(June 2023) The keys beneath my fingers raced as I tried to gather my last thoughts prior to the impending conversation. You see, the subject and I have a rather dull past and would not think of each other more than mere acquaintances within the 3D printing industry. Yet here we were together.

“I hear the keyboard clicking, has the interview started?” asked Daniel Hutchinson, the CTO at PostProcess Technologies.

To his surprise, the interview had indeed begun. However, I was quick to remind him that we were both embarking on this discussion without much direction or guidance. “Let’s go for it,” I said and we began. While Daniel’s path and mine have not intertwined often,  he has opened himself to me several times about his life. Through these encounters, I’ve learned a lot about his personality. When the opportunity came to conduct an interview together, I was simultaneously curious and apprehensive. I thought to myself, what can the angle be? 

Well, I found out and it’s not what you or I may have expected. Many may know Daniel Hutchinson, as a demanding Founder/ CTO and a fiercely competitive visionary, but my goal was to take this interview beyond the obvious and learn more about Daniel, the human. Together, Daniel and I sat down to take a peek behind the curtain and examine what makes a good leader, and how his family perceives his professional endeavors.

Who is Daniel Hutchinson?

Born in an abusive situation in Sanford, FL, and raised by a surrogate family in Buffalo, New York, Hutchinson spent his later youth and teenage years on a farm. In his words, “Born in the South, perfected in the North”. Graduating from Orchard Park High School, then off to the US Navy as a flight engineer, he worked for one of the largest defense primes in the world, Northrop Grumman, and is currently the CTO at PostProcess Technologies. PostProcess is a global company that started in his garage and has enabled hundreds of companies and users to embrace additive manufacturing in their businesses.   

But most of that you already know. What you may not know is that Daniel is a husband to Darlene M. Hutchinson, father to Ethan and Alyssa, and expecting another son any day now. By the time this is published, his second son will be born. Otherwise, Darlene is likely growing very impatient and I feel for you. 

In a moment of self-reflection, I asked Daniel to describe himself in three words. After a long pause of silence then carefully, he stated that he was, “Afraid. Resilient. Optimistic.” 

His first response, “Afraid,” caught me off guard. Nonetheless, I was intrigued, so I dove further into the conversation and began to see a pattern. Daniel is a man who is tirelessly working because as he states, “loves the chase, but hates the destination. Life goes in one direction and understood in another.” His never-satisfied mentality is driven by an insatiable fear of failure but also by this nagging need for acceptance. You may see a bold and witty executive leader on the outside but like most of us, he shares similar flaws and weaknesses. Maybe more than most.

(L) Daniel J. Hutchinson, AT2 NAC/ AW (1999) (R) Daniel Hutchinson featured in Buffalo Business Insider (2021)

Daniel, why do you care what other people think?

“I have been called an (expletive) numerous times,” he stated. “I was told that I was not a senior leader, one of thousands like me, that I am the largest depreciator of morale. The list goes on and on. I’m measured by other people’s expectations and if you do something that’s worth doing, you are going to upset some people.”

There is a history within his lifetime of being told to slow down and let others catch up. Hutchinson explained that his forced perceptions of his inability to communicate properly with people have caused tension in his personal and professional relationships. The label “expletive” was used several times throughout our conversation. While I don’t claim to be a therapist or psychologist, it became clear that he struggles with (a) being an expletive and (b) being called an expletive. 

“I make people uncomfortable,” he said. “People lash out at me. Those same people think I’m unhinged with no boundaries, but they are wrong and insecure. If you take the time to learn about me as a human then you will realize that there are more layers than you think.” 

Daniel would also share that he is not a very good politician and his approach to leadership may not always align with the expectation. “People have their own vision of what a leader should be and if I don’t fit their vision then I have already lost.” 

When pressed on this notion further, Hutchinson responded, “I am most excited when people feel they can win when I’m on their team. However, when others are the stars of their own movie, they don’t always want you to be the co-star.”

It’s clear that the lone wizard believes that he is always right but it gets complicated when other brains and personalities are involved. As a prominent leader, Hutchinson is tasked to manage a multitude of responsibilities, budgets, and expectations, but managing people is something that he is working to improve.

Daniel, what makes a good leader?

“Being a good leader requires vision, resiliency, and the ability to hire the right people,” he said confidently. “I’ve learned that there is a difference between ‘good people’ and the ‘right people’. The right people know that they will not be perfect all the time and that sort of humility is an important piece of learning and adapting.” He explained the value of hiring people who are not just competent, but those who are addicted to details and able to execute.

“It’s not about the business, it’s about the people,” as he took a deep breath to reflect on the statement. At that moment, I too reflected on a previous conversation Daniel and I shared months prior. At the time I was starting my own business and self-promoting on LinkedIn, when Daniel called and immediately offered me several projects to work on with him. During that conversation, I learned a few things about this man. First, he doesn’t sleep much. Second, the hours that he is awake are rampant. And lastly, I learned that he is very generous with his time and is most fulfilled when helping others. I was a nobody to Daniel but he offered me a helping hand when he didn’t have to. 

Whether it’s technical competency, emotional intelligence, confidence, optimism, delegation skills, good communication, empathy, etc., any generic business school will tell you that a good leader must have certain qualities in order to succeed. I asked myself, which of these qualities does Daniel possess? Since our conversation began, I understand the man better now but I still don’t work for him, which leaves me guessing... However, without a doubt,  I can say that the one trait he does possess is selflessness. While you may not read that in a typical “how to lead” book, I personally believe it’s an important characteristic for any good leader. 

Daniel Hutchinson mentors startups; Bounce Imaging seeks talent in Buffalo (Buffalo Business Insider 2021)

We now know more about Daniel, the business person, but how does his wife perceive him?

Throughout the interview, Daniel provided some really great one-liners and witty smart-ass comments so I tried catching him off guard with the following question, “How would your wife describe you?” I thought I was smart but Daniel didn’t hesitate.

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask her,” he proceeded to hand the phone to Darlene.  Nothing like hearing the answer straight from the source.

With respect to the conversation that Daniel and I had, I provided Darlene with a summary of our interview and tried to provide context where I could. But without much hesitancy, I dove into the second part of the conversation with Daniel’s wife. 

What is Daniel afraid of?

“Rejection or not being heard,” she said. “His brain is thinking too much and is going too fast. It’s hard for him to always articulate correctly so people may misunderstand him and probably why he thinks, they think he is an (expletive).”

What is something people don’t know about him?

“He is very sensitive,” Darlene stated. “He’s a workaholic who spends a lot of time creating or helping. He really enjoys working with kids and being a good role model.”

What makes him human?

“I don’t know,” she said jokingly. “He is learning empathy but it’s hard for him. He admits when he is wrong and is generally accepting of others but when he believes he is right then it’s his way.” 

What are three words that you would use to describe Daniel?

“Workaholic. Generous. Family Man,” Darlene said without hesitation, “He always wants to do more, give more, produce more, and be more.” 

It was a delight to speak with Darlene, who was nine months pregnant and completely caught off guard by her sudden involvement in our conversation. Her candid and honest responses about her husband helped me understand the human behind the hard-ass. Darlene, by the time you read this, I want to thank you again and congratulate you on your son, Kai Daniel Hutchinson. 

Closing Thoughts: Being Human

The interview with Daniel went in several directions, and truthfully, the man is much more complicated than any 1500-word article. I promised you the reader at the beginning that I would share Daniel’s angle and here it is. 

Daniel Hutchinson is a highly successful entrepreneur, friend and dad, who started one of the most prominent additive manufacturing companies in his garage and used his bathroom tub to do experiments. The success of PostProcess Technologies, amongst others, is built on his never-satisfied work ethic that is either admired or admonished by those who cross paths with him. Those who do not take the time to learn more about him might be faced with misinterpretation, as Daniel’s inability to empathetically communicate can oftentimes result in. Even the people who do know Daniel well enough have certainly had a few choice words for him in the past. Masterminds are often misunderstood. Does this make him any different? 

No. In fact, I think Daniel is taking the first steps to acknowledge that he is flawed and willing to admit that publicly. Again, I ask, what’s his angle? Instead of being a self-proclaimed introvert who uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism, I believe he is transitioning to an introspective and humble person asking for acceptance. I could sit here and tell you all the stories that he has shared with me about the community projects he is involved in, the kids he helps on a daily basis, or the acts of generosity that fill his cup. But if you really want to know the Daniel Hutchinson, I recommend asking him yourself, you will be surprised.