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When it comes to unique, 'out there' startup ideas, it doesn't get much more far out than Ponoko. The simplified concept for customers: design your own custom product and someone will make it for you. Example products created for Ponoko users so far include custom chairs, jewelry, toys, wine racks, laptop stands. As if the concept of customers designing their own products and having them custom made wasn't enough, the company behind it all comes from New Zealand.

I've known Ponoko co-founder Dave ten Have in a professional capacity for over 10 years. We both live and work in Wellington, New Zealand. Ponoko is a remarkable concept, so I sat down with him to find out how he came up with the vision - and more importantly, turned it into reality.

Fabrication-on-demand service Ponoko launched a powerful new feature called Photomake today; now anyone can upload a photo of a drawn image and Ponoko will create a physical object based on that photo alone. This whole company is really fun but Photomake turns it into a generally accessible tool for those of us who aren't designers.

After uploading a photo of a drawing, users pick which of a list of materials they'd like their design created with and then Ponoko provides a cost for fabrication. The items aren't cheap but the experience looks fantastic. Check out the video demonstration below.