Getting Started
🔧 1. “Engineering Reality Check” – Free 1-hour Consult
Got an idea? Let’s find the engineering landmines before you step on one.
Do you have a concept you’re excited about but not sure if it’s brilliant or bananas? Let’s talk.Â
This free 1-hour call with our principal engineer (Craig Wenger) is your chance to pressure-test your idea before you sink time and money into it. He’ll ask the hard questions you may not know to ask.Â
A conversation with an experienced engineer will help you spot red flags, hidden costs, or architectural choices that might haunt you later.Â
Think of it as a friendly reality check before you build something that ends up burning through time and money or exploding on the lab bench.
Here’s the calendar link to book your consultationÂ
🛠2. “Firmware Flaw Finder” – $499 Starter Audit
We’ll tell you what’s wrong with your firmware—or give you a reason to sleep better.
Do you have firmware that’s acting flaky, or just want to make sure it won’t melt down the night before your big demo?Â
Send us your code (or a representative chunk of it), and we’ll do a fast, focused audit. One of our senior engineers will take a look at structure, style, stability, and all the weird little edge cases that tend to blow up in production.Â
You’ll get a short, punchy report that calls out what’s solid, what’s sketchy, and what you should fix before it turns into a tech support nightmare. Think of it as a second opinion for your embedded brain.Â
Click the button below to provide the information needed to get your firmware audit started.
🧠3. “Scope It Right” – $199 Product Architecture Session
Before you build, let’s blueprint it.
This is a 90-minute deep dive with one of our senior engineers, which is part planning session, part therapy. You bring the vision (and maybe a few sticky notes), and we’ll walk through what it’ll take to turn that into a real product.Â
Hardware, firmware, power budget, user flow, edge cases, nothing’s off the table. We’ll help you define a smart MVP, dodge the usual engineering potholes, and figure out what to build first (and what can wait until version 2.0).Â
Flat fee or credit it toward future work. Either way, you’ll walk away with a clearer path forward and fewer “uh-oh” moments later.
💡 4. “Pre-Prototype Planning Checklist ” – Free PDF Download
What Every Founder Gets Wrong About Their First Prototype
Before you fire off an NDA and start hiring engineers, grab this free checklist.Â
This guide contains the practical wisdom derived from years of working on all kinds of products. Every founder or PM should be aware of, and think through all ten items covered in this document.Â
This checklist will help you avoid common (and expensive) mistakes. It’s a quick read, free, and might just save your future self a facepalm.Â
Bonus: it will make you look really smart and well prepared on your next investor call.
🚨 5. “Firmware Fire Drill” – Rescue Audit for Overdue Projects
Behind schedule? Over budget? We’ll tell you why, and what’s next.
If your project’s circling the drain, we’ll jump in fast and figure out what’s going on.Â
Maybe your current team is stuck, maybe the plan was doomed from the start—either way, we’ll assess the state of your firmware and give you a clear cut roadmap for recovery.Â
Keep your team, bring us in, or hit reset—we’ll help you get back on track with clear, actionable steps and zero sugar-coating.Â
Cost depends on the scope, but we’ll work with your budget to deliver the most useful and actionable insights possible.
6. Design Review
Already have a design but want a second set of expert eyes before committing to production? We’ll review your schematics, layouts, and system design to confirm you’re set up for success. A quick review now can prevent costly surprises later.
FAQs
What should I bring to a first call with an embedded engineering firm?
Bring whatever you have that describes the product and constraints: sketches, block diagrams, requirements, target cost, timeline, and expected production volume. If hardware exists, share schematics, PCB files, BOM, and any test results. If firmware exists, share the repo, build steps, and a short list of the top problems you need solved. If you are starting from a concept, the architecture framing on Embedded Systems Design will help.
How can I pressure-test an electronics product idea before building hardware?
Start by writing a small set of testable success criteria, then identify the top technical risks that could force a redesign. From there, build a prototype plan that answers those risks first, such as power measurements, RF link testing, sensing accuracy, or thermal behavior. This keeps early spend focused on learning, not features. Related: Prototyping.
How do I scope an embedded product MVP without painting myself into a corner?
A good MVP is the smallest build that proves product value and de-risks the hardest engineering unknowns. Define what must be true for the product to succeed, then cut everything that does not serve that goal. Make sure the architecture supports the next version, especially power, connectivity, and test strategy. If you want a structured approach, see Services and Our Process.
What can I do if my firmware project is behind schedule or failing?
The first step is to establish a baseline: reproduce the failures, get the build stable, and add logs or instrumentation so behavior is measurable. From there, decide whether the fastest path is stabilization, refactoring, or a partial redesign. Many schedule slips come from unclear requirements and missing test coverage, not just coding speed. Related: Firmware Development and Firmware Optimization.
Is a design review worth it before committing to production?
Yes, if it helps you find high-risk issues while fixes are still cheap. A useful review focuses on power and reset behavior, interface margins, EMI risk, testability (DFT), part selection and sourcing, and how the design will be validated. The goal is to identify the few decisions that can cause the most rework later. Related: Hardware Design and Embedded Systems Design.
What is a short discovery phase, and what do I get out of it?
A discovery phase is a time-boxed effort to reduce uncertainty before committing to a full build. Outputs typically include clarified requirements and constraints, a risk list, a proposed architecture, and a milestone plan with deliverables and assumptions. It also confirms what artifacts exist (or are missing) so schedules are realistic. If you are ready to start, use Contact to share initial details.