# S5E26 Patrick Jreijiri | How To Build A Product Development Freelance Company

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2024-06-28
- Length: 46m
- Episode: 26
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/Patrick-J-product-dev-freelance/

## Summary

Patrick Jreijiri, founder of Jiri, discusses his journey from mechanical engineering to building a freelance product development company, highlighting the failure of his 'Moonwalker' magnetic shoes and a cancelled prefab house robot project. He explains how he overcame the challenges of remote work and price competition by moving to the US, automating sales processes with Excel and SolidWorks, and adopting a contractor-based business model. Jreijiri emphasizes the importance of early prototyping, cross-industry inspiration, and managing the loneliness of entrepreneurship while scaling his operations.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=0) Introduction: Patrick Jreijiri and Jiri
- [1:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=65) Patrick's Background: From Robotics to Mechatronics
- [2:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=158) Early Ventures: The Moonwalker Shoes and Failed Projects
- [14:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=884) Challenges of Freelancing: Loneliness and Price Competition
- [20:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=1224) Corporate Experience: Automating Processes and Saving $2.4M
- [26:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=1572) Starting Jiri: Business Model and Client Acquisition
- [33:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=2026) Product Development Process and Estimating
- [42:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company#t=2552) Pro Tips: Early Prototyping and Cross-Industry Inspiration

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Jiri (company)
- Moonwalker (product)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Upwork (other)
- Indiegogo (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [From Corporate World to Freelancing to Running a Hardware Startup with Roberto Weiser of Developpa](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-06-29-from-corporate-world-to-freelancing-to-running-a-hardware-startup-with-roberto-w) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [#016 - Developing with a hardware engineering company, with Karoly Molnar of ProDSP Technologies, Hungary](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-08-016-developing-with-a-hardware-engineering-company-with-karoly-molnar-of-prodsp) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [3: Onward](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-28-3-onward) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [018: Re-inventing the walker with Jennifer Harris of Motivo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-09-13-018-re-inventing-the-walker-with-jennifer-harris-of-motivo) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.