Supporting Noah & Soren

Noah was already building a 3D printer inside a video game before we put this together. This isn't a project we invented for him. We're just funding what he already wants to do.

By the time he's sold his 50th item, Noah will understand pricing, margins, customer service, and what it means to earn — not be given — money. No classroom teaches that at 12 years old.

Matt runs the Anniston Downtown Farmers Market. Noah has a built-in venue, a market full of customers, and a dad who can introduce him to every vendor. The risk is low. The upside is real.

Noah and Soren split every dollar equally he earns for the first 3 months. He needs to feel what it's like to earn real money before we complicate it. This is how he buys in emotionally.

Once the printer is paid off (~Month 2), They pay us back $1.90 per print for filament. That's it. We don't take a cut of his labor or creativity.

If Headley Bros scales to Etsy or online and we're handling shipping and admin — a 10% fee is fair. He keeps 90%. Only applies when he's consistently over $500/month.

We're nearby. We're available. But Noah and Soren talk to customers. He makes change. He answers questions. The moment we do it for him, it stops being his business.

We can suggest. We can share data (this one sold 5, this one sold 0). But he decides what goes on the table. His taste, his call.

First sale is a big deal. First $100 is a big deal. First $500 is a big deal. We don't downplay it. He earned it.

This isn't only Noah's machine. It's a family tool. But Noah's business gets printing priority on market weeks.

The point of all this

By the time Noah is a teenager, he’ll know how to run a business — not from a textbook, but from actually doing it. He’ll know what a margin is. He’ll know what it feels like to earn a sale. He’ll know how to talk to strangers and handle money and make decisions. That’s worth more than the $491 we’re putting in.