Bad Decisions Podcast A Chat with the Founder of Blender, Ton Roosendaal
Sep 5, 2025
Ton Roosendaal, the visionary founder of Blender, shares his journey from creating an in-house tool to launching a global movement in open-source 3D software. He discusses Blender's rise, supported by a passionate community that overcame challenges. The talk dives into exciting future innovations like real-time physics and AI integration while emphasizing the blend of craftsmanship and technology. Roosendaal also highlights Blender's expanding influence across diverse industries, advocating for creative autonomy and collaboration among artists.
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Quality Over Quantity
- Ton prioritizes attracting higher-quality, successful users over raw user growth.
- He invests in community skill development so users can earn, create, and access markets.
Don’t Monetize Where Community Should Thrive
- Avoid competing with your community in monetizable spaces like tutorial videos or add-ons.
- Let the community build businesses around Blender so the ecosystem stays independent and diverse.
Community Bought Blender Back
- Ton Roosendaal raised funds and led a community buyback to make Blender open source after investors wanted to shelve it.
- He raised the target (€100,000) within seven weeks and secured the rights to free Blender for everyone.