There are a handful of significant obstacles every physical products startup faces - financing, the learning curve (you don’t know what you don’t know), lack of proper facilities to test and tweak your product, and the need for collaboration in a competitive space. mHUB, an incredible collaborative manufacturing space in Chicago is making it possible for makers to overcome every single one of those hurdles for minimal monthly members. On this episode of The Critical Shift, you’re going to hear how Bill Fienup made the journey from challenged elementary school student to founder of one of the most innovative maker spaces in the country, and how his journey was instrumental in the development of the vision behind mHUB. This is a very cool project you’ll want to know about.
A hub for creativity, manufacturing, funding, and more - in a facility twice the size of a football field.
Bill Fienup’s career journey is one many would envy. He attended MIT, worked for HASBRO designing NERF guns, and spent years working for the top product development firms in the world. When he stepped out to create his own company he experienced firsthand how difficult it is to establish a quality product and sustainable company without adequate facilities and resources. He also missed the collaboration he had at MIT and in his previous positions - and all those difficulties got him thinking that there had to be a better way. Bill’s personal story is very much the story of how mHUB came to be. It’s a hub for creativity, manufacturing, funding, and more in Chicago. Find out more on this episode.
How a personal challenge from an elementary school teacher sparked a career of innovation and creativity.
When Bill Fienup was in elementary school he struggled with school in general for a number of reasons. He was a smart kid - he and his dad used to sketch out ideas for perpetual motion machines - but he wasn’t engaged in the process of his own education. When a teacher took the initiative to take Bill out for ice cream and challenge him to give it his all for the next 5 weeks, something in Bill woke up - and it hasn’t slept since. You’ll be inspired by the impact that anonymous educator had in Bill’s life and how Bill has made good on his promise to do his best, on this episode of The Critical Shift.
How mHUB could provide the resources you need to get your startup rolling.
mHUB is a membership based facility much like a coworking space, but it’s so much more than that. Membership packages include access to all of the state of the art prototyping labs and other resources like classrooms and conference rooms. As a member of mHUB you’ll also be connected with industry mentors and investors who can help you refine your ideas and get funding in place. But perhaps more importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to be part of a supportive community of like-minded makers who are a wealth of innovative ideas and approaches in their own rite. Find out how mHUB could be the launchpad for your startup, on this episode of The Critical Shift.
What does it mean to do hard work as an entrepreneur?
Bill Fienup says that the entrepreneurial path is a difficult one because of the fact that it’s entirely self-directed. There’s no authority in place who tells you what time to show up for work, what work to do, or even why you're doing it. All of that is up to you, the entrepreneur. In this conversation, Tom asks Bill what it means to work hard as an entrepreneur and how an individual can motivate themselves to do the work even when they’d rather be out doing something else. What is it that drives the founder entrepreneur? Bill has sage advice to share on this episode.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:22] What’s the purpose of The Critical Shift podcast?
- [1:28] What is Mhub and how did it come about?
- [6:37] A turning point for Bill in 3rd and 4th grade sparked by an intentional teacher.
- [10:20] Bill’s desire to go to MIT when he was a teen.
- [21:00] Learning the value of collaboration and availability of resources.
- [27:10] Lowering the barriers to entry for startups with Catalyze Chicago.
- [31:20] The challenges of raising funds only from private corporations.
- [36:15] What does it mean to do hard work? How do you do it?
Resources & People Mentioned
- mHUB - Bill’s organization
- MIT
- Hasbro
- Ideo product development
- Insight Product Development
- Maker Base
- World Business Chicago
Connect With Tom and Launchpad Lab
- https://launchpadlab.com/
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- On Twitter
- On Facebook
- On LinkedIn
