Last week, we were able to meet up with Bre Pettis, founder of MakerBot and NYCResistor, for a talk about art, open-source, and business. We found the MakerBot headquarters buzzing with activity (despite the stifling heat) as the growing company worked hard to keep up with demand. Over lunch, we got to talking about how Bre had gone from schoolteacher to hardware hacker to CEO, and the lessons we could apply to our own paths.

Obvious as it might seem on the surface, it all starts with making things. Ideas are great, but execution, in some form, is essential. Bre encouraged us not to get caught up in the little details too early in the process. Over time, he’s learned to “Under-engineer it and get it working, test it, and if it works – ship it.” This philosophy allowed MakerBot to get into the market significantly early using off the shelf parts and tools at hand like the NYCResistor laser cutter.

Bre also encouraged us not to keep our projects too close to the chest. So much of success or failure, in any pursuit, is about getting the word out. Once we make something, we need to make sure to share it with the wider world. Specifically, he suggests picking a unique name for a project, create a post about it and let the world know.

Thanks, Bre, for sharing, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you and MakerBot are up to next.