# Cheap Respins And A Time Machine - Multiscience Mercenary Marketplace

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2014-06-04
- Length: 1h 16m
- Episode: 201
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/201-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace/

## Summary

Hosts Chris Gammell and Dave Jones discuss the economics of hardware startups, with Jones explaining why he avoids distributors to maintain margins on his microcurrent products. They analyze emerging 'mercenary' marketplaces like ProtoExchange and Google Helpout for electronics consulting, contrasting the high-stress, billable-hour lifestyle of contract engineers with the stability of corporate roles. The conversation shifts to PCB design failures, where Gammell details a footprint error in his 'Bench Buddy' course project, leading to a discussion on the necessity of cheap respins and the psychological traps of design verification. Finally, they touch on the commoditization of chip design via services like MOSIS and the future of space exploration with SpaceX.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=0) Introduction and Google Voice
- [3:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=189) Hardware Pricing and Distributor Margins
- [14:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=848) Electronics Consulting Marketplaces
- [24:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=1450) Contracting Stress vs. Corporate Life
- [39:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=2383) PCB Footprint Errors and Cheap Respins
- [49:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=2974) Commoditized Chip Design and MOSIS
- [1:01:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace#t=3715) SpaceX, NASA, and Mars Missions

## Topics

- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- EEV Blog (other)
- Contextual Electronics (company)
- Google Voice (tool)
- Radio Shack (company)
- Arduino (product)
- Google Glass (product)
- Google Helpout (tool)
- Maven (tool)
- ProtoExchange (tool)
- CircuitHub (tool)
- Osh Park (company)
- MOSIS (tool)
- SpaceX (company)
- NASA (company)
- Altium (tool)
- Mentor Graphics (company)
- Cadence (company)
- TSMC (company)
- IBM Watson (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [123: Banished from Running Linux](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-10-28-123-banished-from-running-linux) (Embedded.fm)
- [122: Glue a Board to Your Resume](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-10-21-122-glue-a-board-to-your-resume) (Embedded.fm)
- [S2E51 The Hardware Academy | John Teel](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel) (Being an Engineer)
- [Development Costs for Hardware Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-05-07-development-costs-for-hardware-startups) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Scaling an Electronics Design Business: Insights from Jordan Danko](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-04-22-scaling-an-electronics-design-business-insights-from-jordan-danko) (OnTrack)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2014-06-04-cheap-respins-and-a-time-machine-multiscience-mercenary-marketplace. 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 The Amp Hour.