Can you explain your fee?

My services are in demand: in over three years of freelancing I have not been without work. I am confident that I can provide a suitable value for this fee, and I will immediately and plainly tell you when I think this is not the case.

My fee includes the cost of acquiring all the hardware required to do my job, such as microsoldering and inspection tools, but also consumables like solder and tape. The fee does not include the costs associated with your specific project such as the parts for prototypes. My fee also needs to account for sick days, holidays, insurance, accounting, office rent, tooling, software, and business risk.

Can you provide a discount?

While in the past I have provided discounts to open source projects and Rust and/or aerospace projects, I no longer give a discount to any of my clients. I was in the enviable position of choosing to work for two clients, one of which paid twice as much than the other, and that is unfair to all parties involved.

Are you capable of doing X or Y?

You can check out my list of skills in my resume. I am also a very quick study.

Do you do anything we ask?

Note that I have a strong sense of ethics and will probably decline anything shady. I am adverse to anything negatively impacting the planet and to the development of weapons. I do not work on cryptocurrencies, smart contracts or similar.

Do you sign NDA’s?

Probably, but I will first need to read the NDA thoroughly. It must always be possible to decline the project after hearing what the project is about. I always reserve the right to mention your company as being a client. Also note that I am free to contact Dutch authorities if it concerns anything remotely illegal.

How does VAT work?

Depending on your location you may or may not have to provide VAT. I am based in The Netherlands, and I will bill 21% to Dutch companies. For companies with EU-based affiliates billing is always straightforward. Check your local taxation office to know whether you have to pay VAT to me. For example: US companies do not have to pay VAT.

Who owns the products of your labor?

Any resulting prototypes, hardware and intellectual property belong to the client, but only once all outstanding invoices have been paid. Beware that general engineering concepts can never be considered intellectual property. I typically try to convince the client to leave some prototypes in my archive, for when they require assistance down the line.

How do you handle the logistics of hardware development?

Any project specific hardware acquisitions (eg. dev kits, prototypes, embedded hardware components, shipping costs) are billed to the client, unless otherwise agreed upon. If you want a prototype produced by me, I will handle the financial and logistical aspect as well in order to prevent significant delays and logistical problems. All hardware related costs are billed without any surcharge. You can trust me not to overcharge or pick excessively expensive parts.

Please understand that hardware development by nature is quite experimental and I can not guarantee the state of any intermediate prototypes or supplies used in the creation of those prototypes, unless explicitly agreed upon with the client. My office is not ESD-proof hence it will incur extra cost to provide these guarantees.

Do you have corporate insurance?

I have both corporate liability (bedrijfsaansprakelijkheids- / AVB) en indemnity insurance (beroepsaansprakelijkheids-verzekering / BAV). For the corporate liability I am only covered for any software activities and not hardware activities. It is almost impossible to get insured as a freelancer for hardware related tasks. All my products, including any hardware products are covered by indemnity insurance.

Can we hire you as a permanent employee?

No, I am happy to help out as a freelancer.

I am a recruiter/intermediary and we need you for a client.

It might be easier to ask for a single commission fee from your client and let me handle the relationship directly. You are welcome to reach out.