Josef Průša’s tough call
How to reinvent yourself in a market that no longer thinks you’re the coolest of all?
I bet it’s a pretty awful feeling.
When you’ve grown accustomed to everyone admiring you and seeing you as the coolest kid in the class, and then suddenly, he shows up — the even cooler version of you.
And — just like that — you’re sidelined…
Okay, maybe not entirely. You’re still visible, people still listen to you, but it’s not the same.
You’re not alone anymore. Now, there’s him too. And he looks better.
From the very beginning, Josef Průša was the coolest guy on the entire RepRap scene. Sure, he had a gigantic competitor in Bre Pettis, but Pettis quickly revealed himself to be a 3DP industry plant, and disappeared from the scene.
While Pettis shot for the stars and came crashing down in flames, Průša just kept doing his thing. And people began to appreciate that.
A pivotal moment in his story — though one fraught with stress — was the end of 2016 and the infamous PayPal story.
Six months earlier, Průša had unveiled the i3 MK2, which won the hearts of amateur 3D printer users worldwide with its excellent and unrivaled combination of high quality, a multitude of useful features, and very low price.
At the end of 2016, sales skyrocketed as a lot of people decided to buy a Průša 3D printer as a Christmas gift.
PayPal found this sudden surge in transactions suspicious and froze Prusa Research’s account “pending investigation.” This was a huge blow to the company, as it blocked them from fulfilling orders.
Josef did the only sensible thing — he publicized the issue! He played the classic victim card (which he was, in fact!) in a battle against the financial giant.
Everyone rallied behind him, which not only generated even more sympathy for the (still) young Czech but also brought him more publicity than ever before.
Many people heard about Prusa Research for the first time in the context of the PayPal scandal.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. And who created the most important 3D printing project? Průša, again. Starting in April 2020, the whole world was dutifully printing face shields, which were provided (usually for free) to medical services.
In the process, Průša did one more thing — he popularized PETG as a useful filament. Today, it’s the second most popular material alongside PLA. Before that, it was used sporadically — mainly for producing colorful, semi-transparent vases.
Yes, back then Průša was at the absolute peak. His distinctive image — a jovial, always smiling face, with a neatly trimmed yet thick beard, dark-framed glasses, and signature cap — was everywhere.
When the first members of the community started grumbling that Prusa Research wasn’t doing anything new, just repeating the same design (despite the fact that the Prusa Mini and the photopolymer SL1 were already in the lineup), he announced the launch of the breakthrough, multi-head XL.
And then Bambu Lab appeared. Just like that. And turned everything upside down. The entire 3D printing industry.
It shook Průša.
It came from China
The pressure from China has been present practically since the beginning of the desktop 3D printer sector. But for Průša, it had a slightly different dimension.
On one hand, it took away a lot of his customers. Products from Creality3D, Tronxy, Tevo, and Artillery were essentially 1:1 copies of his designs. However, they had a significant difference — in terms of work quality, efficiency, and reliability, they were simply terrible…
Thanks to the Chinese copies of the i3 MK2 and subsequent iterations, Prusa Research came to be seen as a premium product!
Yes, that simple, small design, where many parts were 3D printed, compared to its Chinese counterparts, was truly professional equipment.
Over time, as Chinese manufacturers began moving away from printed parts, replacing them entirely with metal or injection-molded plastic, their 3D printers started to look superior at first glance. But after working with them for a few days, their numerous flaws became evident.
Meanwhile, Průša’s products just worked. And they enjoyed a fantastic reputation.
Moreover, more and more companies started investing in Prusa Research 3D printers, creating farms of several hundred machines.
Průša’s R&D department didn’t rest. Although the overall design remained mostly the same, many changes occurred in individual components or subassemblies. Software and firmware were developed intensively, and efforts were made in remote operation and cloud management of 3D printers.
Printables was created — a real alternative to Thingiverse.
When customers grumbled that they wanted something new, they got the Prusa Mini — a super compact machine at an even lower price, and the SL1 — the first photopolymer 3D printer (which, ironically, was a copy of the Chinese Anycubic or Taiwanese Phrozen that were popular at the time).
Finally, in November 2021, at the Formnext fair in Frankfurt, Prusa Research unveiled the Prusa XL — their most advanced creation. The machine featured five independent, swappable print heads and a host of additional, revolutionary features (such as a heated bed with segmented heating zones).
This solidified Prusa Research’s position as one of the most important companies in the 3D printing market overall.
Unfortunately, not for long.
On May 31, 2022, another crowdfunding campaign for “just another Chinese 3D printer” began on Kickstarter. This time, it was called Bambu Lab. As always, it was advertised as groundbreaking, the fastest, offering the highest quality, etc.
And yet… All those overused phrases turned out to be true.
Bambu Lab turned out to be the real deal.
It was extremely fast, extremely precise, and offered amazing quality at those speeds. It had a very sleek, enclosed “Ultimaker-like” design. Moreover, it was relatively affordable, costing slightly more than the Prusa i3 MK3.
Bambu X1 raised HK$ 54,970,803 (over 7 million dollars) from 5,575 backers, making it one of the most successful hardware campaigns in Kickstarter history.
Its rise began. Soon, Průša realized he was in trouble…
New Kid On The Block
And the trouble was, that it wasn’t just about the quality and price of the 3D printer. Unlike other Chinese 3D printer manufacturers, Bambu Lab wasn’t “Chinese” — it was global.
Bambu Lab wasn’t just a 3D printer from AliExpress — it was like Huawei or Xiaomi.
It was like DJI.
Yeah, because it turned out that Bambu Lab actually originated from there. Its beginnings trace back to the world’s largest drone manufacturer.
There was no room for sloppiness here — right from the start, it was all about the highest possible quality, even in the realm of marketing.
Bambu Lab attracted a number of serious and sensible people from Europe. This company was built differently from the start. It wasn’t an “impersonal” Creality3D or Anycubic. There were specific faces behind this brand.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t any missteps. Oh no — there were a few…
First, there was the EU sales issue with unclear VAT exemptions. Then, 3D printers started printing on their own in the middle of the night (a cloud failure). After that, Bambu Lab released blatant copies of the Prusa i3 and Prusa Mini, and in the first one, the heated bed cables were faulty. Everything had to be replaced. Then there was the refund scandal on TikTok.
And finally, the most recent and most high-profile issue: the accusation by Stratasys of violating 10 patents.
And you know what? None of these minor or major scandals not only didn’t harm Bambu Lab, but they actually strengthened it — just like Průša’s PayPal incident once did.
Bambu Lab is forgiven more. Bambu Lab is sympathized with more. Bambu Lab is cheered on. Bambu Lab is supported.
Just like Prusa Research once was.
But now, even more so, Bambu Lab is. It’s “the one” people like the most these days.
Especially after the attack from Stratasys.
A Very Unfavorable Situation
Let’s start with the things that are either impossible or extremely difficult for Prusa Research to achieve:
It won’t be cheaper than Bambu Lab; not if it wants to maintain the same level of functionality. In Europe, labor, energy, and component costs are higher.
It won’t be faster than Bambu Lab; the i3 design doesn’t allow for further speed increases while maintaining high quality. Certainly not if some parts are still being produced on 3D printers. Increasing speed means changing the design, which means higher production costs and a higher final price.
It won’t look as good as Bambu Lab; the i3 and Mini designs are old RepRap projects where aesthetics didn’t matter — functionality was key. While looks might not matter to some users, many new 3D printees purchasing their first machine may be influenced by design. Here, Prusa loses.
So, what should Josef Průša do? He’s probably quietly rooting for Stratasys.
But aside from that? On a business development level? I think he showed it to some extent with the recent, surprising release of the Prusa MK4S. However, it’s not exactly a new 3D printer in the strict sense, but rather an upgrade of the MK4 model introduced last year.
The new device introduced innovations such as 360° cooling, a high-flow nozzle, and a new Prusa app for remote monitoring and firmware updates, which allow for even faster printing. The 3D printer is now available for purchase as a ready-to-use plug-and-play system for $1,099 or as a DIY assembly kit for $799. For current MK4 owners, an upgrade kit will also be available for $99 at the end of the month.
Just a reminder — Bambu Lab P1P costs $499 and X1 $1,199.
The key innovation was the completely redesigned cooling system. The 3D printer was equipped with a high-performance 360° cooling fan, enabling faster 3D printing without sacrificing quality. The new cooling system also allows for printing steep overhangs (up to a 75° angle) without the need for supports. Currently, everyone is printing the same test model…
Additionally, a range of other improvements, such as the GPIO hacker board and accelerometer, have been introduced. These add-ons enable the creation of custom solutions, such as remote camera triggers, LED lighting control, or manual calibration.
In any case, very interesting upgrades. If Bambu Lab didn’t exist, the Prusa MK4S would most likely be the best desktop FDM/FFF 3D printer in the world.
But Bambu Lab exists.
So, I repeat the question — what should Josef Průša do?
He can only do three things; none of them are particularly appealing:
Wait for the development of the dispute with Stratasys and hope for some misstep by Bambu Lab.
Come up with something completely new — perhaps move away from filaments and switch to 3D printing with granulate; but that’s “easier said than done,” so this option is just as hypothetical as the first.
Stick to what he does — entrench himself in his product niche and continue producing 3D printers that are simply solid, durable, reliable, and aimed at those who, for various reasons, do not want to buy Chinese products (contrary to appearances, this is a significant group of customers).
So at the moment, it’s a very unfavorable and unpromising situation. A lot depends on others, and less on Průša himself.
For now, it seems that unless he presents a truly revolutionary solution, he will simply be a manufacturer of solid, second-tier 3D printers. He will have a loyal following of dedicated customers, but his glory days will be behind him.
Unless he breaks out of the FFF bubble and proposes something absolutely new? Something as revolutionary as his original design.