How do you design these days?

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We're contracting out an FPGA design for $125 an hour, discounted from the guy's "big company" rate of $175.

My lawyer charges $400.

John

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For engineering that's a normal range if he is good. But not at all for layout. If you need a good layouter at a normal price range let me know.

Careful with discounting but it's up to the guy to watch out. If he's also working for gvt contract companies they (and then he) may be in a real pickle if he discounts the rate for you guys but not for them. At least if the auditors find out.

I know, it's insane. Even my CPA charges $250.

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SF prices. My chip layout guy (Columbus, OH) charges $100/hour. ...Jim Thompson

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For board layout that would be way high. Even chip layout was a lot cheaper although my last one dates back to the last millenium. Looks like my next one will be done in China.

Virtually ALL my processing is now done in China. And my next likely big project is in Hong Kong, with funding from Dubai World ;-) ...Jim Thompson

Mine will probably even be designed there on the transistor- and macro-level after I finish the architecture. Would have loved to keep it in the US (Arizona, in particular) but that'll be out of my hands.

Might want to think about a retainer on this one :-)

If it's analog, you're risking design by theoreticians (at best) with no hands-on (so'dering :-) experience.

After it's a monumental failure give me a call. (*)

(*) Often happens... I quote, customer says too high, goes to low bidder. One-two years later, comes back in a panic... I point out inflation applies to my pricing ;-)

Recent 6 weeks quicky project (only 6 cells): Customer is astonished at the detail in my design review... all conducted via GoToMeeting (New Zealand ;-)

I typically ask for 1/3 to 1/2 up front. ...Jim Thompson

1. I have buckets of roughly 8" long chunks of hardline with an SMA on one end, off ebay.

John

That didn't seem to slow Tiger down.

{;-)

Jim

Actually I've seen the work of this guy. Top notch, from what I could tell in the short time I had back then. And oh, that one worked right off the bat :-)

BT. For one potential client that comeuppance came too late, their creditors were already banging down their doors :-(

Can you do a presentation screen share as an invited participant or do you have to pay those $49/month to do that?

Difficult for me since I work by the hour. In my line of work the effort is often unpredictable until I am headlong (meaning many hours) into their schematics, Gerbers and so on. So far, knock on wood, my uncollectables due to insolvency total less than $200. One big ticket case was resolved by another company buying up the assets. After I put the liquidator attorney on written notice that I'd otherwise assume IP ownership and sell. The liquidator had me ticked off by saying that it's his call whether I am important or not, so ... Oh, did that speed up the decision making process, he must have placed a panic call to the potential buyer :-)

Yep. My rule, the client always hosts the meeting, then he assigns me as the "presenter".

In risky hourly situations I'd ask for a retainer.

Also my rule... you default, I own the IP. I've had a couple of cases like that where the liquidator became very cooperative when he realized.

When Bowmar went belly-up in 1975 I was owed a big chunk of money (~$6K) for hourly work. A year later a bankruptcy judge ruled that "contractors" were employees as far as the bankruptcy pay-out was concerned... and I got 100% of money owed ;-)

You might keep that case in mind in the event you get whacked over hourly pay. ...Jim Thompson

So do I. But it's quite rare.

I had a call back from the attorney and right afterwards from the potential buyer the day they received my certified letter. Then the buyer insisted on flying up for signature. I told him that wasn't required, that it was just the liquidator I did not trust. But he really didn't want to risk it. Very nice guy and my wife cooked a gourmet lunch for us.

IIRC it is or has been duked out in Delaware some time. It was in 2007 but no idea what the judge decided, or whether the case is through. Technically they should put contract and employed work at the same priority level but it's probably not that fair in case law.

It took a while to catch on, but she eventually did. A nine-iron will do that.

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Crap, and I only asked for $75/hr[*] for FPGA work in Akron, OH. I did get paid on a W2, so that's some consolation.

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Job shop taking their cut ?:-) ...Jim Thompson

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Sure, I don't remember their cut (I wasn't supposed to know) but it was significant. When my "handler" first called, he asked what I wanted for the job. I really wasn't prepared for the question (was at a bar ;), so took the minimum I would even think about for full time employment, and doubled it.

So? I was busy for several days. treating a cut on my leg, driving to Gainsville to get three prescriptions the VA didn't refill in time, and working to remove & replace the base cabinet on my kitchen sink. Staying alive is more important than replying to you. I was off the group from some time Sunday.

What? A kitchen cabinet is more important than I? Hurumph ...

Hope your cut is healing and stops hurting.

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I never had any luck with "handlers", always found my own clients or they found me. Works. Only once did a headhunter firm go all the way, checking everything, had me fill out paperwork. I was the perfect match in that case. _Then_ they found out that their client was hardcore running out of funds ...

The others, somehow they must only get their cut if they find an employee. There were cases where they said "no consultants" and six months later they were still looking for the same analog guy. Wrong business model.