I’m Max Lobovsky, CEO of Formlabs, and This Is How I Work
As 3D printing evolves and becomes an increasingly ubiquitous tool, new companies are emerging to improve the process and reinvent the way designers, engineers, and hobbyists work. Formlabs sprang from a huge Kickstarter success to create an innovative high resolution printer with a focus on quality and consistency.
Maxim Lobovsky, drawing on his experience at the MIT Media Lab with his co-founders David Cranor and Nathan Linder, launched the Form 1 project , which quickly became one of the most funded Kickstarter projects of its time. The Form 1 and its successors don’t use the typical plastic extrusion method you might associate with 3D printers; rather, it uses a process called stereolithography, in which a liquid resin is cured with a laser.
The recently released Form 2 makes this process even easier. In all fairness, turning a high-tech manufacturing process into a desktop product has its pros and cons – liquid resin can be difficult to work with and is more expensive than the ABS and PLA plastics used in extrusion printers – but it is an effective method to consistently translate 3D models into real world in high resolution.
As Max and his team continue to improve the printer and put stereolithography in the hands of people who can use this technology, we decided to learn a little about how it works – and what it prints.
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts (Formlabs office is directly across the border in Somerville, Massachusetts). Current place of work: Co-founder and CEO of Formlabs. One word that best describes how you work: Intense. I only work on what I am passionate about, so if I work on it, I will take great care of it. Current mobile device: Moto X (2013). It’s time to get a new one, but it looks like no one can make a decent Android phone with a screen of ≤ 5 inches. Current computer: Macbook Pro Retina 13 ”. Launch Windows 10. Makes it easier to launch CAD programs, etc. And I like to contradict it a little 🙂 The new Surface Book looks pretty nice. Despite what Apple thinks, a touchscreen is useful on a laptop, even if you don’t use it all the time.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without?
We use Google Docs quite extensively. Collaborating on a model or analyzing something in Google Sheets is great.
How is your workplace arranged? I would suggest that you probably have some kind of 3D printed knick-knacks on your desk – what are they?
My desk is in a row of tables (we have open-plan chairs) and a lot of hardware engineers are working on our 3D printers. I don’t spend much time there and often end up sitting at an open table somewhere in the office between meetings or conversations.
It was my birthday, so I have a few 3D printed gifts from people in the office, most of which involve 3D scans of me overlaid on other … interesting things. I have some 3D printed parts from some of the small side projects I’m working on, such as repairing a microscope and a small three-jaw lathe chuck.
What’s your best time-saver or life hack?
I’m a pretty terrible writer. This is why my wife is my CEO (e-mail director) and helps edit anything important I need to send. As we speak, she is reviewing this post (and, no, she did not offer this answer). This isn’t really a trick that most people can implement, but I’m lucky it will contribute.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
My inbox becomes my main to-do list. This probably leads me to a more reactive workstyle since I don’t send myself emails to create tasks.
Besides a phone and a computer (… and besides a 3D printer), what device can you not live without and why?
I interact with my phone, computer, or 3D printer for about 80% of my waking time, so there isn’t much room for another gadget. Probably my Xbox One, but it’s probably better if I lived without it …
Are you always working on something? Or when you finish a project, do you take the time to let your mind wander without worrying about what comes next?
My thoughts are definitely wandering between projects. In the past, I’ve been to blame for this, but I’ve learned to accept it. This is usually a good time to get up from your desk and talk to the engineer about what he is working on. In addition, I think that my mind’s tendency to wander is the source of my ability to quickly switch contexts and uncover any actual problem.
Have you ever fumbled with print projects or 3D modeling when you’re not running a business or creating a product?
Absolutely. I have printed my wife’s engagement ring from our new cast resin. I also occasionally print parts for my father’s engineering consulting company or other interesting projects.
What are some of the things you do best in everyday life?
Google If there is a way to compete in searching for something on Google, I would like to give it a try 🙂 My secret is that I am very curious and always want to know the answer. This means I had a lot of practice …
What do you listen to while you work? Have a favorite playlist? Maybe we can talk on the radio? Or do you prefer silence?
I used to listen to music more at work (I try to listen mostly to lyrical free electronic or classical music). But my day is about running around the office or interrupting too often to put on my headphones.
What are you reading now?
Most of the non-working reading I do goes into deep holes in Wikipedia / Google. I end up doing a breadth-first search until I have too many tabs open to keep track of. Reading about technology, history, food, people, etc.
I also read Infinite Joke by David Foster Wallace. His essays are amazing, and it’s very interesting to watch him apply the same incoherent stream of consciousness style to fiction and nonfiction.
If so, I should complete this post with footnotes ( 1 ). How do you replenish?
Video games, hiking, beaches, baths (my parents are from Ukraine, so this is a kind of national entertainment). Mostly just hanging out with friends (who tend to be my colleagues as well) for dinner, drinks, etc.
What is your sleep pattern? Are you a night owl or get up early?
I am an owl. I like to keep my alarm clock (phone) out of bed so that I have to get up and walk up to it to make sure I don’t go back to bed.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
He is no longer alive, this isEdwin Land . He was the inventor of the instant camera (and founder of Polaroid). He was one of the most resourceful people who ever lived and a very successful businessman.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Doesn’t have to be job-related or performance-related.
My dad likes to say, “Would you rather be behind a fast train or in front of a slow train?” It’s easy to be complacent, but if everyone around you is good and pushing you further, you will always be better. I think this is really important advice for people like me, who are not necessarily Type A, to get the most out of them.