The Maker Revolution

CHAPTER 4Recapping the Drivers of the Revolution

The previous chapters have built the base from which this new revolution is being launched. Technologically, this is a most exciting time in history. Change is coming so fast, from so many different directions, and in such deep ways, that it's becoming a full-time job simply to track change, much less try to understand it. The traditional definition of a Renaissance man or woman as someone who is well versed in many fields is dead. One cannot even begin to have a cursory grasp on all known knowledge; it's growing too quickly. The renaissance we are in can only be grasped by an AI that hasn't been built yet (but it will be).

One of the attributes of this tech-driven revolution is that important portions of it are more accessible than ever. There are certainly parts of the revolution that take more effort and in some instances, you've probably seen that the technology is moving too quickly to fully understand, still much of it is also more directly accessible than ever. You, your friends, children, family, coworkers, and cofounders can take portions of the newly enabled tech universe and bend it to your needs and will.

Furthermore, once you have an idea and translate it into a prototype, raising funds, finding manufacturing, gaining access to sales platforms, and marketing the resulting service or product are easier today than ever before. Basically, if you can imagine it, you can build it. BOOM!

This next story demonstrates two ...