{"id":38100,"date":"2018-05-03T13:52:09","date_gmt":"2018-05-03T17:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=38100"},"modified":"2018-05-08T17:27:12","modified_gmt":"2018-05-08T21:27:12","slug":"5-steps-turn-projects-products","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products","title":{"rendered":"5 Steps to Turn Your Projects Into Products"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shapeways makes it easy to take that 3D model you\u2019ve been tinkering with and release it into the world, but turning your side-project into something people want to buy can still feel a little overwhelming.\u00a0<\/span>It might be scary, but it\u2019s been done before and you can do it to.<\/p>\n

Here are five tips, tricks, and methods that creators have used to make the leap from project to product:<\/span><\/p>\n

Find your passion and start from there<\/b><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re searching for a side-project that can transform into a product, the best place to start is to look inward. What are you passionate about? <\/span>Stony Smith<\/span><\/a> combined his love for drawing and architecture \u2014 along with experience in data analytics \u2014 to launch a <\/span>thriving Shapeways store<\/span><\/a> for miniature trains and buildings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t quit your day job<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"\"

Gustav Rosen’s Radiator Pendant<\/p><\/div>\n

You\u2019ll need steady money to take the pressure of your side-project, of course, but your career can also be a source of inspiration. Furniture and lighting designer <\/span>Gustav Rosen<\/span><\/a> takes unused shapes and designs from his main gig and turns them into jewelry for a <\/span>Shapeways store<\/span><\/a>. Try taking a closer look at your own job and see if anything jumps out at you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make a schedule and stick with it<\/b><\/h2>\n

Your side-project can\u2019t take up your entire life, but you still need to set aside time for it on a regular basis. <\/span>Janet Kim<\/span><\/a>, a product designer at Capital One, managed to record and release her own original music by \u201c<\/span>finding a structure and routine<\/span><\/a>.\u201d So carve out some time every day (or week) to work on your Shapeways product and stick with it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Find a personal problem to solve<\/b><\/h2>\n

If a problem is bothering you in your daily life, chances are there are plenty of other people are dealing with the same thing. That\u2019s what led Martin Doring and Kenneth Kamper to develop their hobbies\u00a0and <\/span>3D print RC car parts<\/span><\/a>. Now they have a <\/span>popular Shapeways shop<\/span><\/a> of their own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get help from an expert<\/b><\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re still struggling there\u2019s no shame in asking for help. Reach out to a friend or colleague with experience launching a side-project. You could even try an incubator like <\/span>Ship Your Side Project<\/span><\/a>, which also offers a <\/span>free online tool<\/span><\/a> for evaluating your product before you start. Don\u2019t forget to <\/span>t<\/span>ake advantage of <\/span>Design with Shapeways<\/span><\/a> to receive assistance from 3D design professionals, who will help conceptualize and <\/span>bring your product idea to life.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

BUILD YOUR PROJECT<\/a><\/h4>\n

or<\/h4>\n

ALREADY HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS? GET IN TOUCH\u00a0<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shapeways makes it easy to take that 3D model you\u2019ve been tinkering with and release it into the world, but…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":38105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[489],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-products-and-design"],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/710x528_5985119_2271383_1496944922.jpg","yoast_head":"\n5 Steps to Turn Your Projects Into Products - Shapeways Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Shapeways makes it easy to take that 3D model you\u2019ve been tinkering with and release it into the world, but turning your side-project into something\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jacob Kleinman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jacob Kleinman\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prodshapeblog.wpenginepowered.com\/#\/schema\/person\/54a35bed22b45a684cc988f2b05157d5\"},\"headline\":\"5 Steps to Turn Your Projects Into Products\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-03T17:52:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-05-08T21:27:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products\"},\"wordCount\":448,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prodshapeblog.wpenginepowered.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/710x528_5985119_2271383_1496944922.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Products and Design\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/5-steps-turn-projects-products\",\"name\":\"5 Steps to Turn Your Projects Into Products - 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