Marty Odlin
Bamboo Bike Studio
Brooklyn, NY USA
"You don't have many chances to get on something you really like. If you're lucky in life, you get one....but they're not just gonna keep coming. So as soon as you see something, go at it as hard as you can."
Career Roadmap
Marty's work combines: Design, Engineering, and Working Independently
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap QuizSkills & Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Engineering, General
Dartmouth College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He says he was never a "bike fanatic," but he rode and raced bikes through middle school and high school.
2.
When he was entering the workforce, he was having trouble deciding between his multiple interests throughout art and engineering.
3.
Took a job in product design because he thought it'd interest him, but the repetition of getting up everyday and going to the same place bored him.
4.
Decided picking up a hobby might help his boredom; decided he'd build his own bike.
5.
Originally built the bike frame out of bamboo just so he could get the feel for the construction; planned on redoing it with steel later on.
6.
He realized that the bamboo frame could actually support the wheels and his weight, and knew he had a really cool product on his hands.
7.
Saw his opportunity-says until then, not many things had grabbed his interest, so he ran with this bike business; quickly gained a huge clientele.
8.
Says the best part of starting his own business is that it's constantly evolving and there's always something new for him to learn or do.