talk to? How long will it take? How much will it cost? I am really good at putting people together, and making connections that will help us grow. At the end of the day, who you know and how you utilize your contacts always helps you grow in business.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
The worst job I ever had was doing ad sales for a real estate company. Cold calling all day. What I learned is that if you do not provide real value to people, then it is hard to convince them otherwise. Naturally, business is busy so in order to catch attention, it is about crafting a concept that someone truly needs. Sometimes it is about catching people at the right time when they are in need of what you have to offer, but other times it is really just simply showing someone you provide simple value. Having your ear talked off by a sales guy is a nightmare. I think it is about providing straight to the point value that is clearly understood.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
If I were to start this 3D printer business again, I would have prepared us from a manufacturing perspective much more. However, with that being said, the timing might not have been that great if we waited. On one hand, you want to be prepared, on the other, you need to just take advantage of opportunities and then craft a way to make it happen around that opportunity. No matter what happens, life is about learning so I do not think doing things differently is really necessary because the mistakes I make now I will not repeat later. I think it is more important to surround yourself with people who have made mistakes that you could easily make and really soaking up that knowledge to prevent yourself from going down that path.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Have a daily planner. Right down your daily tasks the night before your following day. Focus on 2 very important tasks and get them done before you move onto others. People tend to get offtrack because “things come up.” Try to stick to your tasks so you can move forward efficiently. I think this is extremely important as has helped us all accomplish a lot here at RoBo 3D.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
I am not an expert at many things. I like to think I am smart about utilization of people. Finding people to tackle things they are experts at not only saves you time, but also makes you more efficient to do the more important tasks you need to do. When I started this business, I tried to do everything and it’s not productive. Let go of tasks that someone who is an expert in that field can take care of- If it is social media, hire a freelancer and tell them your vision and just keep a close eye, but let them do the work they are good at based on your vision. Freelancers are waiting to work on different projects, so utilize them in tasks that would otherwise be extremely time-consuming for you so you can focus on growing the business. Also, find mentors to talk to that are knowledgeable about your current situation. If you are looking to craft a distribution strategy, talk to a business development executive in a related business. Keep these people close and go to them with questions about strategy.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I have had many failures. I have started a few other projects that never went anywhere because I crafted the wrong team and we did not fully think through the idea from start to finish. You need to set goals and figure out how to achieve those goals. Do not just jump into something cause you have an idea. Just take a quick look at your idea and see if there is any other people out there doing it. Can you patent it? Can you do it better than the competition? Can you craft a brand around it? Does it bring value to people? Really play devils advocate against yourself and your idea and if it checks out, make it happen.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I have a whole book of them haha. About 10 years ago, I had an idea which sort of led me to the concept of wanting to start my own business was to develop a software that allows you to virtually try on sunglasses you would find in online stores to make sure they fit your facial structure and looked good on you. I saw people using webcams so often and I had the idea to incorporate this into your current webcams. I actually should have pursued that because I know they have software like this now and it is cool to see e-commerce evolving this way. The way I look at the world is not what is wrong with it, but what could be improved. I feel like I come up with new ideas quite frequently because I see opportunities in areas where most people don’t.
Tell us something about you that very few people know?
I have an extremely obsessive way towards accomplishing something. For example, when I was younger I did a ton of different action sports. I remember getting into skateboarding and I wanted to learn a trick called the kickflip. I would literally skate outside my house trying this trick for hours and hours until my legs were shaking and I had to lay down. This happened in many other sports as well. I have this weird obsession where if I get something I want to do in my head, I will nonstop do it until I accomplish it.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
I use a number of different web services but I think the single most important is elance and odesk. These two have helped me to hire so many experienced and professional freelancers to do tasks that I was completely out of my element with. You have the opportunity to see people’s portfolios and reviews based on your needs and see if they fit with what you are looking for in a specific job task. If you do not use it, then you should.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The 4 hour work week. I do not follow it exactly as I work a lot, but this book teaches you to work smarter, not tirelessly. It also provides numerous resources to make you more efficient so you can free up your life to do other things. A lot of people work 9-5 because that is what is required, but really 9-5 is a preconceived idea by the business world that is in place to create structure around the workplace. Many people don’t even have a 9-5 workload to keep them busy so they are forced into doing mindless activities. I look at an intelligent person that is at the peak of efficiency because they utilize resources so expertly that they are not only more productive, but create more free time for themselves.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
I think I look up to Steve Jobs the most in the way he looked at the world and the products he delivered to it. He wanted to make sure products were perfect and he had a way of crafting even the smallest idea to be revolutionary. He was the epitome of “be the change you want to see in the world.” I am also influenced by many people close to me. I like the stories behind how people started on a dining room table and grew a business to 300 employees and 100 million in revenue. It is inspiring to know that something that was literally an idea on a napkin turned into a thriving successful business that provided hundreds of people jobs and opportunities.
Connect:
www.linkedin.com/in/braydonmoreno
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.