Thingiverse is the largest community of 3D printing users and repository of 3D printable files. The product is of tremendous value to the 3D printing community but was a tech-debt ridden loss leader for MakerBot since its inception. I took P&L ownership of Thingiverse in early 2020 and led a team of engineers and designers with a goal to modernize the stack and monetize the site.

Thingiverse has been neglected by the core 3D printing business due to the failure to monetize the product. After many years on life support, challengers were beginning to enter the field. In addition, the cost of maintenance of the once beloved product is beginning to balloon due to the technology debt accumulated throughout the years.
The goal is to find a way to revamp the site, revitalize the community and find a business model that will help Thingiverse bring in revenue.

Launched Thingiverse's first UI redesign and began monetizing the business through ad publications and partnerships. Since launch the team has grown the P&L's topline by 50%+ and generated positive cash flow within 6 months.

• Grew user generated design files by 40%
• Increased user registration by 64%
• More than 7x ad impressions
• Positive cash flow within 6 months from start of monetization
  

Thingiverse