“The best opportunities are often ones where you’re being contrarian. That doesn’t mean being contrarian for contrarian’s sake, but it means you’re thoughtful about the risks of following the crowd”. David Sze, Entrepreneur investor, & managing partner venture capital Greylock Partners

When faced with the new, we are often reticent. We ask often others what they think before forming our own opinion. Indeed, our approach to the new often slows down new ideas making it difficult for new concepts to be put quickly into action. This is why innovation is often a slow process.

In business our approach is perhaps emphasized because taking that important initial leap of faith is highly risky. It is indeed just this that makes such people, influencers and leaders. They could be described as having great foresight, those who are more willing to take measured risks. In doing so they reap the benefits; often making huge profits before the “band waggon” arrives. However, those who come on board immediately after are also vital players and ensure a winning, profitable investment. These initial followers are pioneers, because they choose to take the little trodden path. Both are integral to the success of a project: and ensure that the new becomes a leader on a market place. As a whole; both influencers and pioneers, are the validators and that is why they are winners in the investment game.

All very well, you may say, but taking that risk can result in huge financial losses. This is true, however such decisions never come from just a gut feeling for a project. It is a combination of that and a studied evaluation of the facts. They are hard nosed decisions which have persuaded them to go against the caution of others.

As the world of ICO’s is rapidly growing, many may argue that the criteria to back the “right horse” is perhaps becoming tougher and criteria for making the “right” choice more nebulous. Or is it? The answer is no, not really. The criteria will, in fact never really change, because in the end of the day, the success for any project or product is not only based on the quality of the product,viability of its usage and market value. It is also about the people. An extraordinarily important factor to backing a project is, who is behind it.

Productivist is a project which certainly stands out from the crowd and deserves to be backed. It is an excellent concept: a viable answer to meeting the manufacturing industry real needs with a strong team behind it.

For those who are unfamiliar with Productivist, it is the first peer to peer network connecting private and professional manufacturers to their clients by mapping global manufacturing capacities. By using blockchain technology it will facilitate the supply chain making it easier for companies of all sizes to increase their manufacturing production capacity without increasing costs. (see whitepaper) As indicated above: a winning concept and a strong team.

So, who is behind this project and why do they have the right skillset to carry this project successfully?

Productivist is an idea which comes from a firm base. It is an idea which has been developed in a studied manner by a highly skilled team. At the helm of the team is Benjamin Pestel, founder of Freelabster (Freelabster.com): the European network of 3D printers and modellers. A 3D collaborative Printing platform, it connects clients with a quick and efficient solution to 3D printing at competitive prices and is the foundation stone of Productivist.

Pestel is a shrewd and adventurous entrepreneur who saw a growing gap in the 3D printing industry, whereby it was both difficult and highly expensive to 3D print an object. Finding an expert at the right price was nigh impossible. With a monopolized market 3D printing remained a fairly closed market and therefore an option for the few.

Freelabster demonstrates how manufacturers can connect to a trusted network and benedit from it

Freelabster was designed to meet this market gap. Pestel has expanded with determination and profound conviction his business and has been rewarded with rapid success. This is reflective of Pestel’s own character and approach to business. A leader and success driven: losing is not on Pestel’s business agenda. Seeing a project to its successful fruition is his only goal. This single-mindedness has shaped the choice of his partners (Stan Gobert and Melissa Igbi) who were selected for their like-minded approach. They have assured the outstanding performance that Freelabster has experienced over the past 2 years. Gobert has brought to the table his IT experience which has been essential to the recruitment process as well as to maintaining a sufficient skillset within the technical team. The project’s blockchain engineers form a highly competent multi-national team. Complementary to each other, they form a synergy which will ensure that the right demands of the project are met. Both Pestel and Gorbert, when asked about Productivist, more than often speak about their “handpicked” team clearly because they know that this is an essential element to the quality and viability of their project. Their Blockchain leader is Nicolas Merle. President of the Civis Blockchain Group and founder of Dotank, his expertise in his field partnered with his outgoing character makes Merle perfect for the project!

The sales and marketing team has likewise been carefully selected over the past two years. They have ensured Freelabster’s client needs and provided a flawless marketing strategy to promote Freelabster on the market..

Pestel has also been prudent in seeking advice from experts such as Jean Marie le Sueur, Patrick Musso, Daniel Doppler and Sebastien Griffon; all of whose precious advise has made sure that the concept has been fully explored and developed before bringing it to the market.

So, the team enthuses confidence making it a winning project: a concept full of genius, a viable product which has been carefully researched according to market needs but more importantly one which is backed by a highly capable and enthusiastic team who have the right characteristics to carry the project through to its successful fruition.

Productivist is certainly an opportunity to be grabbed because it has all the good reasons to be a winner. Presently, it is at the start of its adventure. It is at the most difficult step in the ICO process: the starting block. Standing on the threshold of innovation, it is ready for its influencers to grow and its pioneers to join them and become an integral part of changing the face of manufacturing as we know it.