Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Josef Průša is a bad businessman who pisses money away. Here is proof.
Here is an obvious bad decision. Free Harribo gummy bears for 400,000 printers actually cost $2.3 million US Dollars. These are really numbers. Why does Průša burn this money from his own pocket?
Clearly it would cost way, way less to pay the Chinese for cheap injection parts. Why does he pay higher fair wages in Europe instead of slave labor in China? Průša doesn't file patents or charge for rights. He keeps everything open-source, so anyone can profit off his hard work for free. Průša gives away the physical and electronic designs. Průša's competitors on Temu, Ali Express, and elsewhere steal his valuable ideas to make competing products, which makes no money for Průša himself. Long before the public knew about 3D printing, Průša foolishly invested tons of his personal time for free, designing open-source parts and building 3D printers in his basement. So silly.
Průša wastes money designing upgrades when he could sell you a whole new machine. He pays writers and illustrators to create detailed instructions so you can build his products for less money. What sense does that make? Průša will send free replacement parts even when clueless builders goof his detailed instructions. Silly. He pays to run worldwide tech support, in seven languages, even if you buy an older machine off craigslist. Why do this?
Every one of these decisions take money out of foolish Josef Průša's pocket. He could be sipping umbrella drinks on a Tahiti beach by selling the brand and facilities to a big corporation. All the giveaways above will stop. The new corporation will wisely stop paying fair European wages. No more discounted self-build kits. It is more profitable to sell you a whole new machine instead of selling you an upgrade. Best of all, the new corporation will obviously stop wasting $2.3 million on free gummy bears.
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Or...what if Prusa Research is actually a decade plus long self-funding Haribo marketing program, seeding their delicious sugary treats to every corner of the globe?
I first heard of the brand from Josef. I never ate one before assembling a Prusa kit. And now Aldi has opened up in the nearby and those little bears are now routinely in our shopping trolley.
It adds up: Prusa is a front for BIG GUMMY
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
I've recently read some mad vegan's hilarious complaint on reddit that the Haribos are unsolicited death. Not only he is a bad businessman, but also a killer !
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Let's respect persons. Even a CEO doesn't have magical powers to turn all his wishes into actions. Maybe more loyal to his people than he should be? (Don't know, could be wrong).
That said: the more I learn about Prusa, the more it has me scratching my head.
- Haribo: People in the Haribo department need to be replaced with grown-ups. Find someone who is familiar with writing technical manuals. This point may be moot if kits are a thing of the past (which hasn't been officially confirmed but the writing appears to be on the wall).
- 3d-printed trivial parts: By the number of sold printers they quote, an absolute head-scratcher. BTW, low-wage country is not the same as "slave labor". Are we maybe insulting everybody with a mobile phone in the pocket?
- electronics: there is an option to lower refresh rate on the 1990-size display if the CPU is overburdened. Competitors are riding Moore's law. Need say no more.
- Engineering maturity: Prusa isn't there yet and doesn't seem to care. Door handle and feet falling off is an annoyance. A printer that fails to boot reliably sends the wrong message. Resets from ESD discharge raise serious questions.
- Solid oak: Nope, wrong turn. That's not the road to engineering maturity.
This is harsh but I'm actually positive about the company - give me a reason and I'll happily buy a next product here, e.g. INDX. But the reasons need to be substantial - 3D printing is turning into a commodity, the value proposition of years gone by e.g. open source, print your own spare parts, is losing traction with the changing market (IMHO).
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
It's ironic that the ESP board that handles Wi-Fi has way more computational power than the main board. That aside, I'm OK with the printer. I may be more OK once the INDX is available (and working). It still doesn't help me with engineering plastics though. I may have to get an H2D or a QIDI for that.
Prusa in some ways reminds me of Telsa (the companies, not the CEO's...) where a former innovator is now being passed by its competitors.
RE:
It's ironic that the ESP board that handles Wi-Fi has way more computational power than the main board.
But let me put my own joke straight here, each processor is in the right spot. And it works quite solidly. Once it's convinced to get out of bed and complete the boot process...
Technology alone doesn't matter - who cares whether there's a GHz processors behind the print or not - but this is about the company, business and extrapolating the trajectory. In all fairness, a GHz processor in a competitor's product with the promise of awesomeness that is then sold only as a next product generation isn't worth much either.
Long term component availability - if we can still convince people to buy our products - is another question. In that sense, the abovementioned "1990"-style display etcetera is not wrong (and I actually like their UI, exactly for being old-school. Changing nozzle size through three menu layers, one at the bottom of a long list is braindead but frequent users learn the quirks once then stop caring)
RE:
It does matter. It constrains the firmware from ever being full featured like Klipper. Doing something like displaying a bed level mesh or skew compensation has to be done in OctoPrint or in g-code post-processing. Or to support features in newer printers such as auto-calibration of extrusion etc. Or the fact that the board doesn't have an eMMU and has to rely on external USB storage.
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
You must look at economies of scale at some point. How many of the things that die hard printers claim Prusa should have or include are needed by more than 1% of the buyers.
I hoped the original post was tongue in cheek, but now I think he is sincere! You may hate him for his business model, but how much advancement in the industry is from it? AND, I like gummy bears!
Extra HAM Radio - N4MCC
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Well, certainly a bad influence. My wife is now buying Haribos by the case at the club store.
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Josef Průša is a bad businessman who pisses money away. Here is proof.
...
Clearly it would cost way, way less to pay the Chinese for cheap injection parts. Why does he pay higher fair wages in Europe instead of slave labor in China? Průša doesn't file patents or charge for rights. He keeps everything open-source, so anyone can profit off his hard work for free. Průša gives away the physical and electronic designs. Průša's competitors on Temu, Ali Express, and elsewhere steal his valuable ideas to make competing products, which makes no money for Průša himself. Long before the public knew about 3D printing, Průša foolishly invested tons of his personal time for free, designing open-source parts and building 3D printers in his basement. So silly
...
I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate this statement. Why does every goddamn thing need to be made in China? Have you stopped to consider that's a BAD thing? You even say, in the same paragraph, why we shouldn't be doing business with China in general.
Let's take your statement at base value of just "it's cheaper". There are 180+ other countries on this dirt ball. Can you not do business with any of them?
I bought this printer specifically because it WASN'T made in China. So, clearly, he has a market.
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Before this blows up... I'm pretty sure... (Ok, I really hope)... that there is a lot of sarcasm and jest in the OP's post and is just being a bit snarky pointing out some key positive ways in a slightly troll-ish way.
Shane (AKA FromPrusa)
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
Yep... @shrap-2, please double-check the calibration of your irony detector. 😉
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
To be fair, I first saw the topic and was like "oh no", then I had to re-read the post a few times till I picked up (still hoping I am right) on the sarcasm.
With the regards as far as Sharp, they are not wrong as well as I heard a lot of comments and complaints on our manufacturing processes and how we should find cheaper alternatives in Asia when I worked in support. I can understand his frustrations as well.
Shane (AKA FromPrusa)
RE: Proof that Josef Průša is a bad businessman
If Ol' Joe Prusa is a bad businessman, I don't want to be a good one.
He defined a market, supports a community, drives innovation, and keeps his company thriving in the face of well-funded, underhanded competition.
He has my unreserved respect.
Cheers!
Prusa Core One, MK4S w/ MMU3 (formerly MK4 / MMU3, MK3S+/MMU2), 2 Prusa MINI+, Octoprint. ASA, PETG, PVB, (some) PLA.