# S6E41 James Davis | Living in Ukraine for $12/Day to Become An Engineer

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2025-10-10
- Length: 1h 03m
- Episode: 41
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer

## Summary

James Davis, the creator behind the YouTube channel FluxBench, discusses his journey from a finance graduate to an embedded systems engineer and educator. He explains his mission to bridge the gap between DIY hobbyists and professional manufacturing by teaching practical electronics and design for manufacturing. Davis shares anecdotes about his early career, including traveling through Eastern Europe to learn programming and a failed solar optics project, while emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience and communication in engineering.

## Chapters

- [0:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=13) Introduction: James Davis and FluxBench
- [1:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=61) The 'Magic Smoke' and Learning by Burning Components
- [4:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=282) Bridging the Gap Between DIY and Manufacturing
- [8:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=514) Starting FluxBench and Unexpected Viral Success
- [16:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=978) Building a CNC Machine and Injection Molding Goals
- [38:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=2282) Learning to Program by Living in Eastern Europe
- [51:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=3116) Advice for Mechanical Engineers Starting in Electronics
- [57:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer#t=3430) Testing Easy Motion and Closing Thoughts

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- FluxBench (product)
- ESP32 (chip)
- Easy Motion (product)
- DMG Mori (company)
- Arduino (product)
- Proxmox (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Burning Man Maker, Music Mogul, and PCB Revolutionary—Flux CEO Matthias Wagner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2023-05-02-burning-man-maker-music-mogul-and-pcb-revolutionary-flux-ceo-matthias-wagner) (Moore's Lobby)
- [An Interview with Martin Lorton - Variegated Video Vagility](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-07-08-an-interview-with-martin-lorton-variegated-video-vagility) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep. 38 | Comedy, Shocks, and Educating EEs on YouTube with ElectroBOOM's Mehdi Sadaghdar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-11-23-ep-38-comedy-shocks-and-educating-ees-on-youtube-with-electrobooms-mehdi-sadaghd) (Moore's Lobby)
- [An Interview with Great Scott](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-01-29-an-interview-with-great-scott) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview with Ben Eater](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-05-27-an-interview-with-ben-eater) (The Amp Hour)

## 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/2025-10-10-s6e41-james-davis-living-in-ukraine-for-12-day-to-become-an-engineer. 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.