Reimagining How Machine Parts Get Made: Mitch Free, Founder of ZYCI and MFG.com Artwork

The Masters of Engineering Podcast

Cool Products, the People Who Develop Them, and How They Do It. Host Jon Hirschtick chats with innovators in product development and explores what it takes to turn ideas into reality.

All Episodes

The Masters of Engineering Podcast

Reimagining How Machine Parts Get Made: Mitch Free, Founder of ZYCI and MFG.com

July 22, 2020 • Matt Butler • Season 1 • Episode 4

0:00 | 28:24

Mitch Free is a college dropout who partnered with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to build MFG.com, the first online marketplace bringing together product designers and manufacturers. The serial entrepreneur is now seeking to improve the way every machine part in the world gets made. He’s currently the founder and CEO of ZYCI (pronounced “ZEE-key”), a CNC-machining, plastic molding and additive manufacturing company serving the aerospace and defense industries.

In this podcast, Mitch reminisces with Jon about his unusual career path from refurbishing used aircraft for Northwest Airlines to running his own design software business to figuring out how to cut Ferrium M54, one of the toughest steels ever made.