When I started using tech in my furniture business, I faced a big decision:
Should I buy one of those expensive, all-in-one woodworking software systems?
They looked powerful — but also way out of my budget.
So I made a different choice:
I picked the cheapest software that could solve one problem at a time.
I Didn’t Need Fancy — I Needed Freedom
At that time, my biggest pain was this:
Every cabinet had to be built manually.
Every hole drilled by hand.
And I had to be there — every single time.
What I really wanted was a clone of myself.
That’s when the idea hit me:
Just like Naruto’s “Shadow Clone Jutsu,” I wanted more hands working at once — even if I wasn’t there.
CNC machines became my clones.
And software was the command center.
The First Software Was Hard — But It Worked
The software I chose was:
- Cheap
- Powerful
- And extremely hard to use.
I had to manually model every panel.
Add every connector by hand.
The UI was clunky, and there were no tutorials in my language.
But the result?
✅ My team could scan barcodes
✅ The CNC drilled everything with 100% accuracy
✅ And I didn’t have to stand there anymore
That was my real Shadow Clone moment.
One Year, One Tool, One Big Leap
I used that software for a full year.
It wasn’t perfect.
It was slow.
But it worked.
And during that time, I saved enough money to start upgrading to better tools — tools that could do the same work with less manual setup, less effort, and more flexibility.
But I’m proud I started the way I did.
Because that first step gave me production freedom — before I could afford expensive automation.
My Advice?
You don’t need to buy the most expensive system on day one.
You need to understand your problem, pick the cheapest tool that solves it, and get moving.
Even if it’s hard to use.
Even if no one else is using it.
Let the software be your Shadow Clone.
Free yourself up, one smart tool at a time.
— Doe