Ping Fu, author of Bend, Not Break, founder and CEO of Geomagic, and incoming chief strategy officer at 3D Systems (DDD 1.82%), tells of her journey from being a penniless newcomer to the United States, to an incredibly successful CEO.
- Bend, Not Break website: www.bendnotbreak.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/pfugeomagic
- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bend-Not-Break-Life-Worlds/dp/1591845521
The following transcript is lightly edited.
Brendan: What do you think about the consumer and the retail market for 3-D printing? Do you think that's here yet, or do you think that still has a little way to go?
Ping: I think a Kinko's-like business is already here. There is Shapeways here in the United States, and there are Kinko's-like businesses everywhere, happening everywhere around the world. There are so many of them.
So if in the future the product is software code, then you can ship product across the sea without any carbon footprint. Yet you can locally fabricate them. It doesn't mean you have to make them at home, but you could also make them in your neighborhood, which is totally exciting with a consumer product.
The other one that I think will be really interesting is that this year and next year, you will see chocolate and cookie printers.
Brendan: Really? Are we going to have a 3-D printer in each of our houses in the future? Is that where this is going? Is it going to become that widespread?
Ping: I absolutely think so. I want a chocolate printer in my home so badly.
Brendan: I can't blame you on that one. I'd like one, too.
Ping: And because it is an additive you can also put different fillings in there, and it can be any shape. It's coming.
Brendan: I'm going to hold you to that, because I want one, too.
