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This is super cool! I had never thought about the applications of 3D printing in perishable goods and/or food, but I don’t see a reason why this couldn’t work and/or be the future of food goods as well. I don’t totally see how 3D printing is a unique solution for dietary restrictions, but more that it can be a way to decrease the supply chain costs and complexity across the entire production process – whether that particular good excludes certain ingredients or not. I also think Barilla is the ideal candidate for this type of technology given they operate in a part of the food industry that requires processing and manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing doesn’t quite work as well in industries where you are growing something like fruits or vegetables). I already think of Barilla as forward thinking and experimental – I’ve attended many of their experiential restaurants / stores in metropolitan areas around the world – but 3D printing has the potential to take its brand reputation – and its business model – to the next level.

I think this is an interesting question of how Natura can transition its MLM model to the digital world. I do think it can replace its model with a digital platform and sell directly to consumers given the strong brand loyalty it has created. There is another company called Stella + Dot that has done a good job of leveraging a digital platform as well as in-person, social selling strategies. Sellers, typically women, will host Stella + Dot parties. Afterwards, they can share a unique link to their Stella + Dot showroom, where their friends can purchase products and have them shipped to them. I wonder if Natura could leverage a similar process for selling in the digital age.

To answer your second question, I think the answer might lie in one of the other 2 innovations / themes of this TOM challenge! 3-D printing products should help decrease the complexity of producing individual, one-off, more intricate products. Adidas would then have to adopt several of these next generation technologies to make this program a success. Given its a large established player, what is the likelihood it will be able to do this fast enough before a smaller, scrappier company does?

Awesome post! Your essay, and in particular your open question at the end, led me to think about the use of machine learning as a spectrum. Does using machine learning to identify leads mean the algorithm has to output exactly the list of restaurants Deliveryhero would go after? What kind of process could Deliveryhero put in place that would allow the machine learning algorithm to supplement the work of their employees, but not completely eliminate it if it’s not additive to the business?

Farfetch is such an interesting company – I learned so much from this on what they are investing in. I agree that they are broadly investing in the right things and that customers are increasingly expecting personalization / customization. As for your question about privacy, I was curious to learn more about exactly what pieces of data Farfetch is collecting. If it’s shopping data on their own site, it feels like fair-game; if they start reaching further into collecting browser history through cookies and Facebook-tracking, I could see the concern. However, my question back would be: is there a true reason to be concerned about privacy, or is this a temporary concern / apprehension about a new technology similar to how individuals might’ve felt about advertising on Google / Facebook or even the internet as a whole when it first emerged in the 90’s?

Fascinating! This article left me wondering why Acciona’s bridge project failed so miserably in the aesthetic department. Was this a function of 3D-printing, or was it simply a poor design with additive manufacturing used for its execution? From first glance, I would not necessarily blame the 3D-printing technology for its aesthetic failure. I would also love to understand what role labor unions have played in the decreased roll-out of 3D-printing across the industry. Might they be afraid that 3D-printing will do more than fill the labor gap, but perhaps actually decrease the number of jobs available? Really interesting read – thanks for sharing!