Democratization and Disintermediation: Disruptive Technologies and the Future of Making Things

OVERVIEW: The forces of democratization and disintermediation, largely unleashed by the software revolution, have already remade several major industries, among them computing, publishing, and retail. Democratization and disintermediation are related forces; disintermediation removes traditional barriers to accessing tools and markets, and democratization encourages one-time consumers to also become producers, sharing their ideas and innovations freely. 3D printing and related technologies are rapidly bringing these forces to manufacturing, forever changing how we make things.