New Project Just Launched: Odd Engineer!

COVID restrictions mucked up the works for all sorts of businesses -- and especially those of us who provide engineering services related to real, physical widgets.

In an experiment to connect hardware engineers personally with more clients, we created Odd Engineer.

There, you can find a variety of hard-to-find physical product development pros. And access to them has never been simpler.

How To  Do the Thing

Look in the Odd Engineer directory for a discipline you're looking for or search by keyword. Then, click on an individual engineer's profile to learn more about specific technologies and industries they have experience in.

OddEngineer.com currently gives you access to electronics, optics, IoT, thermal modeling, CAD and industrial design pros.

Once you find the specific nerd you want feedback from, immediately book and pay for your appointment. When you click "Book Appointment" you'll be taken to a calendar of available slots you can choose from.

NDA's are optional, and if you have one, you can upload your signed copy at the time you book, too. Your engineer will email you if there are any questions on it.

All appointments go for up to 1 hour, but it's up to you to bring all your questions, data, CAD, spec sheets, etc. to fill up that time. To get the most out of your appointment, we advise you write out all the questions you want to ask and have data ready to show off and explain.

​Remember, no matter what engineering guidance you're asking for, it's always best to provide a real life example of "what is good" and "what is bad". You'll get much more helpful feedback with images and samples demonstrating the specific issues you're asking about.

Not Ready for a Full-Length Optical Engineering Contract with Spire Starter?

Erin McDermott is one of the engineers available on Odd Engineer. So, if you need optical engineering guidance but aren't at a stage where you can invest in a full optical engineering project, you can still get advice by the hour from Erin. You can check out her profile here.

Are  You a Freelance Engineer?

If you're interested in this marketplace platform from the other side - as an engineer who offers services, we have stuff there for you, too!
Check out the Resources for Engineers page.
There, you'll find:

• A forum where you can meet other engineers and ask questions about engineering or small business ownership and freelancing
• Waiting List to become an Odd Engineer
• Survey to help us build Odd Engineer V2 even better!
• All important Nerd Swag

Help Odd Engineer Survive Past the Pilot!

This experimental pilot program is slated to only last for 4 months - ending May 26, 2021. There are also a limited number of spots for engineers in this short run because we're building each profile out manually.

After that, if we prove that we can successfully connect more paying clients with engineers, we'll build a V2! It will be more automated, with fuller functionality and able to showcase way more engineers.

But for the pilot to be a success, lots of engineering teams - large and small - need to hear about this thing. So please spread the word! Let those engineers trying to do something outside their discipline know there are niche engineering pros that can make their lives a lot easier. And access to these nerds is as easy as can be!