Michael Stekla

Background

I'm a freelance firmware and electronics engineer based in Sydney with 8 years' experience working with Aussie startups and small businesses, including Thermal Dawn, Medlogical Innovations, Franklin Audio, and Echo Fix.

I studied Electronics Engineering at RMIT University, graduating with Honours First Class and in the top 2% of RMIT's higher education students in 2018, and receiving the Frank Brownless Prize for best final-year Electronics and Telecommunications student.

Through my career, I've built medical devices, cloud-connected sensors, real-time controllers, audio effects, and DSP algorithms. I always love seeing an idea grow from concept to prototype to product, ultimately inspiring users and solving real-world problems with technology.

Why work with me

I work very closely with each client, integrating myself as part of the team to assist, refine the design, and develop each project. You get direct access to a senior engineer with a broad range of skills and experience delivering projects for startups.

From circuit design, firmware, DSP, prototyping, and manufacturing, I can take your product ideas from concept to completion and create a custom solution that scales well and is easy to maintain.

What it's like working together

1. Get in touch

   Reach out via the contact form or email and we can set up a free discovery call to talk through your concept or project and whether I'm the right fit.

2. Proposal & scope

   I'll put together a proposal covering scope, timeline, and budget (hourly or fixed-cost, whichever suits the project) for you to approve before work begins.

3. Prototype, build, and validate

   I'll start by proving the design with simulations, prototypes, and unit tests to catch issues early in the design process, before they're expensive to fix. I can work either as part of your engineering team, or take the load off and handle it all for you, providing weekly progress updates.

4. Handover

   You receive everything including source code, schematic files, simulations, and documentation. You own all IP for custom work delivered. I pride myself on delivering clear, neat code and documentation that is easy to maintain and scale as your company grows.

5. Ongoing support

   I stay available after handover for bug fixes and support. I also love to hear success stories as your product hits milestones, regulatory approvals, and launches!