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In case anyone else is reading and thinking of that predicament, it needn't be a showstopper. You have a couple of options: You can do it the old way, and pay

In case anyone else is reading and thinking of that predicament, it needn't be a showstopper. You have a couple of options: You can do it the old way, and pay someone to convert it into the new way (I know a mechanical engineer who either sketches things or does 2D on a computer, and pays someone else to 3D it) which can then be sent to the client or manufacturer or whatever. Or, if you're doing the whole product to sell, you can do it however you want, no one cares how their product was designed, just that the end product is good. I don't know how the housing on the monitor I'm looking at was designed, and I don't care, I just care that it's decent. I feel like I count rant about this for a while, but all the "rules" change if you're taking clients or customers and not looking for FTE. It's got its own challenges, but with a few good / high paying clients, it's even easier than FTE, you can grow or not if you want.

a2800276 5y ago
Not sure if the Air Force will buy bomber seats from the back of a truck of some guy who designs them with paper and pencil.
- PostOnce 5y ago
  If not, the defense contractor will subcontract to you and mark it up 4000% :) Also, the government generally has policies that some % of things have to come from small businesses, sometimes they'll hire you just in order to check a box, I'd guess. Nevertheless, if you can design an airplane seat, there are other customers than the air force. Lots of niche machines are made by 3 or 4 people and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit, to farms, to factories, to anyone in business. Consumers will argue with you for a week over a $10 purchase, but people buying things to make money with won't bat an eye at $10,000. There's a great big world out there and every hurdle doesn't have to be jumped, you can just walk around it half the time.

a2800276 5y ago

Not sure if the Air Force will buy bomber seats from the back of a truck of some guy who designs them with paper and pencil.

PostOnce 5y ago
If not, the defense contractor will subcontract to you and mark it up 4000% :) Also, the government generally has policies that some % of things have to come from small businesses, sometimes they'll hire you just in order to check a box, I'd guess. Nevertheless, if you can design an airplane seat, there are other customers than the air force. Lots of niche machines are made by 3 or 4 people and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit, to farms, to factories, to anyone in business. Consumers will argue with you for a week over a $10 purchase, but people buying things to make money with won't bat an eye at $10,000. There's a great big world out there and every hurdle doesn't have to be jumped, you can just walk around it half the time.