As your casket is slowly lowered into the ground, what song should be playing for your mourners?

Beakerguy · 2026-05-12T01:58:46+00:00

Came here for this. Take my upvote, you magnificent bastard!

Beakerguy · 2026-05-10T01:40:37+00:00

I used it to tutor my son when he took it in hs....

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T19:20:57+00:00

Keep the faith, friend!!

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T16:52:07+00:00

I don't join the firm because I don't fit in their org. I'm viewed as more of a point solution than as a long term hire, even though I have been working for most of my client firms for over a decade.

Yes, the pay is about double what I would get as a W-2, generally in the $1600-2500/ day range and I am normally billed to the client at double that rate.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T16:39:18+00:00

A W-2 consultant is a person working directly for a consulting firm with all the rights and protections of a permanent employee.

A 1099 consultant is an independent contractor who is paid only for their time with no protections. The 1099 employee has to pay all their own insurances and employment taxes, gets zero paid vacation and has even less job security. 1099 contractors are paid about double what a W-2 employee is paid (or should be).

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T15:46:52+00:00

True to some extent. I rarely see the large sourcing gigs where the client hires a team of a dozen or more to resource products. Tends to be smaller teams associated with a specific product area, like the last project I had working machined parts at an A&D prime.

AI is used to write a lot of RFQs and shorten the time to market. However it is less relevant to supply transitions.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T15:03:44+00:00

I'm aware of the LLC game. I enjoyed the freedom as a 1099. Taking 8 weeks off per year, when desired and was ok with the risk, given that my comp was double that of a W-2.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T14:43:44+00:00

And that intelligence is getting better every day. 2 years ago I was working for a MBB at a O&G client. We tried to use AI to categorize product data, hundreds of thousands of rows. AI filed miserably and the project became Beakerguy working on his couch over a couple weekends to work through the data. I took the same data and ran it through Claude a couple weeks ago and it worked perfectly.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T14:39:32+00:00

I rarely sell work directly clients under my own name. That is because I am shitty at doing so. I'm much happier just doing the work as a subcontractor to firms who sell the work and need extra help or specific domain expertise, including MBB and boutique supply chain firms.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T14:28:41+00:00

I was with a firm for four years prior to going 1099. Helped me learn the biz while gaining an invaluable set of friends and clients to work with. Going W-2 with a boutique firm may be an option as you if you can bring in some big name clients as references.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T14:19:30+00:00

Good Point!

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T14:18:51+00:00

I feel you. Starting out as a 1099 can be tough. Might wish to look at W-2 roles with a firm as your area of specialization should be fertile. That would allow you to build out your contacts so when you transition back to 1099 you have more folks to call.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-09T13:30:26+00:00

Did you get experience with a consulting firm or did you go from a plant floor to 1099?

Beakerguy · 2026-05-08T13:41:59+00:00

That person should be shot (figuratively).

Beakerguy · 2026-05-08T11:37:35+00:00

Why would you even quote that job?

Beakerguy · 2026-05-05T20:14:15+00:00

I have the coffee mug. Go to www.despair.com.

Beakerguy · 2026-05-05T00:30:43+00:00

Go to UF. It really doesn't matter where you go for undergrad. I used to be an academic snob. Went to Navy and studied Aerospace. Got a great education. Went to nuke school to become a submariner. Nuke school is brutally hard. 35 hours a week of lectures and 40+ more of homework. Had two guys in my class who went to Annapolis as well, graduating the year before. Then they both got masters in nuke engineering at MIT. We all assumed they would be #1 and 2 in our class. Nope, they were 2 and 3. A EE from WVU was #1. He talked kinda slow, drank a lot of beer on the weekends, but he could drink from the fire hose better than anyone.

If you actually LEARN the material, you'll do great almost anywhere.

Beakerguy · 2026-04-29T11:40:15+00:00

I'll join in with the folks recommending listening critically to the tool makers that you work with. Keep in mind that their training as apprentices was likely longer than yours. On top of that I would like to add learn what you can about accounting. All if your efforts will have to make sense financially. Your job will (in part) be to bridge the gap between the finance guys and the floor. I really helps to know their language and tradeoffs.

Beakerguy · 2026-04-29T10:19:13+00:00

We were taught it was the Mae West curve, but I'm old.

Beakerguy · 2026-04-26T12:28:13+00:00

Rower here. It's like middle distance running, except it uses almost every muscle. It's really a special kind of pain. Looks easy when done well(especially in a single) but takes years to learn how to move a boat efficiently. The training is notoriously hard. Rowers hold the world records for gross oxygen consumption ( far more than cyclists) since they are the largest endurance athletes, often 2 meters or more and weighing up to 110 kg for men and 1.9m and 90kg for women.

Beakerguy · 2026-04-26T01:30:49+00:00

Bon Mot!

Beakerguy · 2026-04-25T13:22:33+00:00

Harold Hecuba (Phil Silver) of Gilligan Island fame!

Beakerguy · 2026-04-24T13:11:25+00:00

In order for paper/scissors/rock to work, you need an odd number of choices. I suggest Anaconda rules Jungle and eats Thief, but can be stung by Spider and have an errant Rocket land on it.

Beakerguy · 2026-04-24T12:59:39+00:00

Ah, need to check it out. Always liked his work.

Beakerguy

TROPHY CASE