The 3D printed turbine blades inspired Slacker Index. It was faster and cheaper to buy the machines and make the blades ourselves than to hire suppliers.
That was a 🤯 moment for me—and drove us to pivot industrial strategy.
@bscholl @tay_loehr @Dylan_Morri If it was bad enough to create the Slacker index, must have been a pita
Positive users praise Boom's shift to vertical integration via 3D-printed turbine blades for greater control and faster iteration, while the negative reply recalls prior supply-chain problems as a major pain.
@bscholl @tay_loehr @Dylan_Morri If it was bad enough to create the Slacker index, must have been a pita
You're correct. Actually, we started building the first turbine w/ suppliers before we decided to commit to primarily vertically integrated manufacturing. Seeing the abysmal performance of supply chain was the main thing that convinced us to make the investment in vertical integration.
Most of "Sprint Core" parts were made out-of-house; turbine blades and compressor vanes are in-house. Next unit is 80% in-house.
I don't believe I've ever claimed 100% in-house manufacturing—that's not even our strategy. If suppliers can get the job done on cost on schedule, there's no reason to re-invent the wheel. But many times they can' move as fast we need, and that's where we vertically integrate.
@bscholl Seems like a no brainer in retrospect….
@bscholl Coase in real life
@bscholl hell yeah buying the machines beats dealing with suppliers
@bscholl Owning the vertical directly, while initally painful, provides the best direct control, allows for rapid iteration, and allows you to move in directions never thought possible.
@bscholl Hows creep on those?