Freelance advice

[Dan Smith-11]

I've just landed my first ever freelance gig to design some hardware
for a client :-)

I was wondering if anyone had any nuggets of advice to share, stuff
they wished they knew when they started etc.  As Frasier would say,
I'm listening!

Dan
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[Wouter van Ooijen]

> I've just landed my first ever freelance gig to design some hardware
> for a client :-)
>
> I was wondering if anyone had any nuggets of advice to share, stuff
> they wished they knew when they started etc.  As Frasier would say,
> I'm listening!

1. be sure that you both agree what the agreement is: what you will
make, what you will deliver, who owns the design, what he will pay, when
he will pay, what is to be done when there is trouble with the hardware,
what to do when the project turns out to be infeasible, etc.

2. if the money is not too much: don´t bother too much with a formally
worded contract, but do write all of 1. down in your own language, and
sign it by both parties.

If the money is big you might want a lawyer to write the contract, but I
  never bothered. When lawyers are needed in the end both parties loose
- the lawyers are the ones that win - so put your up-front energy in
preventing this by having a good agreement.


--

Wouter van Ooijen

-- -------------------------------------------
Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: www.voti.nl
consultancy, development, PICmicro products
docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: www.voti.nl/hvu

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[Apptech]

> I've just landed my first ever freelance gig to design
> some hardware
> for a client :-)

> I was wondering if anyone had any nuggets of advice to
> share, stuff
> they wished they knew when they started etc.  As Frasier
> would say,
> I'm listening!

That could cover so many areas.
Contracts, ownership of rights, payment, tools, ... .

I'll start possibly away from the apparent core.

Depending on how tidy and methodical you are - document
everything in a form that you won't lose or scramble. Write
dates and times on pages and items you note. When you draw a
circuit or make a measurement spend far far too much
unnecessary effort describing what it is about, what it is
for, what the conditions were etc. The value of "far far too
much" decreases with the passage of time and can change sign
and become far far too little with enough time. A project
book(s) can be very useful. If you are tidy and orderly
enough a loose leaf pad with pages transferred to a
ringbinder may be OK. Number pages and keep a rough index of
main points so you can find them again latterly. Consider
recording instruments used etc.

Plug in prototyping boards are marvellous for almost any use
if intelligent attention is paid to their limitations. Some
very experienced people will tell you to avoid them like the
plague. I have found them very very very very useful and the
only problems I have had have been deserved ones.

A really really good pair of sidecutters is an excellent
investment. use them ONLY on suitably small wires. MAYBE eg
1N4007 size max. Wire for prototyping may be stripped with
ease with these as well. Knack avoids knicking
unacceptably. Stripped side should face "small" side of
jaws". Even Kynar is possible with practice.

A good quality temperature controlled iron is necessary.
Does NOT need to be a super dooper multi hundreds of dollars
soldering station. If not a known volts_on_tip free brand
try measuring tip to true ground voltage. Leakage here can
kill components.

I'll let others add their bit and join back in depending on
what is said.


        Russell

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