Formlabs
Developing tools that empower anyone to make anything
RoleHardware Product Management COOP
TimeframeJuly 2020-May 2021
SkillsSQL/Redash
Excel
User Interviewing
Data analysis
Survey design
Figma
3D Printing (SLS/SLA)
Documentation
At Formlabs, I worked as a Hardware Product Management COOP, tackling open ended questions about business and product strategy to maximize both benefit to the user and to optimize Formlabs’ investments in its products.
During my 10 months there I got to touch nearly every aspect of Formlabs’ hardware product portfolio from technical feasibility testing for potential future products to price testing analysis for pending product releases. I answered a series of open ended product questions by collecting user data from print analytics, user interviews, and surveys, analyzing it, and coming to data-driven conclusions, deriving potential solutions, and making recommendations to key stakeholders on the engineering, product, and marketing teams.
My work made an impact in a variety of ways from solving chronic user complaints over component lifetime and durability to outlining a strategy that the company could use to reduce development costs across its materials and hardware portfolio. Beyond solving challenges with future product development I also created assets that supported the launch of the Form 3L in the form of the Form 3L Design Guide, a DIY Post Curing device, and a sales tools that communicated the capabilities of the printer
My past experience as a fairly tech-focused engineer meant that product management was a unique challenge for me. Formlabs’ fast paced environment and the independence in my role meant I was able to learn a vast amount of skills in a very short time while getting first-hand exposure to the field of product management. I taught myself a variety of skills from SQL and Python, to effective survey design and industry standard price testing techniques