Saw an article that’s a good reminder for everyone in these “gold rush” times for 3D printing called “Three Dead 3D Printers.”  It’s important to remember that although the hills are filled with gold, some of it will be fool’s gold.  We live in a “me too” age where investment and interest flows to the next big thing.  For this season it’s 3D printing.  In times past it was the internet.  For every Facebook or Google billionaire there were countess investors counting their losses in Webvan, Pets.com or GeoCities.  The important thing to note here was that the web really was paradigm changing, but not every idea, technology or company related to it made money.  Some bad ideas held on too long sucking money from investors with no hope of turning a profit (zombie companies).  They were rated by things like “page views” and “registered members” rather than profits.  As we evaluate the 3D printing universe let’s remember to give our focus and attention to the things that matter, the applications consumers will pay for and not let the zombies eat our brains.  Yeah, some of those dot-com companies had cute Super Bowl ads just like a 3D printed bikini is pretty cool, but if that’s all you got, beware the bursting bubble and protect your brain.  Money will be made in 3D printing and money will be lost, the wise will see through the sparkle to differentiate the true gold from the fool’s gold.  Tom and I have seen this play before when we worked together in another “gold rush” industry, but that’s another story for another day.  Oh how history repeats itself.  BEWARE OF ZOMBIES!