Meet the Makers #8 - The Journey of Running a 3D Printing Business - with Pretzel Prints

In this episode of Meet The Makers, we are joined by special guest Pretzel Prints, a talented 3D modeler and entrepreneur who runs her own 3D printing business. Join us as we dive into intriguing topics such as getting started in 3D modeling using Blender, the ins and outs of running a successful 3D printing business, and a fascinating side project involving a new dating app.

Whether you're a beginner interested in 3D modeling, an aspiring entrepreneur in the 3D printing industry, or simply curious about the intersection of technology and dating, don't miss Meet the Makers #8 - The Journey of Running a 3D Printing Business - with Pretzel Prints.
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Where to find Pretzel Prints 
Website: https://www.pretzelprints.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pretzelprints?lang=en 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pretzelprints3d/ 
Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25054604
Cults3D: https://cults3d.com/en/users/PretzelPrints/creations 
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Come be a guest on meet the makers: https://forms.gle/wTqzxqGpsu9hZ39F6
Follow misfit printing on TIktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@misfit_printing
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Chapters 
Intro- 0:00
Getting  3D printer - 0:51 
Getting started with 3D Modeling - 3:10 
3D printed Lithophanes - 5:03 
3D modeling in Blender - 7:58 
How to Design and Prototype 3D Printable Models -11:09 
3D printed Cat armor - 16:29  
How to start a 3D printing business - 18:25 
How to develop branding as a 3D printer - 23:37 
Selling 3D prints online vs. live events - 26:40 
Creating a New Kind of Dating App - 30:34 
Outro: 35:30

Transcript

Yeah. it's, I was super excited to have you. I don't know if you've felt this so far, but it seems like there's not a ton of, women in the 3D printing space. I don't know why that is, but it really seems to be a very male dominated hobby. It really does, and I think at this point I have found nearly every single other woman.
That is in the industry because every time I see one, I'm like, I'm gonna follow you immediately so that we can be friends and talk about 3D printers, obviously. Yeah. Yeah. Same. But with that said,like we just talked about it.
I feel like not a ton of women are in the 3D printing space. How did you come into this yourself and how'd you get involved in the hobby? okay, so I actually, somebody got me a 3D printer, my first 3D printer [00:01:00] for Christmas in 2019 or 2020, and I had no idea what it was. Okay. They were, they made me close my eyes and I walked up to this thing and I was looking at it and I was like, Cool.
What is it like? I don't know. And then I guess I was like, oh, is it a 3D printer? But in my mind, I had not actually thought of 3D printing very much ever. It was like this background thing. And so I didn't know what I was gonna do with it, but everybody was telling me, they were like, oh, you can, do something because my background is in graphic design and things like that.
And so I was like, I think you're crazy, but okay. And now here I am. I have nine printers and I am running business though. it sounds like it worked out so like somebody had it as a gift for you, when you first saw it, did you know, was it assembled and did you like, how long did it take you to figure out what it was?
Because I don't think, if I first saw a 3D printer, I might not know exactly what it is.[00:02:00] it only took, I actually have the whole thing on video. and I've thought about posting it to TikTok before, but, I just haven't, cuz it's so embarrassing cuz I do, I walk up, I uncover my eyes and you can just see my 

face, and the filament that was loaded into it, cause it would be MK three. 
So the filament was like held from the top. and it was a silver filament. So I went, oh, is it wired? no, it's not wire. and it only took me about a minute or two cuz I was like, oh, is it a 3D printer? And it was, but I still was very confused. I guess ultimately it ended up being a great gift. you've certainly come a long way in 3D printing and you have a really unique design style, for people who maybe don't, follow you yet on social media.
like when I first think of you, the things that come to mind for me are like your skulls and you do these quiet, crazy balloon animals. How did you come into that aesthetic of, your designs and does that kinda, align with like your style as you've always had it for? like graphic design and things like that?
I have been an artist since [00:03:00] I can remember. that was like what I wanted to do when I was a little kid is I wanted to be an artist. So I would draw and I. All the time was teaching myself to draw. But the things that actually really stood out to me that I really connected with were those darker things like the skulls and the, just that creepy kind of fun aesthetic.
And so that's what I always really liked to try to draw. I wouldn't say that all of my drawings were fantastic, but. Maybe I was just waiting to find my actual true calling, which is the 3D version of that. so yeah, I would say definitely my aesthetic for sure. In graphic design, it's hard to say cuz when you're designing logos and things for people, you have to stick with.
Their aesthetic, so I didn't get to play with it very much in that regard. Yeah. But Photoshop and art in general. Absolutely. Yeah. It's,I also always, I, I had never done graphic design like formally or anything like that, but I remember as like [00:04:00] younger kid, All my friends were into like, pink and Barbies and all kinds of cute stuff, and I had like skulls in my room and all kinds of, like taxidermied animals and things like that.
it was, like I said, when I saw your, work for the first time, it was really cool to just see your kind of take on it. Okay, so I have to tell you what that reminds me of because when I was a little girl, it was the same thing. I was into the creepy stuff and all of my friends were gonna go as princesses for Halloween and we were about five, I wanna say, and they were all little princesses and pink dresses.
And I told my mom, I was like, I don't want to do that. I wanna be something 

scary and so I still have a picture I should have. if I knew we were gonna talk about it, I would've brought the picture cuz I am painted white with blood all over my face and this big black wig. And all my friends are little princesses. 
But I was so proud of that costume. Nothing's changed. Yeah. It's it sounds like we have very similar childhoods [00:05:00] and, hey, maybe that's why we're both, both got into 3D printing and are into what we do.
now you said that you,you talked about in the graphic design side of things, When you're doing logos and things like that for other people, you more so obviously have to go into what they're, looking for and their style. I know early in, your projects that you were doing for Etsy, I saw you did a lot of litho, Hanes, things like that and really cool, really, customizable.
Maybe for, I guess to start out on that, for people who aren't familiar with what those are, can you talk people through what that is and how that works? I can try. so a lit athan is a picture that is converted into a 3D model so that when you put light behind it, the picture looks like a sepia tone or black and white version of that image.
And I make a lot of night lights and, I have a concept that I never finished. It's around here somewhere. One day I will have a very nice photo frame box, for lit of Hanes, and I do a lot of window portraits as well. Yeah. Getting into those, I lost my mind. I thought it was the coolest thing [00:06:00] ever.
Yeah. It still blows my mind when I see them and I still don't quite think I can grasp how, some of them like, come up in color. C p it's, it actually, it's wild to me. If you've never see, if you're listening this and you've never seen one, you definitely have to google them and look them off. But, with that note, have you, as you're taking requests from people, have you ever had somebody make A really strange request for Lit Fein.
Or I guess has there ever been one that stood out for you, that was like, just really special, you really enjoyed creating? I keep waiting for the day that I'm gonna get one. I've had thoughts in my head of what people might send to my website, but, so far actually it's just a lot of really good pictures and cute.
Animals and babies and things like that. I haven't actually gotten anything very crazy. I got one that was very, it was funny, it was these two women on the beach making silly faces, but that's about it. Hey, I guess I like that though. That's fun. I feel like, it's been fun for me, just as I was going back through your 

content, seeing all the different things that people had and, again, I mean they're just like, they're really unique. 
[00:07:00] Unique project that, I think are a different way to display 3D printing. I take it back there. The only thing, it's not that interesting, but I did have one guy that had a request for lit athan of two middle fingers like this, for a window portrait that said, fuck you. And, that's the only one.
If that's anything that sounds like the type of lite I would be requesting, so I'm right on board with that guy. now for when you're getting back into the design side and you're,learning 3D modeling and things like that, I think if I remember right from senior videos, you've been doing like modeling itself, only for a couple, like maybe about six months or so.
Is that right? Yeah, now it is closer to seven and a half months, but yeah. Okay. It actually, again, it blows my mind how far you've come in modeling in only seven months, and I don't know if you attribute that to your, Background in graphic design, but did you find it, a difficult learning curve getting started?
I think you used Blender. Oh yeah. Blender. honestly, and I'm [00:08:00] not even getting that process was a lot of tears and headaches. I would get so frustrated that I would have tears in my eyes and I'll just be like, wanting to punch the computer. I didn't, that's why I'm still able to model. But, it was very hard.
And the beginning I think was the worst because I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know the layout in blender, how to move around in Blender, and I'm stubborn, if that's the right word for it. And YouTube videos will only take me so far. I get annoyed very quickly. And so I was just like, I wanna learn this myself.
And I did use like a couple, a handful of YouTube videos here and there when I would need to figure something out. But nine times outta 10, whatever they did not work for me and I would just have to figure it out myself anyway, so I am also impressed with myself and very confused. Every time I make something, I have that, and I don't know, maybe it's like a mental condition, but I don't believe that I made it.
[00:09:00] Every single time I print it, I hold it and because I've been 3D printing so long, I honestly just. Feel like I downloaded it and I printed it because I'm already amazed at that process. And then to know that I also made 

it is just too much for my brain to handle apparently. It's interesting hear you say,taking time to figure it out your own way as opposed like those tutorials. 
a lot of people that I've talked to so far, everybody seems to have gone through the donut tutorial. I don't know if you are familiar with the donut tutorial, but Of course, yeah. Many people seem traumatized from it. the donut tutorial I actually did way before I ever wanted to learn blender because my brother knows blender and he was talking about it all the time.
the donut tutorial, it's this iconic thing. And so I sat down and I did it for fun. Way before I ever touched blender ever again. Maybe it was for the bus, cuz Yeah, it's,I also had some experience going through the donut tutorial and that was one of my last times [00:10:00] ever going into blender, Yep. But the thing that scares people off about the donut tutorial and so much with blender, and I cannot stress this enough, you are not gonna use 90% of blender. It is such a massive platform, and even in that donut tutorial, there are so many things that you're doing that are not compatible with 3D printing, and so you're learning all these extra things that you actually don't need to be learning if you want to use it for what we're doing, They're useful. They're useful to learn about the program itself and about navigating maybe. But what it's gonna do more than anything, I think is make it this big overwhelming thing that it is, but it doesn't really have to be if you tackle it That makes a lot of sense. I think it's like the ultimate spaghetti monster.
There's just endless rabbit holes. You can go down with it. And I guess for you, like having kind of that background in graphic design as well, did you find it like it. I guess are, as you're making a model for 3D printing in mind, do you have to take certain things [00:11:00] in consideration? not making pieces too narrow or, is there like a lot of tweaking that happens on that end for making sure that the model's actually like sound and functional?
Yeah, absolutely. while I'm designing, I'm constantly thinking about,like when you pull something into the slicer and you pull the arrow down, you can see it print layer by layer. I am thinking of that in my mind because I want usually to be able to print without supports, which makes everything way harder cuz you have to keep those angles in mind.
And so I'm constantly thinking about that. And then, Honestly, sizing has been the biggest issue for me because if I'm making something, like recently I've been trying to design a gecko. When I am making it in blender, it looks absolutely massive. it looks so big on the screen, and then when I print it out, 

it's this itsy bitsy tiny little. 
part that is two lines of filament that is not strong. And so I have definitely had to keep that in mind. I am constantly thinking of it while I'm designing and sometimes still [00:12:00] messing up, like with my little gecko legs. yeah. People who are evil. I know, I think it was actually one of the very first videos that I saw of yours.
you were making a, an articulating. Stink, and I think maybe it was your first time making an articulated model and now you seem like a pro at it. But it's it's one of those things where I, as somebody who has very limited experience with. Designing. Oh, there it is, there. It's, that's the snake. The first snake.
Yeah. It's, it's, it just it's so cool to me how, so much time and, effort must go into just making those not just look good, but actually like move and functional. And, do you find like you have to go through a lot of iterations of prototyping them over and over to get them just right so far?
Yeah. I'm very lucky if I managed to get it completely the way that I want it on the first try. with the doomsday dragon that I designed, first thing that I did was just make that simple joint. And I assume that's what most people who are designing do is just make that very simple joint and test three of [00:13:00] 'em, see if anything sticks, see if it's strong enough, do your stress tests.
I have a whole box actually right next to me of Bits and pieces. So if this is the doomsday dragon without any legs Because I was testing parts of the body, I have a whole box full of test prints from joints, from, parts that I was worried about. I have a dragon, the Doomsday Dragon, the first time it's legs were so tiny that, it, I don't know if you watch Rick and Morty, but it makes me think of Baby Legs Johnson, because he looks ridiculous.
it's a lot of trial and error and testing. And now I've started sending things out to test printers as well, which is so nerve wracking. When you say test printers, you mean other people in the community to like troubleshoot and give feedback on the models? Yeah. so I offered the first opportunity to my patrons and I said basically, whoever wants to test models, if you wanna be a tester, feel free.
But, I hadn't really been able to [00:14:00] send anything out because I'm constantly catching up to myself and working so much. And so this was the first time that I, this month was the first time that I've sent out things to be tested 

by my testers and, getting feedback and it's a great. Process. It's a great way to see if the models work and on a range of different printers, but it is definitely nerve-wracking on my side of things. 
Just hold my breath. Yeah, I never thought about that, but that's actually. A super cool way to,be able to quickly iterate on those and get,different people's feedback. And I never thought until you just said it. Now, I never thought about this component, but have you found maybe for, somebody who's like printing on an under versus, bamboo versus a persa?
do people tend to have different experiences and different problems that they're running into then with those models that you, create? Yes. it depends. It depends. a lot I think goes into how they dial the printer in, but there will be slight problems depending. The biggest thing though is the filament.
So for parts like that [00:15:00] doomsday head that I have, that the clip goes into the back, silk filament sometimes will expand more than regular filaments and it won't fit. It won't fit the way that it should. And, to the point that I did a survey for my patrons and I was like, Hey, is this a problem that everybody is having?
Is it just some people, is it just some filament? And, I just, I, the feedback that I got was that it depends on the filament. For them as well. So that I thought was very interesting that Silk would cause such a difference between matte or regular pla. Yeah, it's crazy to me. I'm still, newer to 3D printing, but there's so much to learn and like you said, just little things like that.
I'll, I'll print something and one film it and it's great and then I go and switch things up and, just Things that you wouldn't think would make such a big difference Can, sometimes have seemly drastic effects and maybe it's just me, my printers are chronically, un dialed in so that,it's very well also me.
But I highly doubt that somehow it's, [00:16:00] if anybody came here and saw my printers, I think they might be horrified at what they saw. Cuz they're half the time just like a storage shelf. And then the other half of the time they're, Spinning up spaghetti. So it's, it's always a fun dynamic over here.
Hang. I think that's just part of being in this community. sometimes your printers are going to be a shelf and sometimes they're gonna be, you haven't cleaned your bed in probably way too long, or, whatever it is. I am guilty of all of those same things. So you're not alone.

I'm glad. I'm glad. one of the things that you talked about, when we were talking about, building these models was sizing came up. Now this is a different aspect of sizing, but one of my favorite videos and series that you had, was making armor for your cat. What was that process like? 
Sizing that to be correct for your cat? And I guess what was their impression of the armor? Did they enjoy it? Did they maybe not enjoy it? that actually. That was just something I was printing. I didn't actually design that one. I just was, I found it and I printed it, and I [00:17:00] actually printed it in a very wrong size.
To be honest, he, he did not wear it very well. I definitely would not have been able to tell. He looked adorable. There's, it, I also, it was not something he printed, but I believe he goes by the name of Mr. Cute face and there's a video of him wearing a straw hat that I watched at least a thousand times.
It's like one of my favorite videos on the entire internet. So I thoroughly enjoy any content involving your cats and,they're outfits that they have, they're absolutely fantastic that, yeah, that hat is actually just something that has been, I don't know why, but, at some point when I was like 12 or 13, I put a straw hat on, a decoration on the wall and it just stayed there in this house forever.
And, so when I was thinking of making that video, I was like, I need cat clothing. And I thought of the hat and it fit in perfectly. and yeah, I love that video too. cuz he's, forced to be famous as he should be. Yeah. he's over there sleeping. He's a natural star for sure. I, I have to say he's, now we talked a little bit about you getting [00:18:00] into 3D modeling,transitioning over, I guess to the business side of things.
I scrolled all the way back to the beginning of your content and you, one of your first posts in there was just talking about. Starting a new business and you were so excited about it and I came into your journey. partially through you already being on this journey and it was like, it was actually making me like almost tear up.
I was so excited for you. And it seems like things have come along so far. how has that journey been for you? Has there been ups and downs and struggles and what's just been like your experience with that? It is definitely a struggle. there are times when I think, what on earth am I doing, but.
It's been worth it. I think at the same time, taxes of course were daunting, and 

that was one of my biggest things because I'm great at, I think there's like a Geico commercial that says this or something, but I'm great at this part of my business. I am terrible at the actual business part of my business because that's the scary part. 
And keeping track of [00:19:00] everything that I spend on filament and on, that kind of stuff and mileage and all of the. Not fun. Parts of the business are definitely still something that I struggle with. I need to be more organized. I know that I'm trying very hard in 2023 to stay organized, but it has been a lot of fun more than anything I think.
And I have definitely come a long way. When I started, I was just happy if I got one person to my website to see something. And,my first order, I was like jumping up and down and I was so excited and,that first video took off a little, or one of the first videos of me with a litan kind of took off and I didn't have my website done yet.
My brother is in charge of my website. He is my web designer. And so he was supposed to have been done already and I was like, Hey, I need a website yesterday because I have all these people that wanna order now and no way to [00:20:00] fulfill those orders. so he got. Busy and about a week later he had finished the website and things took off from there.
That's awesome. And it's funny timing for you talking about not liking the tax side of, it's actually tax day today for, by the time anybody watches us it will be far past. So hopefully people filed their taxes. Oh yeah. But Yeah, I'm, I'm also right there with you. I was blessed that my mom, she's like an, she does accounting by trade and, I've always been horrible at that stuff, so it was always a blessing to have somebody who was of that mind.
But, oh yeah. It's, you're so lucky. It is definitely a really fortunate thing to have. it's brutal, but no, it's, it truly was. Like you said, I wa got to watch your journey from that first order and seeing how excited you were and, I loved it. for a while you had something going where you were tracking like all the different states that people ordered in, and it's just, it's an exciting thing to get, to watch somebody grow and expand into that.
maybe for the people out there who are looking to get into, selling prints for the first time, we're just starting a business in general [00:21:00] for the first time. Do you have any advice that you learned along the way or anything that you would do different? I would say, That the most important thing is to just 

start, because I put it off for so long and,I took so much more time than I should to get comfortable and ready to present everything, and be it because I'm a perfectionist or what it is. 
I think the most important thing is just jumping in. And not getting in your own way, overthinking everything, that goes for design as well, because same thing, I sat there and I was like, oh, I'm gonna totally learn Blender. I'm gonna do it. But I was terrified and I overwhelmed myself and I overthought it.
And so I didn't do it until seven months ago basically. So that's the most important thing is to just. Do it. outside of that,make sure that you keep your brand in mind. I think that's important and that's definitely something that can be lost when it comes to 3D printing and 3D modeling.
But if you look at it [00:22:00] just like any other business, brand and logo and making sure that people know. Who you are, what you're doing, what you represent, all of that stuff. I think that's really great advice. And we touched on it in the beginning, but one of the things I really like about your brand a lot is I don't even have to see your face or see your logo on like the TikTok banner.
As soon as I see a piece of content come up in my feed, I know it's yours. Cause I just you have a very dec defined style and I think that's really cool and it's definitely something, I maybe I hadn't thought about it until you really said that, but, do you find it difficult, as you in a world where you sell prints and a lot of people I know resell, other people's models through patons and things like that, do you find it can be difficult to distinguish yourself and have that really strong sense of brands?
It definitely can be, especially when you. Or if I do a show and I have all this stuff on the table from Matt Meyer makes and cinder wing and flexi factory and my own stuff. And, it can be, but I think it just depends on how you do it. [00:23:00] if you. what I have done is all the models that I am designing, there's a little pretzel on the bottom.
Oh. So if you look at the bottom of it, there's a little pretzel embedded in it's my logo. And I think that helps a lot because at a show, things get moved around and whatever you put in a section on your table is not gonna stay there. So even if you say oh, everything right here. I designed, it's gonna move around.
Kids are gonna grab it. And so the easier thing to be able to do is to tell them 

anything with a pretzel on the bottom was designed by me. And then they know, they can look at it, they can see. so that has definitely helped me in that regard. But I think. It's funny cuz each artist themselves, when they design something, they have their own style that comes through in that artwork regardless. 
And I see that in myself even though, it's not intentional, it's just how it comes out. And I see it for sure in all these other artists as well. So I think when you're really into it, when you're really in [00:24:00] depth in it, you can look at a model and kind of see what artists created it, but.
Maybe, the average Joe is not gonna do that. But no, I, I completely agree with what you say and maybe it's just that I'm in so deep into looking at all these files at this point. But,like you said, like Matt Meyer makes or, cinder wing, like you can just pick them out and you know right when you see it.
Like I don't have to know whose model it is to know whose model it is. so it's definitely cool, and even from. Just people's styles of, if they're doing multicolor or the filaments that they tend to do. It's like you said, you can almost pick out people's styles, amongst the same files.
So it's, yeah. that makes a lot of sense of what you're saying. Yeah. in this. Community for sure. if you're in the community, if you're in the 3D printing world, I think that's the people, that's the people who are gonna be able to differentiate just by looking. But people off the street, obviously, they would have no idea.
They'd just be like, oh wow, you have a lot of different styles. Yeah, no, for sure. now have you, in doing, like you've done online, you [00:25:00] sell your prints online and then you've also done in-person events. Do you favor one of those over the other? I do, but for a really stupid reason. It's cuz I really don't like having to package everything and then go to the post office with it.
That's the whole reason. but, In general, I probably like doing the in-person events more. Also just because I can actually see people seeing a 3D printer for the first time, seeing something that's 3D printed for the first time, and I get to answer their questions and it's that same amazement and wonder that I had on Christmas morning when I was like, And that first print, especially not really knowing anything about 3D printing before I got that printer, it was like magic.
it's, I've watched this triceratop skull just be created. and that's that same thing 

that they're getting. So it's good cuz it brings me back and reminds me of those first times and what it's like to see all of this stuff for the first time, which I think when we're in this community and doing [00:26:00] this so much, we forget. 
and I get called out a lot too because I talk over people's heads all the time at events with words like even filament. They're like, What now, so I have to try to talk in a way that I would've understood before. because if you're not in this world, you really miss a lot of the little terms and the ins and outs, Yeah. it's so easy the deeper you get into it to just,forget like what is and what isn't. Just common knowledge. And I think most things with 3D printing typically are not common knowledge for your average person. but it sounds so when you go to events, you actually bring a 3D printer with you and have it there and do you run prints on it while you're there? Yes. every single time I bring one of my Pria minis and I have a little enclosure for it that is, chaotic.
I have to get a new one. It's falling apart, but I have a little enclosure and the printer goes inside and I run. Usually I try to run a print that is the exact amount of time as the show that I'm doing. so that while I'm packing up, [00:27:00] it's finishing and then I have a print that I can take off and, it's more inventory.
that is something that I do at every single event because I think that no matter what, that is your sticking point, that is where your sales are gonna come from. If you just have a bunch of 3D printed stuff, a lot of people are gonna walk by. They're gonna think, okay, yeah. Toys like, okay.
But when they see the 3D printer, it brings them in and they go, oh my gosh, everything here is 3D printed. That is so cool. And then they have to get something, they're like, oh, I have to at least get a flexi, hand pencil topper. this is so cool. And they ask questions and they get involved, so much more, it's so much more hands-on.
and the other really fun thing is when people are at a long event. Little kids and adults too, but little kids especially, it's very cute to see them when they first see it and it's only a couple layers up, and then an hour or two later, that little kid is back and they're going, daddy, look, it's got even bigger, And they're so excited. and then at the end of the night too, if it [00:28:00] has finished all the way, sometimes it doesn't, but, if it has finished all the way successfully, they just lose their minds. They're like, oh my gosh, it's done. and they get so excited. And, one time I got to, there was a little boy that had come back who 

again was just like, I. 
Absolutely amazed that it had finished. And, I think he was one of the vendor's children, but I just gave him the print. I let him pull it off the bed and I gave it to him and his whole life was made. I think that's, Just, oh man. It makes me so excited hearing that. And it makes me hope that little kid like ends up getting into 3D printing because it's,the first time you lay down a print, it really is honestly like magical.
I remember just sitting there and watching my first print go down and it's so cool. So I never thought about it from,being at like a live event. But honestly it probably for you brings like traffic and like you said, just. Getting people interested, seeing the process and, getting involved in that.
I bet that's really just like a great thing to, to have there. Oh, it definitely is. I, at this point it is, Almost a necessity. I don't [00:29:00] go without it and I always find a way that I can power it. be it a battery powered generator or a generator itself, or really long extension cords, I always find a way because it definitely helps increase sales.
That's so cool. I love that. transitioning out of the 3D printing space for a little bit. I believe we had, seen a little bit before we got on this call, but. Outside of 3D printing, do you, you work on, if I'm not mistaken, a dating app is like a different project that you do. Okay. So it is actually my brother's project primarily.
it's a team of us, but I would say he's definitely the one that is leading the whole thing. he's the one that is coding everything. He's self-taught in everything that he does, so web design and coding and everything. And I think that's very impressive. He's doing a fantastic job and, So he is leading that and basically, yeah, we are, or he is trying to create a new kind of dating app that is gonna solve the problems that people [00:30:00] have with the current dating apps that are out there.
That's so cool, and that's awesome that you guys get to work together on that. It sounds like a really fun dynamic that you guys have together and I love that, he helped you with your website as well. I, now, I've used dating apps before and I certainly felt like there was. Some problems with them.
are there,I guess for you guys, yes. Are there specific things that you're hoping to solve, with what exists in those different dating apps right now? Yes. so that 

is my brother's project for the most part. But there are a team of us that are helping to try to make it become something. 
basically what it is my brother is coding for this. dating app that we are gonna try to fix the problems that come with a typical dating app, fix those problems that people have with dating apps that make them something they don't want to use.
So it's a rag tag team of people who are self-taught, self-taught, and want to see and make a change in that area. I absolutely love that. I feel like, I love projects of people [00:31:00] who all come together and maybe, they don't have the most expertise, but, they're really passionate about what they're doing and they just find a way to make it work.
And that kind of sounds like what you guys have going on over there. Plus it's, I love the dynamic of a brother sister duo working on something that's a lot of fun. for you guys, I know for me there's a million things I could think of that are wrong with existing dating apps. Are there specific.
Problems that stand out for you guys that you're hoping to address? Some of the things that he's trying to fix. The first biggest thing is that dating apps should not take your money, and they should be 100% free with no paywalls. So it's not Hey, we're going to, we're gonna get you to sign up and we're gonna get you to fill out all this information and really put care into your bio, and then we're gonna ask you for money if you want to actually see people.
so that's one thing is that this. the goal and what we will do, the only way that we will do this app is if we can have it stay 100% free forever. Because the idea and the passion behind it [00:32:00] is not to make money. It's to fix a problem. Because, I don't know if you know this, but almost every single dating app out there is owned by the same company.
So it's all about money. It's basically a big monopoly. That is something that we are trying to fight back against is, yeah, you might be a huge corporation and you might have all of this money, but we have what people actually want. So that is one of the big things. The other is being able to actually search for exactly what you want in another person and to find those things and only be shown those things.
So instead of being shown a bunch of people,you say you wanna see only people between the ages of 25 and 28, and all of a sudden you're getting a 

bunch of 20 year olds and 35 year olds, and you're like, Why did I even put that in there if you're not gonna follow it. so that is one for sure. 
it will be a platform for everybody. No matter what you are looking for, there will be a space for that. So if people are looking to be [00:33:00] casual and just hook up, they're gonna have a space for that and you're gonna know exactly what you're getting yourself into. So that's another big one. Catfishing being ghosted.
all of those problems, like women being completely flooded with choices and losing track of everything because there's just so many people, but also without limitations, without being like, oh, you're only gonna be shown five people a day because nobody wants that. Nobody likes that. And then the last thing, actually not the last thing cuz there's so many more that I don't even know about.
he's the one that did all these interviews and got all of these answers and has everything that they well, that we are trying to fix. but one of the last things and things that I think will make it the most unique is the actual setup of the dating app. So it is, reminiscent of Club Penguin.
Kind of, in its own way, so it's. So it should be a very fun [00:34:00] space to meet people and actually make whatever kind of relationship you're looking for. Oh my God, the, your final piece of it that sold me. Love it. I absolutely love it. and it's so many of the things that you mentioned, There, like you said at the beginning, there's just a lot of existing problems with, current dating apps, so it's really cool to hear, all the different things that you guys are doing.
And I know we talked about how maybe you guys like don't have super formal backgrounds in, doing things, and I'm certainly no expert, but my background is in, product, management and product development. So hearing you guys talk about like your process for,looking for a very specific problem and doing those customer interviews, like when we talk about our product prod, product process, that's exactly what we do.
So it sounds like you guys are onto something so cool and so amazing and I'm just, I'm so excited for all of you guys involved in that. It sounds like it's an amazing project. Thank you. I really hope that it will be. we are launching very soon, the website and all of the kind of crowdfunding because that's how this thing is going to be.

Launch, that's how it's gonna happen, is [00:35:00] help from a lot of different people. So you'll see us soon on TikTok. the app itself is called coi. So like the fish, like a COI fish or like being coy, but Okay. Yeah. But yeah, so it's called coi. Look out for us. We'll be on TikTok and all of that stuff really soon. 
that's the perfect space for it. I feel like a lot of people are looking to, maybe find love or looking for something on TikTok. So that's, I wish you guys nothing but the best. I think it's absolutely gonna blow up and I'm super excited for you guys. Thank you. We're actually doing a Patreon too, and we're.
Because it's not about money. The way that we're looking for beta testers and everything is anybody that joins the Patreon, $1 a hundred dollars, whatever they want, whatever tier they wanna go into, they're able to be a beta tester just by doing that. So anybody that wants to be a beta tester that can go on I don't know, he's gonna do Indiegogo, I think.
And I don't know Patreon, but any donation, you can automatically be a beta tester, which I think [00:36:00] is fun. That's so cool. if you are out there and if you're frustrated with existing dating apps, you. Have to keep your eye out. You know where to go now. I just wanna say thank you so much for coming on today.
I had such a great time getting to know you. I hope we get to know each other better and, certainly we'll have to do this again sometime. But, where can people find you online and where can people find your prints and just, keep in touch with you? online I primarily use TikTok, but I am on Instagram and Facebook as well.
The only one, so I'm pretzel Prince everywhere, but Instagram, somebody else was already pretzel prints. She draws pictures of dogs. It's wonderful. But, so on there, I'm Pretzel Prince 3d. And then for my models, I'm on obviously Patreon and I am on Cols 3d. And Vol. Kaza. And cre. And soon thanks 3D as well.
You'll see me doing something there pretty soon. if for whatever crazy reason somebody's not following you already, please go file pretzel Prince. Thank you again so much for coming on. [00:37:00] and that's it. That is, yeah. Thank you.