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Thread: Project ideas...

  1. #1
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    Default Project ideas...

    I am currently looking at a number of open doors and options for my future career. One thing is for sure, I can't work for a full time employer again, period. I have given my whole to my previous job, thrown my self in boots and all working long hours, full of passion the whole kitchen sink, and they screwed me over big time...

    As I was telling Kit earlier today, I have decided that my next step will be working for myself (again), with project goals that include excellence, creativity, passion and NOT quick financial gain as the driving force. For once in my life, I know what I want and what I don't from my career in terms of policies, agendas and working culture and lifestyle. I am thinking that by working to such ideals, financial success will follow without the need to focus on it up front.

    So, one of the things I have been really getting into lately has been DSP design - both hardware and algorithms. I now have an Analog Devices DSP development environment (plus a range of embedded DSP/microcontroller products) at my disposal and am currently self teaching myself FPGA concepts and design (with VHDL). This is something I started in my last job and it really has sparked my interest and challenged my mental capacity. It's something I want to continue with. I have several doors open a the moment with international audio brands, other startups and a good Chinese factory, which I may well chose to proceed with soon. I was wondering if there are any "niche" requirements in the laser industry at present that could benefit from solutions derived from a combination of analog, digital, DSP, FPGA etc. technologies? While I have worked in the audio industry for 34 years, I don't see the necessity to limit myself to audio product development.

    Just for the record I am in no rush, I am not prepared to make the next step until I am totally at ease with the way forward, inspired and passionate.
    This space for rent.

  2. #2
    soforene's Avatar
    soforene is offline The Troll formerly known as Herbert Von Poople-Futtocks
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    Keep dreaming till the dosh runs out ........

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by soforene View Post
    Keep dreaming till the dosh runs out ........
    I think he has enough skills to make it happen. Now, I know that some people think that 'work smart, not hard' is a lazy way to go, and speaks ill of anyone who utters the phrase, but it's actually right. It takes smart thought to allow laziness, when that 'laziness' is another word for 'efficiency'.

    The key here is not reinventing wheels, because there are so many of them now, but with skills of programming, especially for small MPU's and handling small optics, electronics, hardware etc, there are so many ways to make stuff by combining existing parts to a new whole. But I imagine the answer may also be to make somethign you care enough to want yourself. After all that is both the first AND the best way to convince another person that is worth buying. Once you have that, you only have to agree a price. Beats always trying to satisfy an employer who doesn't get it, and doesn't care. Far better is a network of people who do get it, and share similar goals. PL is pretty good. Probably more useful that linked-in. When doing stuff like people do here, I doubt anyone cares about the CV or the portfolio or the work history. All they need to know is whether someone can do what they need done.

    Assuming I ever get any good at this, one thing I'll avoid is 'investors'. They always want their pound of flesh, and seem to think if they rip out the heart, another one will grow back, and they rarely have a clue of the work needed to do things, and always expect to profit even when things go wrong. I'd sell only a thing I was willing to part with, and never on an ongoing lease basis. More freedom...

    Habit of work counts, but niche requirements may be awkward. Niches are usually occupied. But making some new thing creates a niche the creator finds themselves in command of by default. But defending the territory might then be an issue.. That's something I never solved. I share info on the basis that if it has any value, it is better to give some ground than lose it all, or keep it all so isolated that it becomes worthless.

    I think I need to say less. Too much in one day.

  4. #4
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    Working for yourself is hard work. No employer will ever demand more of you than yourself, and so it's easy to get to where you're pushing yourself past your limits. There can be times when you don't know where the next dollar is coming from, waiting for the phone to ring, and times when it's so busy that you've been working 18 hours a day and 7 days a week for what seems like forever without a break.

    But that being said, it can be rewarding work. The decisions along the way are yours to make, and the money you bring in is yours (well, after taxes anyhow). The schedule you set on your terms.

    I've pretty much always been self employed, started into the computer business at 18 and then got into the laser shows at around 32 a few years back. Still do the computer repairs as well, so it's a 7 day week for me always struggling to keep up with it all. Looking forward to when I'll be able to make the lasers show business my full time gig and never touch a computer again (I used to love computers hehe), am getting close, but just not quite reliable enough month to month yet to depend on it.

  5. #5
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    I have started, operated 2 businesses in the past, the first when I was just 21. The structure I am exploring now is development with royalties. While slower to gain momentum, I am liking the idea of recurring revenue and sharing the success of good work. Currently negotiating a retainer package with a Chinese manufacturer to step up their engineering capability and to bed in western processes and a new SMT line they just purchased. This could be win win for all, as I then have a reliable factory at my disposal. Also speaking with a global guitar amp company re development ideas.
    This space for rent.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for this awesome post. There’s a lot of useful and interesting information on here. Keep up the top work!


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