A random TikTok video sparked the idea for Sam McBroom MBA’19 to launch Strudel3D, an online business selling 3D-printed fidget keys. “This guy was talking about how a lot of people start 3D printing businesses and it doesn’t work out because they like to like download a bunch of stuff online that’s already out there,” McBroom said.
The guy in the video asked why people didn’t learn to make their own things—and that’s exactly what McBroom did. He already had an inexpensive 3D printer, so he learned 3D modeling and created fidget keys inspired by computer keyboards. Gamers buy them as desk accessories, and people with ADHD use them to help them focus.
In January 2022, McBroom launched an Etsy shop to test the market. In just over a year, his Etsy shop has had over 2,500 sales. McBroom says it’s a great test market because there’s very little upfront investment needed. “I’m much more comfortable putting something on there where the customers already are and seeing if people like it versus creating a whole Shopify store just to see if something works,” he explained. Strudel3D also sells through its own website now, too. McBroom still uses the original 3D printer, but it takes about 5 hours for one print, so he’s also purchased another printer that takes about one hour per print.
While earning his MBA at UTD, McBroom took a class in entrepreneurship and submitted an entry in the Big Idea Competition. Learning about the challenge of brick-and-mortar businesses in that class also made him see the benefits of operating online, as he’s doing now. “When you’re doing something online, the landscapes are a lot different and there’s a lot more flexibility in where you can sell,” he said.
Recently McBroom spoke to an elementary school class, and a student asked for advice on getting started. He encouraged them to avoid decision paralysis and just start. “If you’re trying to figure out what to do or where to start,” he said, “just like do things and don’t to give too much thought about whether they’re going to be the thing that’s going to define your life and change everything. Just do things that you would enjoy.”
