Makers Who Made It

Makers Who Made It: 100 Stories of Starting a Business brings together The Grommet’s Co-founder & CEO Jules Pieri and Co-founder & Chief Discovery Officer Joanne Domeniconi, and interviews with 100 Makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs whose innovative consumer products have launched on The Grommet since 2008. It’s an honest, revealing collection of advice, reality checks, what to expect, and what you should (and shouldn’t) sweat when starting a small business. For Makers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and the ever-growing Maker Movement, this free, 778-page book will help you understand how to develop an idea for a new consumer product, prototype it, manufacture it, launch it, promote it, and build a sustainable and thriving business. Featuring a foreword by Mark Hatch, TechShop CEO & Co-Founder and author of The Maker Movement Manifesto, and profiles from 20 members of The Grommet team, the ebook is filled with tips to help Makers start and grow a Maker business as well as pitch their product to The Grommet.

“If you’re a Maker who wants to build a business, look no further than the priceless advice that Jules, Joanne, and 100 entrepreneurs have shared here.” —Meg Whitman Have a a big idea for a consumer product? Learn how you can bring it to life. The Grommet’s new free ebook provides lessons and inspirations from Makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs After seven years of helping Makers launch their undiscovered products to the masses, The Grommet is sharing its community’s wisdom and insights to help inspire others. Makers Who Made It: 100 Stories of Starting a Business brings together The Grommet’s Co-founder & CEO Jules Pieri and Co-founder & Chief Discovery Officer Joanne Domeniconi, and interviews with 100 Makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs whose innovative consumer products have launched on The Grommet since 2008. It’s an honest, revealing collection of advice, reality checks, what to expect, and what you should (and shouldn’t) sweat when starting a small business. For Makers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and the ever-growing Maker Movement, this free, 778-page book will help you understand how to develop an idea for a new consumer product, prototype it, manufacture it, launch it, promote it, and build a sustainable and thriving business. Already a Maker? Makers Who Made It will answer dozens of your questions about growing your business and helping you succeed. Featuring a foreword by Mark Hatch, TechShop CEO & Co-Founder and author of The Maker Movement Manifesto, and profiles from 20 members of The Grommet team, the ebook is filled with tips to help Makers start and grow a Maker business as well as pitch their product to The Grommet. Since 2008, more than 60,000 products have been evaluated by The Grommet. Through its market analysis, testing, and evaluation processes, The Grommet has selected and launched only 2,000 products—or 3% of all products considered—helping Makers launch in a crowded marketplace and helping consumers find the most innovative products.

Jules Pieri is Co-founder & CEO of the The Grommet, a site which has launched more than 2,000 consumer products since 2008. The company’s Citizen Commerce™ movement is reshaping how products are discovered, shared, and bought. Jules started her career as an industrial designer for technology companies and was a senior executive at Keds, Stride Rite, and Playskool. The Grommet is her third startup, following roles as VP at Design Continuum and President of Ziggs.com. Jules completed her undergraduate degree summa cum laude at the University of Michigan and people tell her she is the first designer to graduate from Harvard Business School, where she is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence. Jules was named one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs in 2013 and one of Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Interesting Entrepreneurs in 2014. In June 2014, Jules was invited to the White House Maker Faire to launch The Grommet Wholesale Platform. This extension of the Grommet business connects Makers with Main Street Retailers by bridging the gap between the two and helping to ensure Grommet’s goal that within five years 10% of all products flowing through U.S. retail originate from independent small-scale Makers. Jules is frequently asked to speak on consumer trends and technologies, design, and entrepreneurship. She has presented as HBS, SCAD, MIT, and at conferences, including SXSW, Internet Retailer, and the Conference on World Affairs. She’s been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and many other media outlets.