Think Outside the Box

By nature moldmakers are producers, problem-solvers and inventors. So maybe it’s time to actually make that unique product solution you have rolling around in your head, and Kickstarter can help. That's what Danny Mishek did. He is managing director and co-owner of VistaTek in Stillwater, Minnesota, and an MMT editorial advisory board member, who has authored and contributed to content for MMT and Additive Manufacturing.  He is definitely a guy who follows the trends, thinks outside the box and collaborates with a team to make things happen. And now he’s taken his passion and injected it into a new company, SelfEco (owned and operated by Danny and Al Mishek) and the development of the first industrial compostable pot with plant food built into the pot walls, so it provides constant nutrition for your plants. You literally plant the pot!

Danny and his team had to learn a lot about the material, as it has plant food in the plastic. They spent five months in R&D mode, learning proper gating, venting, cycle times and mold temperatures. Once the product was proved out, it was time to get funding, and Danny quickly discovered how difficult it is to bring disruptive technology to market. Enter Kickstarter, an online resource to help inventors find the resources, support, publicity and awareness necessary to make their ideas a reality.

Danny learned how to make a successful launch and get the funding. And get this, Kickstarter wants to see you succeed because they don’t make any money unless you reach your funding goal. The Kickstarter campaign for SelfEco launched yesterday.

Check it out here: http://short.moldmakingtechnology.com/selfeco. Not only to see this cool product, but to see how Kickstarter works.