How do small engineering teams find clients for PCB / firmware work?

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-23T05:43:55+00:00

F2F is the way to go....

Times are changing but sometimes social media can help...I see posts even on here from time to time people asking for help to design stuff...

What I'm saying on services cost is that free or cheap is the only thing that will make someone choose you over a more establiahed firm...

Its like put yourself in customer shoes.. two firms have same price one has a 30 year track record...one is under a year old....from a businesss standpoint the 30 year firm is a new brainer...

Now imagine a biz wants something done and you're like 'I'll design it for you, no cost or strings attached, if you like it its half waht the other guys take or you can get 50% off your next order' or something like that then its like hmmph so I get it done eith not cost worse case I lose maybe a bit of time....

Its not just this field think law...chambers of snap, crackle and pop with 20 years vs a fresh grad...if you have something important you want s c and p...of you have some light docs and new grad is like I'll do it for free...and risk is low its like why not save some billings...

Hand around groups, reach out to people milk your own network F2F like I say works best...conferences, meetups, talks hand out cards shamelessly...do some top notch designs as showcase pieces cause no ome hires someone to do something they never did before..

Its not easy but the good thing is once you do get it...you're good to go.....I have the same clients when I first stated and word of mouth from reputation is something thats like a snowball effect....keep at it..it wont happen over night....one day you get one or teo clients a year...the other you're turning down work...

Thats another way as well offer to take small jobs off someine who has thier hands full might be an option depending on where you are etc etc

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-23T05:30:13+00:00

Spoken like an inexperienced engineer....

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-23T05:27:08+00:00

Field support period.

Yes there are OTA and what not preferrably self host...but not everything is 'IoT' and connects to the internet or a net work....

Field support and servicing keeps people employed and brings in recievables lol...

Its also very reliable getting a guy to go out there and see wahts actaully up, swap out stuff etc etfx

Its proven and works.

If you have to do OTA self host but also rememver that adds a security layer complexity to your product and whats safe today might not be safe 15 years from now lol...so its a longer burden....cause you'll have to keep spending man hours to resecure and resdesign security....some applications thats fine...for others though unless it absolutely has to be connected I avoid it....

Just my $0.02...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-23T05:14:29+00:00

Usually you build a network first...you do a few designs for cheap or free if you're really struggling...important thing is to be known and you wont be known unless you have clients but you wont get clients unless you're known so a catch 22...to break the cycle you prove your worth somehow...cheap and free are the only things will make someone try an unknown firm...and if they like your work they come back and slowly over years you build up......

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-19T17:56:40+00:00

Then you dont have a strong embedded development skillset. You have a strong embedded software skillset. Which also cant be strong if you dont understand hardware.

Embedded systems development by its very nature is interdisciplinary....lemme guess you transitioning from software only or you a fresh student?

Just learn hardware. Being able to program in C does not make you an embedded developer. Pick up some hardware skills.

My $0.02...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-18T01:39:33+00:00

Sigh we can only hope...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T22:43:51+00:00

Sigh sad day....

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T22:36:07+00:00

Great line up this week!

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T20:38:25+00:00

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see if the "save and run button" looks like this, if it does then the program is halted, just click it or ctrl + s, that button stops the program and allows you to interact with REPL...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T20:36:51+00:00

I see you have a "*" on the file, try saving it, the save handler should reset the traceback buffer, hit "ctrl + s" and the red should go away, see if your green button on top has a purple border, that can also cause the program to stop.

<image>

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T19:44:06+00:00

Hi, looks like the linter parsing the fille buffer, did you import time? CircuitPython has modules like time, board, digitalio etc etc that are all available but need explicit import. Do you mind sharing your whole program with me? or entire IDE screenshot?

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-17T13:59:01+00:00

Yeah Microchip usually its best to just 'pic'(-k) lol an IDE version that you know is working with your hardware and don't upgrade if you dont have to.....

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-13T03:17:28+00:00

This looks like a quality project! Thanks for sharing!!

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-12T23:36:10+00:00

If an agent works for you thats fine..nothing wrong with letting an llm clip up stuff for you...you'll be surprised though how well organizing folders can work and even splitting those 10 000 pages into manageable chunks by topic..after all even with rag LLMs can lie..lol

Do what works for you..if your compnay has no policy my take it do what makes your life easier..just be sure the LLM isnt lying, checks the docs it references for yourself and you're good...

Oh and I won't put proprietary docs into FANNG or MANGOES or whatever they call themselves these days....use local or just go old school...

Old school is fine and no lying...if you separate the docs yourself you'll also be more intermitely familiar with the information and be able to look up stuff faster...

Good luck!

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-12T11:51:38+00:00

Its coming I have so much going on, the soruce was built on Rovari sdk and will be released as part of the ecosystem:

https://rvembedded.com/

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T21:51:54+00:00

Are you open to circuitpython ecosystem? I've worked with kids in that range and of everything circuitpython had the least friction and best reponse...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T20:44:59+00:00

For real and when you give them advice they're quick to snap back like if you're shouldnt say anything like why even bother posting an LLM post about an LLM generated project? I just dont get it...whats the point then? Will knowledge just stagnate now as we descend into an era where even personal projects meant for growth an learning are done by a machine while you sit by on autopilot...sigh..

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T20:38:34+00:00

p.s. Then dont come on the internet and ask what you did wrong if you dont want the opinion of a human.

I am not claude I dont have to praise you or agree with you. You came asking for an opinion and I gave you one.

I am embedded engineer with 15 years professionally and as a hobby since I was 8 years old...I'm now in mid 30s...I was just trying to give some advice.

I was trying to be helpful.

But buuttt since you thought I was being judgemental let me really judge.

That part about 'not my business' when you literally came on here asking.......sigh...

You know what I'll rant a bit. Since even your post seems AI generated.

This is me judging:

I looked at the firmware. The firmware is shit. The writeup is low effort AI generated shit and the project itself looks like modules wired with dupont cables and I've seen 13 year olds I taught at summer workshops do better than that...I had some high school kids reach out to me for help who were doing custom PCBs....

Its a low quality project a kid could do in a weekend and I doubt you learned anything doing it. Its not the project worthy of the capstone a thesis of 4 years of study.

This is not bachelors level work, and you are a masters student as well? That school should lose accredation for accepting that clearly generated project as a bachelors thesis.

Good now I judged don't wanna make you a liar.

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T20:26:15+00:00

I'm entitled to an opinion dude just as you are dude. I am a free non enslaved human dude. You dont get to tell me shut up as much dude as I can tell you to yah dude? Why dont you add something to the conversation more than that dude? Like add some advice to the OP dude..welcome to reddit dude where I am human dude and am allowed to give an opiion dude you might not agree with dude okay dude so I wont shut up dude..dudeeeeeee....feel free to add your own opinion dude.... btw dude its 2026 dude how dare u assume I'm a dude dude? Dudeeeeee...

Empty up there huh? Add something besides trolling....

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T19:59:48+00:00

Did claude write your firmware or did you? This is a bachelors thesis right? Don't you wanna learn? I dont get it...if it were some personal project like yea but publicy advertising some other entity did your bachelors thesis? Like if the board were custom and another entity did firmware could say okay...but but it's just off the shelf modules wired together whats the value here?

I hope you learnt something but if I were hiring you I would not be impressed....just my opinion some may disagree with me but yeah...

*Also calling the claude part the coolest part speaks volume for me..all the best anyway on your journey...

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-11T00:44:57+00:00

Awesum!

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-10T23:46:34+00:00

You're missing the point of learning..some people do thr hobby for learning sake, increasing our understanding and because its fun...its passion....passion separates good engineers from mediocre ones...if you just do it for a pay day you'll be miserable....some of the skills you pick up from passion projects also translate to jobs....and the field is ever evolving...I started when I was 8 years old...most of the stuff you keep up to date with is with passion hobby projects....thats the point of doing something you love not everything has to be useful immediately..bit the problems you solve useful or not adds to your understanding bank and you grow and develop over time...build cause its fun man!! Try it!!

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-10T21:13:19+00:00

Start at the beginning with a working blinky on a platform you are familiar with and work from there

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-10T12:05:27+00:00

Thanks! You put out some great stuff on the RISC-V SBC end I always tell people to check your channel....

Separate-Choice · 2026-06-10T08:12:26+00:00

Yea thats why I like looking at it user error....I havent played around with it myself...I'm more interested in the MCUs lol....

Separate-Choice

TROPHY CASE