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E1: Jonathan Jaglom (flō Optics)

The 3D Printing Journal Podcast

The Guest:

Jonathan Jaglom - Chairman & CEO at flō Optics (since 2020)

Previously:

  • NRGene - CEO (2018-2019)

  • MakerBot - CEO (2015-2017)

  • Stratasys - GM (2013-2015)

  • Objet - various management positions (2005-2012).


The Introduction:

A long time ago, in the early days of desktop 3D printing, MakerBot Industries was to the emerging industry what Apple was to computers or Google and Facebook were to the internet. In 2013, the company was acquired by Stratasys—then one of the two largest AM companies in the world and the creator of the FDM technology that MakerBot’s 3D printers were built on.

Back then, it seemed like the 3D printing industry was on the brink of explosive growth, and anyone involved—whether as a manufacturer, reseller, service provider, or even a blogger and aspiring journalist like me—would soon be a millionaire. That’s how much potential we saw.

When MakerBot unveiled its new 5th Generation Replicator lineup at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, and rival 3D Systems showcased its Cube series, we were at the very peak of Gartner’s Hype Cycle—the Peak of Inflated Expectations.

The future was supposed to be glorious. The 3D printers were supposed to be revolutionary.

Unfortunately, they turned out to be unreliable, overpriced, and incapable of delivering even a fraction of what was promised. From 2015 onward, it was all downhill—at least for the desktop and consumer sectors.

By late 2014 and early 2015, MakerBot was in serious trouble. The company was burning through cash at an alarming rate, its charismatic founder, Bre Pettis, had moved to another division within Stratasys, and his successor, Jenny Lawton, well… wasn’t exactly fixing things.

After the massive flop of the 5th Generation MakerBot, the company was sinking like quicksand.



That’s when Jonathan Jaglom stepped in—a longtime manager at Objet and Stratasys.

In February 2015, he took over as CEO of MakerBot and steered it through its roughest times.

Along the way, he laid off hundreds of employees. Shut down unprofitable retail stores. Moved production to China. Stopped the bleeding.

And then, just like that, he left—on January 17, 2017. Not even two years later.



Since 2020, he has been involved with flō Optics, a company that uniquely combines additive manufacturing with the optics sector. He’s assembled a powerhouse team—including Stratasys' longtime CTO, Guy Menchik. And that’s not all… there are a few other surprising names in the mix.

Jonathan shared all of this with me in the very first episode of my podcast.

I’m thrilled that he was my “first.” Not only did I closely follow his career at MakerBot from 2015 to 2017, but we’ve also known each other for a while and chat from time to time.

In fact, Jonathan was the first person to push me toward starting a podcast. So when I finally decided to do it, choosing my first guest was a no-brainer.

I highly recommend watching/listening—Jonathan is a fantastic storyteller, and his insights offer a fascinating perspective on the AM market.

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