Most of our members are entrepreneurs, and being an entrepreneur is really the most vulnerable position to be in. You’re going out there without any real income potentially early on, and you’re betting on yourself; you’re betting on your talent. And as scary as that can be, the opportunity and the potential is incredibly high. But the runway is often short. For a lot of entrepreneurs, it’s a way for them to hedge their risk a little bit. They’re working on their own product, and by being in our contractor pool, they say, “Hey, I’ve got these skills, and if a project comes up where I can be of service, I’d be happy to be consulted with.” If they have the opportunity to work on a side project for a week or two, it’s a great opportunity to get a little safety net.
PS: For all of the “side hustles” that we think of, we don’t tend to think of manufacturing side hustles.
MM: Right? That’s very true, and the other side of this is you also gain some perspective from going through these projects. You get a little domain experience in whatever the industry may be, and you build some connections within the community. Historically, entrepreneurs operate in one world, in a very different environment than industry, whether it’s large corporations or small to medium manufacturers. There are strengths and weaknesses on both sides, but getting those two groups together to appreciate what each can bring to the table has been rewarding for both sides.
PS: For longtime players in industry, do you see a growing appetite for engaging talent in different ways, or even in kind of a gig environment like this?
MM: I do. Part of it is funds, I would say. If you’re a large corporate, it doesn’t take a lot of money to engage and test something out. The risk is relatively small—they’re not putting a million dollars down; often our projects start off with just $10,000 or even less. It’s just, “Let’s take a look at this and see what can be built.” You get some ideation sessions and build some real excitement of, “Hey, there’s something here.” Being able to test the water and be innovative while maintaining your core I think is interesting for both sides.
