That’s not a bad thing down the road, if your needs dictate it.
I’ve owned a few brands and there is no easier system to get up and going.
It’s really a pretty magical combination… I can’t tell from your posts if you’re trying to monetize the device (or product), but I say a pretty magical combination in the sense of its relatively affordable in the grand scheme of things as far as equipment to start a business; and ease of use that allows you to focus on designing things rather than modifying things, aligning mirrors, etc.
I won’t lie and say that reliability shouldn’t be or isn’t a concern. And support seems to really be off their game the past 6-7 weeks, in terms of long response times, etc. It hasn’t historically been as bad (support-wise) as it is right now, for whatever reason. The reliability of the systems can be a concern - it’s usually stupid little things like the lid cable, a bearing/wheel, etc.
The fact is, IMO (it can be fact and opinion, right?) that you’re never going to get an all-in-one device — that being a device that has rock solid reliability, rock solid support, that is easy to use, requires minimal tinkering with, etc. None of these machines are guaranteed to work right at delivery, but I do know that Glowforge will get it taken care of and fixed. Albeit the response may be a little slower than anyone would like, at this point in time.
In fact, they seem to be overly generous in replacing machines even when user error is the issue. I know of several people who have had several machines, only to find out it ended up being user error… (that’s probably something that should be sussed out on the support end, but it does show the lengths they’ll go to, to try and make their owner base happy).
So it kind of depends on you, and what you’re comfortable with, and want to focus on. If you want to spend time learning how to be a laser operator, there are a number of other systems out there. If you want to spend time learning how to be a laser technician, there are a number of other systems out there. If you want to put forth more effort designing things than trying to make things work, this is a pretty good system.
Again, my opinion, building a business is tough. Especially a traditional home-based start up - which is almost always under-capitalized, under-staffed, one person wearing all of the hats. It can be tough if the machine breaks and you’re not able to make anything for a few weeks. It can be tough trying to align or realign mirrors or figure out some other technical issue. They all take time away from the building of your business.
You will have some sort of issues, at some point, with any and all of these systems - $500 k40, $2000 Omtech, $4000 Glowforge, Thunder, Aeon, Universal, Epilog, Trotec. All of them. I promise. Part of your plan should be to establish a SHTF ( hit the fan plan) - what to do when stuff doesn’t work. What’s your back up plan?
Personally, I think from a starting perspective, it’s easier to learn about being a designer and building in that way, than having to be an operator or technician. The operator and technician stuff, you’ll kind of learn along the way - not entirely, because the GF doesn’t require a ton of that stuff, but some of the very basics, familiarity, and confidence.
If down the road, your growing business dictates something larger, more powerful, faster, the transition isn’t incredibly difficult… but when you do make that transition, you’ll probably realize how much you’ve learned about these systems, and how having to learn all of that up front to even use the system can be tough.
Just my .02.