If you’ve spent any time scouring the 3D technology space over the last decade, you've probably stumbled across the name Francisco Doob or the company DOOB USA. It’s a niche world. It is also a world that underwent a massive, somewhat chaotic transformation right before our eyes. Honestly, looking at a Francisco Doob LinkedIn profile today gives you a sanitized, professional snapshot of a career, but it misses the grit. It misses the era when "Doobing" yourself was actually a thing people did at major sports stadiums and high-end malls.
3D body scanning used to feel like science fiction. Now, it’s basically the backbone of digital fashion and gaming avatars. But back when DOOB USA was hitting its stride, it was all about the physical "Doob"—a high-detail 3D printed figurine that looked exactly like you.
The Origins of Francisco Doob and the DOOB USA Vision
Technology moves fast. One minute you're the cutting edge of "shrunk" replicas, and the next, the world has moved on to the metaverse. Francisco Doob’s journey is tethered to this specific arc of 3D scanning technology. Based on public records and professional networking data, he emerged as a central figure in the American expansion of the German-founded Doob Group.
It wasn't just about selling a toy. The goal was deeper. They wanted to digitize the human form.
Think about the sheer technical debt involved in that. You need a massive photogrammetry rig. You need dozens of high-end DSLR cameras firing simultaneously to capture a split-second 3D image. You need proprietary software to stitch those images into a mesh that doesn't look like a melted candle. Francisco Doob was at the helm of the U.S. operations during a period where DOOB USA was opening retail "Dooblicators" in places like New York’s Chelsea Market and the SoHo district.
Why the LinkedIn narrative is just the surface
Most people check a Francisco Doob LinkedIn page to verify credentials or see a timeline of employment. Boring. The real story is how DOOB USA tried to bridge the gap between a physical retail experience and high-end tech.
You’ve probably seen the kiosks. They looked like something out of Star Trek. You walk in, strike a pose, and sixty cameras go click.
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Francisco Doob’s role wasn't just administrative. Leading a tech startup in the 3D space requires a weird mix of understanding optics, software engineering, and—believe it or not—the psychology of vanity. People are incredibly picky about how they look in 3D. If the lighting is off or the mesh is slightly too wide, the customer hates it. Managing that expectation across multiple U.S. locations is a logistical nightmare that most LinkedIn summaries just label as "Operational Leadership."
The Tech Behind DOOB USA: Beyond the Figurines
Let’s talk shop. Most people think of 3D printing as a slow nozzle extruding plastic. That’s hobbyist stuff. DOOB USA utilized full-color sandstone printing.
It’s a process called Binder Jetting.
- A thin layer of powder is spread.
- An inkjet head drops glue and color.
- Repeat a thousand times.
- Vacuum away the excess dust.
The result is a fragile but stunningly realistic miniature. However, the business model wasn't just about the physical product. Under the direction of leaders like Francisco Doob, the company was eyeing the data. If you have a perfect 3D scan of a thousand people, you have a dataset that is incredibly valuable for the medical industry, the garment industry, and fitness tracking.
That’s where the "USA" part of DOOB USA becomes relevant. The American market has a different appetite for data privacy and "selfie culture" than the European market where the tech originated. Francisco Doob had to navigate that cultural shift.
The Challenges of Scaling 3D Retail
It’s hard. Running a retail business is already a grind, but adding high-maintenance 3D scanning equipment into the mix? That’s just asking for trouble.
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One of the biggest hurdles for DOOB USA was the "Uncanny Valley." You know, that feeling when something looks almost human but just wrong enough to be creepy. If a scan had a slight shadow under the nose that looked like a mustache, the product was ruined. This meant the post-production process—the digital cleanup—was where the real work happened.
Behind the scenes, the company had to employ digital artists to "clean up" the scans.
Francisco Doob’s leadership coincided with a push to make this process more efficient. But efficiency in 3D is a bit of a paradox. You can automate the mesh generation, but you can't always automate the "art" of making someone look like their best self.
The Sports and Celebrity Connection
DOOB USA didn't stay confined to malls. They went big.
They partnered with professional sports teams. Imagine being a season ticket holder and getting a 3D scan of yourself in your favorite team’s jersey, standing next to a 3D scan of the star quarterback. This was the "experiential" side of the business that Francisco Doob helped facilitate. It moved the company from a "cool gift shop" vibe to a legitimate marketing partner for billion-dollar franchises.
Examining the Current State of Francisco Doob’s Career
If you look for Francisco Doob on LinkedIn today, you'll see a professional who has pivoted. This is the natural lifecycle of the tech industry. The "Doob" era as a standalone retail phenomenon has largely transitioned into more specialized industrial and medical applications.
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Why? Because everyone has a 3D scanner in their pocket now.
The iPhone's LiDAR sensor changed everything. Suddenly, you didn't need a $100,000 booth to get a 3D model of your face. You just needed an app.
But here’s the thing: those phone scans still suck compared to what DOOB USA was doing. The professional-grade photogrammetry that Francisco Doob managed is still the gold standard for high-fidelity assets. If you're making a movie or a high-end AAA video game, you're not using an iPhone. You're using a rig like the one Doob popularized.
Actionable Insights for 3D Tech Enthusiasts
If you’re following the career of someone like Francisco Doob or looking to get into the 3D scanning space yourself, don't just look at the hardware. Look at the workflow.
The value isn't in the camera; it's in the data processing and the user experience.
How to Leverage This Knowledge:
- Don't ignore photogrammetry. Despite the rise of LiDAR, photogrammetry (using photos to create 3D models) remains the king of texture and color accuracy. If you want to build digital twins, learn the software—specifically things like RealityCapture or Metashape.
- Study the "Retail-Tech" failure points. DOOB USA showed that "experience" sells, but "utility" scales. If you're building a tech product, ask yourself if it solves a problem or just provides a 5-minute "wow" moment.
- Network strategically. When looking at professional profiles like Francisco Doob’s, pay attention to the connections between the German tech hubs and the U.S. markets. The most interesting innovations usually happen when a technology is "translated" from one culture to another.
- Monitor the "Digital Twin" market. We are moving toward a world where your 3D avatar will be your primary identity in virtual spaces. The pioneers of DOOB USA were essentially the early architects of this digital identity.
The story of Francisco Doob and DOOB USA is a classic tale of being slightly ahead of the curve. The tech was brilliant, the execution was ambitious, and the vision of a "digitized you" is now more relevant than ever—even if it's no longer sitting on your mantelpiece as a 4-inch sandstone figurine. Keep an eye on the veterans of this space; they’re the ones currently building the back-end of the next internet.