The initial goal was $100,000.
Location:Seattle, WA.
Were next door to a craft distillery, a pot refinery, and a gluten-free brewery.
Its basically the most Seattle place in Seattle.
Current Gig:CEO and cofounder, Glowforge.
A few weeks ago I ran into Geoffrey Fowler from the Wall Street Journal.
He noticed my Surface and looked puzzled.
Was it a gift?
His colleague leaned over and said, Hes from Seattle.
My friends tease me about not moving to Macs but Im just too damn cheap.
Same reason I drive a 2003 minivan I bought used five years ago.
What apps, software, or tools cant you live without?
We had a few pairs already but I got tired of not having one within arms reach.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Whats your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
I keep strange hours.
I make dinner about half the time.
We put the kids to bed together, then hang out until around 9:30.
Then I work until about 3am.
Office time is for meetings, working together, paperwork.
Evenings are my secretthats when I get most of my real work done.
Whats your favorite to-do list manager?
I hate them all.
My unfinished work is my enemy, and its allies get no sympathy for me.
My email inbox is my to-do list.
Besides your phone and computer, what gadget cant you live without and why?
(…other than your Glowforge!)
With my phone and computer, Im set.
The reception to the Glowforge crowdfunding campaign was enthusiastic, to put it modestly.
Did you have any idea it would exceed your goal so substantially?
(And I kind of imagine its an intimidating prospect to get so many orders!)
We had our fingers crossed that we might beat the most-backed 3D printer, which was $3.5M.
Fortunately our plan from the outset were to use a large factory for production.
Do you still find time to tinker with projects of your own or are you too swamped?
I make things all the time!
We have an office tradition of Laser Thursday, where we all work on personal projects together.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Im not the best at anything.
Thats okay, though, because I dont have to be!
In line with that philosophy, I like to collect B+ skills.
Over my life thats included writing, public speaking, electronics, programming, woodworking, and DJing.
Put them all together, and heyGlowforge.
What do you listen to while you work?
Its like a family phone call where hes got me on mute.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished rereading Richard ShellsNegotiation Strategies for Reasonable People.
I dont like negotiating and have a big deal coming up that I need to prepare for.
How do you recharge?
Dinner with the family, four nights a week.
I have an amazing wife and awesome seven-year-old twins.
Well do art, play board games, or watch a cooking show together.
Whats your sleep routine like?
I used to suffer from insomnia and I hated it.
Its boring and a stupid waste of time.
My solution is to sleep about 6 hours a night.
Thats enough that I function well, but Im still tired so I can fall asleep quickly.
Fill in the blank: Id love to see _________ answer these same questions.
My cofounder, Tony Wright, cofounder ofRescueTimeone of the most thoughtful people about time management that I know.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
Starting a new company after having kids, I had something of a crisis.
It was ripping me apart trying to trade off my work versus my family every day.
But the solution was simple, once a friend told me.
I budgeted up to three nights a week for work-time.
The other nights were family time.
Once I made that decision, everything got easy.
Is there anything else youd like to add that might be interesting to readers and fans?
Glowforge was ultimately born of seeing so many things around me that I want to optimize.
Now, with a Glowforge, I can do it in minutes.
Its like a superpower, and I want everyone to have it.
Have someone you want to see featured, or questions you think we should ask?
