Handmade and personalized products, on demand

Dutch startup Made by Guru enables consumers to place requests for handmade goods from skilled craftspeople.

More and more consumers are shunning cookie-cutter products that come straight off the conveyor belt in favor of unique, personalized and crafted goods, something that has spurred the success of marketplaces such as Etsy. For consumers who don’t have the skills or time to bring a particular product idea into life, Dutch startup Made by Guru is now enabling consumers to place requests for handmade goods from skilled craftspeople.

Currently using the company’s Facebook page the main communication platform — its site is still under development — users can put in a request for an item by posting a description, uploading relevant pictures and adding information such as location, category, or required skills. The team’s ‘Gurus’ can then indicate their availability to work on the project and consumers can select their preferred crafter. Items can include any type of sewing, knitting, woodwork or even 3D printing, and the product and price are sent to the requester after it’s been made. Anyone with a craft skill can apply to become a Guru in their neighborhood.

The idea behind Made By Guru makes it possible for consumers to order truly unique and personalized goods, made by hand. Are there more ways to use technology to deliver unique goods to consumers?