# S6E32 Josh Zarecky | How To Travel The Country While Working As A Full Time Engineer

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2025-08-08
- Length: 47m
- Episode: 32
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine

## Summary

Josh Zarecky, founder of ZEDion, discusses his transition from engineering roles at Beckman Coulter and Prosolia to running a remote engineering firm while traveling in an RV. He details the development of the Flexrail, a modular industrial automation platform designed to simplify embedded control integration for life sciences instrumentation. Zarecky also shares insights on managing a distributed team, choosing CAD tools like Autodesk Inventor over SolidWorks, and shifting his business model from hourly services to value-based pricing and product development.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=0) Introduction and Remote Work Lifestyle
- [4:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=273) Background and Founding ZEDion
- [13:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=837) Lessons from Failure and Root Cause Analysis
- [16:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=965) Developing the Flexrail Modular Platform
- [22:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=1341) Engineering Tools: CAD, PDM, and 3D Printing
- [31:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=1897) Managing a Remote Hardware Team
- [38:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-08-08-s6e32-josh-zarecky-how-to-travel-the-country-while-working-as-a-full-time-engine#t=2315) Business Strategy: Niche, Pricing, and Services vs. Products

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- ZEDion (company)
- Beckman Coulter (company)
- Prosolia (company)
- Flexrail (product)
- Autodesk Inventor (tool)
- Altium (tool)
- Upchain (tool)
- Markforged (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Onshape (tool)
- Creo (tool)
- Starlink (product)

## 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)
- [130: Criminal Training Camp](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-12-17-130-criminal-training-camp) (Embedded.fm)
- [An(other) Interview with Jon Oxer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2017-06-26-an-other-interview-with-jon-oxer) (The Amp Hour)
- [461: Check Out My Immune System!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-11-08-461-check-out-my-immune-system) (Making It)
- [Finishing Prototypes with Zack Freedman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-07-19-finishing-prototypes-with-zack-freedman) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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