Mister Jalopy on building “better”

MAKE Contributing Editor, blogger, and DIY iconoclast Mister Jalopy is featured in a New York Times editorial on the Maker movement.

Mister Jalopy’s latest mission is taking the Maker mentality to manufacturers, urging them to make products that consumers can easily maintain, repair, repurpose or even reinvent.

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Lately, he has refined his thinking into a presentation arguing that manufacturers of hackable products profit from engaging the Maker mind-set. Instead of churning out disposables, they end up making collector’s items, and legendary brands. They turn customers into fierce advocates.

“I really want companies to start thinking about shared innovation,” he said, “to realize that they’re not selling to customers, but to collaborators.”

And apparently, he can now list “prophet” on his ever-growing list of job titles. Nice.

Mister Jalopy Wants to Make a Better World

More:

• A cavalcade of Mister Jalopy links o’ love