Why I started Borrow an Engineer
Technology is at the center of our modern world. As we move into 2016, every venture, every idea, every business will require an unprecedented amount of tech prowess to succeed. This is beautiful, and I believe innovation should be celebrated.
On the flip side, this reliance on technology makes us more dependent than ever on engineering skills. Have an amazing idea for an internet startup? You’ll need to know how to code. What about a new consumer product? You better know how to create CAD files and work a 3D printer.
Our non-tech small businesses — the backbone of this country — are in desperate need of affordable engineering talent. Technology is tearing apart long-standing, established business models. That’s okay — I believe disruptive innovation should be embraced — but it also saddens me to see a local business shut down because it couldn’t afford to build a mobile app in order to to stay relevant.
Right now, if you want to hire an engineer for a short-term project, you have two options:
- You could work with an engineering firm or software development company. This is too costly for the average small business or entrepreneur.
- You could post a project on an online freelance site, pay by the hour, and typically work with an engineer based outside the USA. This is less reliable, and most companies I know would rather work with domestic talent, but cannot because domestic talent is too expensive.
At Borrow an Engineer we are excited to introduce the third option: You can now hire a talented engineering student or alum for your short-term project.
When I studied mechanical engineering at Boston University I was surrounded by passionate, gifted engineering students who built incredible things in their spare time. Apps, rockets, custom 3D printers, websites, robots — they did this for fun, not for profit.
At Borrow an Engineer, our mission is to match these passionate engineering students and alumni with your business.
Because you’re working with students, prices are rock bottom, but quality is high. You pay for a project in a single payment with a transparent, agreed-upon amount — no more dealing with hourly fees. You can either post a project and quickly receive proposals from qualified engineers, or you can browse through our profiles and borrow an engineer directly.
We’re so excited to launch Borrow an Engineer today. We’ve had three hundred engineers pre-register from amazing schools across the country, and we can’t wait to sign up every passionate student engineer that wants to push our society forward.
Innovation is finally affordable.
Zach Herbert, Founder & CEO
Post a project today on borrowanengineer.com
