There's a word that gets thrown around in the small business and maker communities that I think we've gotten a little too comfortable using.
Gatekeeping.
Someone won't tell you where they buy their supplies? Gatekeeping.
Someone won't share their manufacturer? Gatekeeping.
Someone doesn't want to explain exactly how they make something? You guessed it. Gatekeeping.
But somewhere along the way, I think we've started confusing gatekeeping with something entirely different: protecting your business.
And before somebody gets their feathers ruffled, I'm not suggesting that gatekeeping doesn't exist. It absolutely does. I've encountered people who seem to take personal offense to someone new entering their craft, and I've watched perfectly reasonable questions get met with unnecessary hostility.
But I've also watched people get accused of gatekeeping simply because they weren't willing to hand over information they'd spent years, and sometimes a considerable amount of money, figuring out.
Those are two very different situations.
Nobody Owes You Their Business
I've been doing this long enough to know that there's no magical supplier, manufacturer, or piece of equipment that guarantees success.
There's a lot of trial and error involved in building a business. I've purchased products that looked fantastic in photos and turned out to be complete garbage. I've ordered samples that never made it into my inventory. I've invested money into ideas that didn't work, and I've spent countless hours figuring out what does.
Those mistakes cost money, but they also taught me something. And that knowledge has value.
I'll happily tell someone what 3D printers I use. I'll talk about filament, designers, and why I prefer certain materials or techniques. I've shared resources and recommended products that I genuinely believe in.
But that doesn't mean I'm obligated to provide every supplier relationship I've developed or explain every detail of how my business operates.
I work with people who have invested their own time building relationships with manufacturers. Those relationships aren't mine to hand out simply because someone asks.
That's not gatekeeping. That's respecting the business relationships that help keep my own business running.
And here's something else worth considering: even if I handed someone the name of a manufacturer, that doesn't mean they'd automatically receive the same pricing, minimum order quantities, shipping arrangements, or quality of product.
Knowing where something comes from and knowing how to source it successfully are not the same thing.
Sharing Knowledge Isn't the Same as Sharing Your Playbook
I've had people ask questions about products I sell, and most of the time, I'm happy to answer them.
I've even had someone photograph my products with the intention of figuring out how to recreate them.
Was it flattering? Not particularly. But did it make me want to stop sharing everything I know? No.
Because there's more to making a product than simply figuring out what materials went into it.
Take 3D printing, for example. Two people can use the same printer, the same filament, and the same design and still produce two very different finished products.
Print speeds matter. Infill matters. Finishing matters. The decisions you make throughout the process matter.
I can tell someone what equipment I use without teaching them every single adjustment I've made through experience.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
There's a difference between helping someone learn a craft and giving them a step-by-step blueprint for recreating your business.
I also think intent matters.
Someone who's genuinely interested in learning, asks thoughtful questions, and wants to understand the process is very different from someone who seems interested only in finding the quickest way to duplicate what another business has already built.
That doesn't mean we should automatically assume the worst about people. It means we're allowed to use our judgment when deciding how much information we're comfortable sharing.
We Accept Trade Secrets Everywhere Else
Here's something I've always found interesting about this conversation.
Dr Pepper has built its identity around 23 flavors, but the company doesn't publicly release its complete formula.
KFC has spent decades advertising its secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.
And WD-40? Its original formula has been kept proprietary for generations.
These are products people purchase and use every single day. We don't generally expect those companies to hand over their formulas so someone else can recreate them.
We recognize that their recipes, processes, and proprietary information are part of what makes their businesses unique.
So why do we suddenly have different expectations when it comes to small businesses?
If a company with thousands of employees can protect the formula that makes its product unique, why should someone operating a small business be expected to disclose every supplier, manufacturing relationship, or production method they've worked to establish?
I'm not suggesting my little business operates on the same scale as Dr Pepper or KFC. Obviously, it doesn't. But the principle of protecting information that gives a business its identity or competitive advantage isn't exclusive to corporations.
I'll happily tell you which 3D printers I use. I'll share resources, discuss techniques, and help someone avoid a costly mistake.
But that doesn't mean I'm obligated to share every supplier relationship I've spent years developing.
There's a difference between sharing knowledge and handing someone the keys to your business.
Sometimes Speaking Up Is Necessary
Now, there's one area where my feelings about sharing information change considerably.
Safety.
I've encountered people making products without understanding the testing or safety requirements that may apply to them.
Baby products are a good example.
Just because you can purchase silicone beads advertised as food-grade doesn't automatically mean you can assemble them into a teether and safely sell the finished product.
There are requirements and responsibilities that go beyond buying materials and putting them together.
I've asked makers questions about those requirements, only to discover they genuinely didn't know. In one situation, the person ultimately decided to discontinue the product line.
I wasn't trying to embarrass them, eliminate competition, or tell them they didn't belong in the maker community. I was concerned about the potential for someone to get hurt.
There's a difference between protecting a business secret and withholding information that could prevent physical harm.
If I know something presents a legitimate safety concern, I'm going to speak up.
Because protecting our businesses shouldn't come at the expense of protecting the people who purchase from us.
We Didn't All Start in the Same Place
This is where I think the conversation gets a little more complicated.
Not everybody enters the maker community with the same resources.
Some people have incredible mentors who walk them through everything. Others have friends or family members who already understand the industry.
And some people start with absolutely nothing but an idea and a willingness to learn.
I don't believe someone is entitled to another person's knowledge simply because they ask for it. But I also don't believe we should treat every beginner like they're an inconvenience.
We all started somewhere.
Maybe you had someone who showed you the ropes. Maybe you figured everything out through YouTube videos, Facebook groups, and expensive mistakes.
Neither experience makes you more deserving of a place in the community.
And while you're certainly allowed to say no when someone asks for information, there's no reason that no has to come wrapped in an attitude.
You can protect your business without being unnecessarily nasty to someone who's simply trying to learn.
In fact, I think the people who respond to every question with hostility sometimes do more damage to the maker community than the competition they're so worried about.
Pricing Is Another Part of This Conversation
I've seen people question why two businesses selling seemingly identical products have dramatically different prices.
Sometimes the assumption is that the more expensive business must be overcharging.
But pricing isn't always that simple.
One person might be purchasing materials from Amazon at retail prices. Another might have spent months sourcing directly from a manufacturer, ordering samples, negotiating pricing, and purchasing larger quantities.
Their costs are different. Their business models are different. And their finished prices may reflect those differences.
That doesn't automatically mean one person is gouging customers or the other is undercutting the market.
It means there are factors behind the price tag that customers, and even other makers, may never see.
I've worked to establish sourcing relationships that allow me to offer certain products at prices I'm comfortable with. That doesn't mean I have to share every detail of those relationships to justify what I charge.
And it certainly doesn't mean someone else is doing something wrong because their costs are higher than mine.
Protecting the Community Matters, Too
I think there's room for both boundaries and generosity in this industry.
You can recommend a helpful resource without sharing your private supplier. You can explain a process without giving away every detail of your production methods. You can warn someone about a potential problem without making them feel stupid for not already knowing.
And you can decline to answer a question without turning it into a personal attack.
I've made mistakes. I've bought bad products. I've lost money learning lessons I probably could have avoided if I'd known what questions to ask.
Those experiences helped build my business, but they don't give me a reason to look down on someone who hasn't had them yet.
At the same time, I don't believe every lesson I've learned needs to become public information.
There's a balance, and finding that balance is something each business owner has to figure out for themselves.
So Where's the Line?
For me, it comes down to intent, respect, and boundaries.
If someone wants to learn, I'm generally happy to point them in the right direction. If someone is creating something potentially unsafe, I'll speak up. And if someone asks for information that I consider proprietary to my business or that would compromise a relationship I've worked to establish, I'm comfortable declining.
None of those positions contradict each other.
Nobody is entitled to your suppliers, your processes, or the knowledge you've worked hard to develop. But being protective of your livelihood doesn't mean you have to be protective of every scrap of information that might help someone else succeed.
And I think that's where the real difference between gatekeeping and protecting your business starts to become clear.
You can keep your supplier information private without discouraging someone from entering your industry. You can establish boundaries without making people feel unwelcome. And you can be proud of everything you've built without treating someone else's ambition as a threat.
I've always believed there's room for people who genuinely want to learn, grow, and build something of their own. That doesn't mean we all have to share everything, and it certainly doesn't mean we have to agree on where those boundaries should be.
But keeping the maker community a place where people feel comfortable learning benefits all of us.
Protect what you've built. Just don't confuse protecting your business with shutting the door on everyone coming behind you.
Let's Talk About It
Where do you draw the line between sharing knowledge and protecting your business?
Have you ever been accused of gatekeeping for setting a boundary, or encountered someone who made learning a new craft unnecessarily difficult?
I'd genuinely love to hear your perspective, because this is one of those conversations where I don't think there's a single answer that works for everyone.
Until next time,
The Lad