# Scaling an Electronics Design Business: Insights from Jordan Danko

- Show: [OnTrack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack)
- Published: 2025-04-22
- Length: 46m
- Episode: 297
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko
- Listen: https://podcast.altium.com/e/jordan-danko/

## Summary

Jordan Danko, founder of FC Design Services, explains his transition from corporate electrical engineering to running a full-service design consultancy. He details the strategic decision to offer turnkey solutions involving PCB, firmware, and mechanical design to overcome the difficulty of selling standalone PCB services. Danko also discusses the operational challenges of scaling a small team, managing revenue volatility, and navigating current supply chain disruptions and tariff uncertainties.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=0) Introduction: Jordan Danko and FC Design Services
- [1:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=80) Career Path: From Mechanical to Electrical Engineering
- [3:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=182) Founding FC Design Services and Leaving Corporate Job
- [6:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=403) Challenges of Selling PCB Design Services
- [9:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=541) Pivoting to Turnkey Product Solutions
- [12:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=774) The Impact of AI on Engineering and Design
- [16:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=968) Advice for Young Engineers and Bootstrapping
- [22:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=1340) Challenges of Scaling and Hiring
- [25:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko#t=1541) Supply Chain Disruptions and Tariffs

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- FC Design Services (company)
- Altium (company)
- Cadence (company)
- Orcad (tool)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- KNF Electronics (company)
- Analog Devices (company)

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- [Design & Manufacturing Consulting with Scott Williams from Xentronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-19-design-manufacturing-consulting-with-scott-williams-from-xentronics) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview with Jonathan Hirschman of PCB:NG](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-05-20-an-interview-with-jonathan-hirschman-of-pcb-ng) (The Amp Hour)
- [An Interview with Andrew Seddon - Necessary Networked Novelty](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-02-05-an-interview-with-andrew-seddon-necessary-networked-novelty) (The Amp Hour)
- [Cheap Respins And A Time Machine - Multiscience Mercenary Marketplace](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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