RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
The INDX system is late - just like their Core One was.
Late as nothing to do with if something will be a success or not. First will only get you so far. XL was not first Multi-Head. But timing for Snapmaker releasing theirs seems to be doing well. The Vortec shuttle system seems like something to worry about. Too many moving parts where filament scraps could wind up causing an issue. At least from a random guess and what little I have seen of them.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
As of today, Bondtech is taking orders for the INDX "Founders Edition". Seeing all the details of the Core One integration is rather disappointing: The ugly "tank turret" hood seems to remain as the official solution. The clumsy side-mounted spool holders leave no trace of the minimalistic, integrated Core One design. And, hot off the press, we get to learn that the parked tools and the entire print will be hidden behind a fence.
As far as the Core One integration goes, the whole message I get from Prusa is "We don't care". I am much less hopeful than I was before that INDX will drive the turnaround for Prusa. I still want INDX, but why would I want it on a Core One?
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Are the layoffs mostly from Prusa Pro printers? The "industrial" machines.
Recent reports say this sector has been hit hard because consumer machines now have multi-nozzle and 300C temperatures.
I'm told printers under 2,000 euro, and above 100,000 euro, are doing great, but the stuff in the middle is not selling.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Has the person that posted the 25% figure retracted their misinformation? It's unconscionable that somebody will just throw a number out like that and not correct it as soon as possible. The only explanation I can think of is that the person posting it wanted to damage Prusa's reputation.
Prusa MK4 since Jan 2024, MK4S/MMU3 since Jan 2025, Printables: @MikeB_1505898
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Has the person that posted the 25% figure retracted their misinformation? It's unconscionable that somebody will just throw a number out like that and not correct it as soon as possible. The only explanation I can think of is that the person posting it wanted to damage Prusa's reputation.
More likely than not, the person who posted was directly affected by the layoffs and is hence disgruntled. It's bound to happen, and I would not expect a retraction.
But to my knowledge, Prusa has also decided against publishing corrected information about the layoffs in R&D. All we have is the "It's less than 25% for any team I am aware of" statement by Tommy. Which leaves the possibility on the table that the layoffs were indeed significant.
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My take on all of this is when I look at Prusa today, I don’t see the same company that used to lead the industry, I see something closer to Kodak or Intel: a former innovator that stayed comfortable too long while the market moved past them.
Prusa absolutely earned its reputation. The original i3 design and open-source ecosystem helped define consumer 3D printing, and at one point they were among the largest manufacturers in the space. But the problem is what happened next.
Take the XL for example. It was announced in 2021 and positioned as a CoreXY tool-changer and arguably ahead of its time. That should have been the platform Prusa aggressively expanded on. Instead, it took years to fully materialize, and the company continued iterating on bed-slingers like the MK's while competitors rapidly pushed CoreXY machines into the mainstream.
Fast forward to today: Prusa finally ships the Core One (2025), a fully enclosed CoreXY system but it enters a market where sub-$500 CoreXY printers already exist with competitive speeds and features. At ~$1200 assembled, the Core One is positioned more as a premium, ecosystem-driven product than a disruptive one.
Meanwhile, competitors (Bambu, Qidi, Anycubic, etc.) have spent the last few years aggressively iterating with faster release cycles, more automation, better price/performance. Whether you like their approach or not, they’ve clearly reset expectations around speed, cost, and out-of-box capability.
So... Prusa’s response feels reactive rather than leading:
- The Core One arrives late to CoreXY dominance
- he Core One L scales size, but targets a higher-end/pro segment
- INDX and other ecosystem features feel like attempts to catch up to multi-material and automation trends already established elsewhere.
- Even Prusa’s shift away from fully open-source hardware signals how much competitive pressure they’re under now.
At this point, the traditional “Prusa advantages” are less compelling than they used to be:
- Reliability is no longer unique
- Print quality is no longer clearly differentiated
- Open ecosystem is partially diminished. Everyone and their uncle has an ecosystem.
- And the price premium (“Prusa tax”) is harder to justify
For some people, “Made in Europe,” long-term support, and kit assembly still matter, I get that. But if you’re evaluating purely on performance, features, and value, it’s much harder to argue that Prusa is still leading rather than following.
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[…]
- Open ecosystem is partially diminished. Everyone and their uncle has an ecosystem.
- And the price premium (“Prusa tax”) is harder to justify
[…]
Please name one „open source“/„open ecosystem“ company which makes profit - and how - in a way that it can do R&D (by people and not AI, which btw needs people to run…) to stay/be/become leader?
The price for open source is called „price premium“ by others in case of Prusa. Why were/are clones of the i3 range cheaper than the „original“ Prusa…?
Nowadays it‘s everything else than easy to create innovations because there are too many patents in areas of technology which you maybe need/in need.
So, you are forced to „work around“ which in many times is not as polished like the original one. But sometimes results in new/real innovations…
Core One L
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
I wonder how many developers Prusa employs in total. I suspect that puts the 25% figure into perspective.
It’s obvious to everyone that Prusa is struggling right now. Its competitors just aren’t playing by the rules.
This affects all industries where China wants market dominance, or where military considerations come into play, as with printers.
Just like with drones, solar energy, or electric cars.
Bambulab apparently already had 400 engineers by the time of its Kickstarter campaign.
It wasn’t a small company that turned the 3D printing scene upside down, as was portrayed.
I hope Prusa seizes this opportunity to truly optimize its processes.
Sometimes things are announced with great fanfare but never implemented—or only years later.
One example is the announcement of the load cell. It was touted not only for bed leveling but also, for example, for monitoring the pressure in the nozzle. The competition is already doing it.
Just one example. It simply takes a very long time from the announcement until something concrete materializes.
I know Prusa has little chance against the sheer Chinese manpower.
I hope Prusa can speed up the optimization of its processes and deliver meaningful updates.
Sometimes I wonder if what they’re doing is really the best solution—for the customer, not for Prusa. Because in the end, the customer is the one footing the bill.
Sometimes, in my opinion, Prusa makes things too easy for itself.
Basically, though, I like their simple but clever solutions.
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...Basically, though, I like their simple but clever solutions.
Plastic rivets, anybody? 🙂
or co-wired Z-steppers.
Or adhesive tape on door handle and feet. So simple, really makes you wonder why others use screws.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
To repeat myself, Prusa came out with the XL 5 years ago. Yes, it initially had teething pains but still scratching my head why they didn't capitalize on this and produce a smaller and enclosed multi-tool CoreXY earlier than the Core One. Too little, too late. They could have been ahead of their competition.
Then there is the timing of announcements. Whereas most other companies will wait to announce a new product just before production, Prusa has been prematurely announcing things that are not ready until 6 months (HT hotend and dryboxes) to almost 1 year (the INDX) later. Creating an "Osbourne Effect". No longer innovators and now followers.
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Product announcement like that is an opportunity to other companies interested in to collaborate. They announce it to gather feedback from companies they work with, so that they can create a thing that many would like to use, and thus some common things need to be discussed.
The process of getting feedback and making things interoperable with other production systems takes time and iterations. I is not just a Prusa side that does it, but also there needs to be work done with others so they are ready for certain solutions. Also doing things to comply with certification also is complex and they need to readjust the design just for that.
This is especially important in big tech such as automotive/medical or military. You want to design a thing that people are really eager to buy and not ditch after 4 years.
Hobby printing is another story.
See my GitHub and printables.com for some 3d stuff that you may like.
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This was inevitable. I ordered an Oak and was still getting offers regarding available ones. If they have hardship to sell 250 pieces then something is very wrong. It was obvious that something has to happen. Bamboo and others are strong competitors with massive R&D. They has been sucking and literally stealing common, opensource knowledge. Doing everything on large corporate way of working, backed with state, cheap labor and tons of money. I personally didn't like it. That was their key to success.
If current way of working within Prusa, will sustain, I do no give them more than 1 - 3 years until they become a negligible company or disappear for good. I am very sad about it. I liked them and was purchasing their printers.
Developers are key for the success. Quick product iteration and cutting edge technology.
Unfortunately they also missed time to sell via resellers as Bamboo does. All announced things are behind. It is April and I see neither new slicer or INDX. Shame on them! Literately, they had all joker in their hands.
I am going to support them, but afraid that stubbornness and pride is going to win over rational decision. Major decision should happen on the top level. Prusa as "CEO" should be replaced with someone more agile and more capable to lead the business. Making relational decisions not emotional ones. I've seen his recent TV and media appearances in Czech language and I didn't feel a strong leader on top of the things. His speak, reasoning sounded to me little awkward and off. Time of enthusiastic approach should be replaced by business views. Meanwhile him should be the main "mascot", leader of opensource and guaratie of continuity.
Fingers cross Prusa, I still with you! This year is key for you future.
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Please name one „open source“/„open ecosystem“ company which makes profit - and how - in a way that it can do R&D (by people and not AI, which btw needs people to run…) to stay/be/become leader?
Arduino
There are lot of others, if you look hard enough, but you only asked for one.
edit You did also ask, but I also feel like on this forum I don't need to say who that one is or what they do. But they make those little microcontrollers that are popular with makers.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Please name one „open source“/„open ecosystem“ company which makes profit - and how - in a way that it can do R&D (by people and not AI, which btw needs people to run…) to stay/be/become leader?
Arduino
There are lot of others, if you look hard enough, but you only asked for one.
edit You did also ask, but I also feel like on this forum I don't need to say who that one is or what they do. But they make those little microcontrollers that are popular with makers.
Thx for bringing this up!
Arduino is - from my POV - simple the same like Prusa, but not in everything...there is a big difference - why later.
Maybe you can answer following questions:
- Why are the products which Arduino develops more expensive in their shop as the far east clones? (Arduino Price Tag?)
- Do you think that the sales in their own shop are sufficient for R&D?
Now - from my POV - the big/main difference to Prusa:
"Tech Collaborations
We work closely with technology leaders around the world to enable us to create products that are always cutting edge, aligned with the latest trends, and grounded in the real world. [...]"
You can find this topic on the website of Arduino followed by a list of "Who is Who" of the industry - https://www.arduino.cc/en/about/#tech-collaborations .
I can't find anything comparable on Prusa's website - do you?
I could continue asking who a big participant of a well known Chinese printer manufacturer is, but I will not. You will find the answer in Josef Prusa's interview for Czech Forbes magazine. As somebody who lived and worked some years in CN, I am able to confirm what he mentioned about CN government strategies.
The tragic thing about the whole situation is - not only related to Prusa, that we are part of this. We want cheap products, shareholders want profits => Let's go east!
"Last man standing."
Core One L
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Too much doom and gloom here. The fact is that running a successful business is hard no matter where you are, though I can't speak for China. Prusa doesn't have crazy high prices; in fact, I think you get a lot for your money and a family-like ecosystem to boot. Sure, new developments aren't on schedule. I've never worked for a place where they are. In fact, it's almost SOP for ads and publicity to go out well ahead of time and for sales to begin before the product is ready for prime time. Time is money and those initial sales matter. For one thing, they confirm demand really exists. Is it all intentional? Maybe not consciously on the part of management, but the realities of the world tend to dictate how developments go. Sure, there are some things I'd like to see done better, and I'm sure Prusa wishes the world economy were more predictable, but the future can still be bright and exciting. So, be a cheerleader if you want things to go well. Dwelling on problems just increases friction and drag.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Arduino also differs from Prusa in that the whole show was just bought by Qualcomm half a year ago. Not sure that's something to aspire to...
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Arduino is - from my POV - simple the same like Prusa, but not in everything...there is a big difference - why later.
Maybe you can answer following questions:
- Why are the products which Arduino develops more expensive in their shop as the far east clones? (Arduino Price Tag?)
- Do you think that the sales in their own shop are sufficient for R&D?Now - from my POV - the big/main difference to Prusa:
"Tech Collaborations
By the way I think Arduino's revenue is much smaller than Prusa's.
I do agree that Prusa needs to do some R&D pretty quickly, and I don't understand why they print printer parts instead of using a factory.
One thing many people, typically US and EU, seem to ignore or not realize, is that the PRC has some very advanced manufacturing technology. The interview in Forbes you mention is a case in point where Mr Prusa talks about the unfairness of government money and cheap labour, but doesn't mention how fast the average Chinese factory can re-tool, or any of the other institutional knowledge they possess. Many US or EU companies also receive significant amounts of government funding. Ford and GM have massive subsidies from the US government, and their EV are still lower quality. This is a technology problem as much as it is a government problem. (Each nation is more or less advanced in certain areas; there is not a single number rating that encompasses everything).
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Ford and GM have massive subsidies from the US government, and their EV are still lower quality. This is a technology problem as much as it is a government problem. (Each nation is more or less advanced in certain areas; there is not a single number rating that encompasses everything).
Why invest money into EV's when your customers are still buying gas-guzzling F150's? /s
Always reminds me of Kodak, they invent the digital camera but were too afraid of cutting into their film business so they sat on their butts failing to innovate and invest in it. Classic case of strategic myopia.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Yes, I live close to Rochester, NY and anybody on the outside of Kodak and probably most within, could see the writing on the wall. It's almost like they purposely managed it into the ground. Most of the tools in my shop and test equipment in my lab came from Kodak downsizing at pennies on the dollar.
Last time I looked, injection molding tooling was incredibly expensive. It's way cheaper if you get it from China, but it still adds up quickly. Once you go that route it becomes impossible to quickly update parts and products. You start looking too closely at ROI- If I invest $10k to fix this mold, will I make $10k more than if I don't? I've seen that thinking shorten product life by a huge amount because the customers got wise and stopped buying it. If you make printers, it only makes sense to use them anyplace you can. In a perfect world the act of using them would ensure that problems are seen and quickly corrected, both for the company and for customers.
RE: Prusa 3D lays off nearly twenty five percent of developers due to financial issues
Or they can do something in-between and SLS print the parts in nylon. It has to be cheaper than running a 24/7 print farm with MK4's