Season 2 Episode 6 – Dan Shapiro: Glowforge, Lasercutters & Why We Make
This week we speak with Dan Shapiro, the cofounder and CEO of Glowforge. You probably recall the 2015 launch of this desktop laser cutter that took the digital fabrication world by storm. What’s most unique about Glowforge, however, isn’t the sleek industrial design, but the diverse community that’s rallied behind this tool.
In this episode, Dan shares how he was initially inspired by the power of laser cutters through prototyping a board game that he launched on Kickstarter, and we all wax philosophical about the larger question of why people make in the first place.
SHOW NOTES
The Glowforge launch video
Dan’s personal blog and some of his early woodworking projects
Zach’s favorite video of an industrial galvanometer laser cutter
The Diamond Age by Neil Stephenson
ABOUT DAN SHAPIRO
Dan Shapiro is the cofounder and CEO of Glowforge, based in Seattle, Washington. He’s the creator of Robot Turtles, a board game that teaches kids the fundamentals of programming, and is the author of Hot Seat: The Startup CEO Guidebook.
