---
# System prepended metadata

title: Business Models
tags: [biz]

---

# Business Models

## Brainstorming Ideas

AI query:
> How could a open source hardware business look like that is based upon the idea of XXX? Especially outline possible business models.

### Let others do the job
- "Offer it and they will come": Offer the blueprints to the world so that others can do the commercialization, testing out their business models for us. We are sitting on the fence, observing the outcomes.
- Try to convince others: Contact German/Chinese companies and see it they are interested to pick it up.
    - e.g., meet at IFA *Global Markets* / *Reseller Park* https://www.ifa-berlin.com/show-areas/ifa-global-markets

### Offer kits
- Procurement is a major obstacle for individuals and is not fun. Assembling from a kit is fun (3D-Puzzle).
- Low-threshold entry for modding.
- 

### Produce in batches (via CrowdSupply)
- Crowd finances a production run of *x* units (batch) in advance.
- A batch can finance previous investments and/or future investments (e.g., engineering effort for improvements of next batch).
- Examples of batch production
    - [Asphalt](https://www.asphalte.com/en/h/pages/our-mission) (clothing, France)
- Examples of "Just-In-Time" (JIT) production
  - Here: Start production/assembly after order is placed
  - [Zuriga](https://zuriga.com/de/de/manufaktur) (coffee) "Darum produzieren wir nicht auf Vorrat, sondern erst, wenn du eine Maschine bei uns bestellst."

### Virtual Manufacturing
- No ownership of production machines, warehouse, etc.
- Orchestrate the supply chain with nodes for
    - parts (motor, pcb)
    - assembly of vacuum from parts
    - worldwide shipping from central warehouse

#### OEM/OED
- Make a strategic cooperation with an OEM manufacturer
- !? Example: intuity as OED and "einläut" vacuum
    - einläut openly credits intutity
- Example: E3D (hotends) and Prusa (2016)
  - > ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJ7Wq6A-Wg.png) http://eepurl.com/gxx0-T
  - > ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rJii9TRWbl.png)
https://mammouth.ai/shared/363cb5b7-9a84-4e17-8cec-0224161e0d7d

### "Manufaktur"
- Coffee https://zuriga.com/de/de/manufaktur

## Methodologies

##### REMODEL (OSS)
- https://remodel.dk

##### Lars Zimmermann (OSH)
- https://community.oscedays.org/t/solution-videos-tool-on-open-source-business-models-for-circular-economy/4625
- https://larszimmermann.de/full-business-chapter-of-the-book-building-open-source-hardware/

##### Circular Canvas
- https://circulab.academy/circular-economy-tools/circular-canvas-business-models/

##### Günter Faltin's "Komponenten-Entrepreneurship" (general)
- Was könnte "Staubsaugerkampagne" bedeuten?
- [Teekampagne]([Link](https://www.teekampagne.de/de/footer_navigation/teekampagne/warum_kampagne1/)), [Waschkampagne](https://www.waschkampagne.de/kampagne/kampagnenprinzip/), [Zahnseidenkampagne](https://www.zahnseidenkampagne.de)

> ![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rJeUuVh--g.png)
*AI Summary*

## Case Studies

##### Prusa https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-prusa3d-became-one-of-the-fastest-growing-startups-in-the-world/
- "Most of the time we’re not even remotely competent at more than one or two of those things.
So this is the time when we hit a fork in the road. Do we hire or outsource to delegate, or do we do it ourselves?"
- "Thermomix for 3D printing. And he wants the least tech-savvy person to be able to operate it."

##### SparkFun (Seidle)
- "we had the good fortune of being in the **right time and right place**. We had discovered a **niche market** where we could grow the business by being very thrifty and scrappy. DIY is of course part of our DNA and I’m happy to have limited money – I think it made for a stronger company." https://www.open-electronics.org/interview-with-nathan-seidle-founder-of-sparkfun/

## Resources

##### Pearce, Joshua M. “Emerging Business Models for Open Source Hardware.” Journal of Open Hardware, vol. 1, no. 1, Mar. 2017, p. 2. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.5334/joh.4.

##### Monaco, Francisco José, editor. Business Models and Strategies for Open Source Projects: IGI Global, 2023. Advances in Systems Analysis, Software Engineering, and High Performance Computing. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4785-7.
- Chapter 3: Building Open Source Hardware Business Models https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/326639




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# Zielgruppe

## Lifecycle
- Depending on the target user there are potentially different needs/desires for a stage.

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HyqiiP4f-g.png =x330)   
*https://mammouth.ai/shared/ff678761-aafa-4c0f-86dc-171d7430b528*


## Value Proposition (Brand)

![image](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJ7OZozrWx.png =x200)  
*Value proposition of a company in the open source software business (RedHat) [:link: 18:27](https://archive.fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event/fosdem-2025-6544-how-does-heinz-have-80-of-a-commodity-market-leveraging-trademarks-in-free-software/)*

- A trademark protects the "goodwill" (reputation, emotional consumer reaction) of a brand/company
