Sam Holland, co-founder of Informal, joins Jim to talk about how a hands-on approach to building led him from early 3D printing and MakerBot to helping companies bring real products to life. What started as curiosity turned into a career built on experimenting and learning directly from the manufacturing process.
They get into the messy reality of hardware, from the gap between prototype and production to the importance of communication, proximity, and experience when working with suppliers. Sam breaks down why most projects fail in execution, not ideas, and how Informal helps teams move faster by connecting them with the right people at the right time.
Sam talks about what it takes to get started today and why building real things early matters more than credentials, and how accessible tools have changed the landscape for hardware founders.
In this episode of Just Gonna Send It, Jim Belosic sits down with Sam Holland, co-founder of Informal, to talk about how a career built on hands-on experience turned into a company focused on helping others bring physical products to life. Sam shares how early exposure to 3D printing, product design, and startups shaped his path from MakerBot to building Informal, a network designed to connect ideas with the people and processes needed to actually manufacture them.
Sam’s path started with a fascination for making things, especially through early access to 3D printing and digital fabrication tools. Instead of waiting for permission or perfect plans, he leaned into experimenting, building, and learning by doing. He even landed his first internship by walking in and showing what he built rather than waiting for a callback.
His time at MakerBot and later at Mevo gave him a front row seat to the realities of hardware. He saw how ideas evolve from rough concepts into physical products, and how messy that process actually is. Those experiences highlighted the gap between design and production, and how difficult it can be to move quickly without the right knowledge and people in place.
One of the biggest themes in the conversation is how hard it still is to go from prototype to production. Sam explains that most teams struggle not because of bad ideas, but because of poor communication, lack of experience, and distance from manufacturing. Decisions that seem small early on can create major issues later, especially when teams are disconnected from the factory floor.
Informal was built to solve that exact problem. Instead of acting like a traditional firm, it operates as a network that pairs companies with the right engineers, designers, and manufacturing experts. The goal is to help teams move faster, avoid common mistakes, and navigate the uncertainty that comes with building physical products. It is less about rigid process and more about matching the right people to the right problems at the right time.
Sam emphasizes that the fastest way to get better at hardware is to build real things and make real mistakes. Working across different industries, materials, and product types gave him a broad understanding of how things fail and how they succeed. That repetition builds intuition that cannot be replaced by theory alone.
The conversation also digs into the realities of manufacturing today, from working with overseas suppliers to managing remote teams. While tools and access have improved, the fundamentals have not changed. Clear communication, strong relationships, and proximity to the work still matter. The companies that succeed are the ones that stay close to the details while moving quickly.
At a higher level, the episode is about how accessible hardware has become, and how much opportunity still exists for people willing to start. With better tools, faster iteration, and networks like Informal, more ideas can make the jump from concept to reality. The challenge is not access anymore, it is execution.
Sam Holland joins Jim to talk about how a hands-on approach to building led him from early 3D printing to co-founding Informal, a network that helps turn ideas into real products. They break down the gap between prototype and production, and why experience, communication, and actually building things matter more than perfect plans.
