Not that I’m ready for it yet, but I thought I’d look at what it would take to get a UPC code for something. You know, in case I wanted to go full time with this. Use the 3D printer to keep up with sales and put something in a store. The only problem is UPCs are regulated and in order to get in on the club you have to cough up $470 for the first year and $150 each year after that.
I don’t know if I want to call this a barrier for entry exactly. I guess it is, but the lowest barrier so far. It just means you need that much of a commitment if you want to play the game. There are ways to bring that down to $100 by using services that let you piggyback off their licencing fee. But the point is this is just one more way it’s difficult to break into the big time without spending a lot of money. It occours to me that there is no chance of an accidental success story ala Minecraft in the world of manufacturing. At some point there’s a step that needs to be taken and it’s a doozy. I’m just wondering if I can get a running start before having to take it.
