While it's the American Dream to work for ones self, it's not a very easy road all the time. It takes a different kind of person to take on such a task, and then be successful at it. I'm not here to announce my move, in fact, I am very happy working where I work now. I have a great group of guys that work along side me, and I honestly love going to work everyday.
I recently contacted a few of the more well know independant people that have successfull CAD based business, and asked them a few questions. Here is the first installment.
Matt Lombard is surely a well known name in the Solidworks and CAD industry. Some of my earliest online Solidworks ventures were on Matt's original Verizon Based Site. Certainly one of the most entertaining and thought provoking blogs in the Solidworks arena, Matt Speaks is where Matt shares his musings with the world. Let's also not forget the well pened Solidworks 2007 Bible, and the next installment now available for pre order, Solidworks Complex Shapes & Surfaces Bible.
Matt's company, Dezignstuff, is where Matt makes his real dough. Dezignstuff does complex modeling and plastic part engineering work. He also does consulting to companies to help with Solidworks implementation, and process development for firms looking to improve their skills.
Here is the transcript of the interview:
1. What was the biggest determining factor that drove you to finally venture out on your own, and start a company?
I was working for a reseller, and was going nowhere fast with them. They refused to make use of my eagerness to do things, and it was obvious they didn’t really want me there.
2. Did you always want to have your own CAD business?
I don’t want to think of what I have as a CAD business. I’m an engineer, and do a lot of product development type work, in addition to writing books.
3. What was the most difficult part of getting your business going?
Getting my previous employer to fire me so that I had the motivation to just do it. In the end instead of getting fired, I just quit and they gave me a months worth of work, which was enough to give me all the headstart I needed.
4. If you could give one piece of advice to someone contemplating making the same move you did, what would that be?
Make sure you’ve got a lot of sources for work, and a lot of general contacts before you make the jump. Make the most of your talents by working in a specialty niche. Generalists are too easy to find, but specialists are worth their weight in gold. Do things the right way (legal software), and get a good accountant for tax advice. Treat people with respect.
5. Did your involvement in the Solidworks Community help lead you to decide to start your own company?
Probably. That’s where so many of my contacts came from. I have work that just falls out of the sky on me, far more than I can handle. I have to turn away a lot of work, or pass it on to some of my other independent buddies.
6. Has knowing Solidworks as opposed to other CAD packages helped with generating new business, and keeping others?
SolidWorks is good software to know for sure, just for the contacts, but sometimes you need other software to do the job, or to do it correctly. I have needed Rhino and Pro/Engineer to do my work.
7. Does the Solidworks software package make it easier or more difficult to be successful?
In my field, complex shapes, SolidWorks makes it difficult. Complex shapes in SolidWorks are cantankerous beasts, so other people aren’t willing to take them on. The shapes would be easier to create in some other package like Rhino, VX, Alias, Pro/E, but enough people want their data in SolidWorks that there is a demand for this kind of work, regardless of which tool is actually the best.
8. Finally, knowing what you know now, would you still undertake going out on your own?
Definitely. I would have done it much earlier. I would make sure that I had connections in the mafia, though, to encourage people who want me to do work for free. That is the biggest negative of working for yourself – you gotta be the strong arm sometimes.
You can find Matt at the links above. To get an even more in depth look at Matt's evolution into business, check out his post on the subject from last year. Also, if you see him at a Solidworks event, be sure to say hi, he loves to talk shop.
Stay tuned for part two of the series where we hear from another small business owner who deals with a different portion of the Solidworks software.
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