For an engineer, consulting can be a viable alternative to having a full time job, especially living in a city like Boston. But how do you accomplish this lifestyle? And how much are you worth?
Author Archives: Molly Farison
The Business Side of Start-ups
Back in March when Amos and I applied to the MassChallenge accelerator program, we had a cool idea, some initial feedback from potential customers, and a POE-level prototype showing that we could really build a usable bathroom scale for people in wheelchairs. However, when we were accepted into the program and started talking to people, it turned out that there was a lot more to learn about “the business side of things” than we thought. It’s not as simple as just building a product and selling it in an online store, and crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter are not as effective unless you’re selling to engineers (like Technical Machine) or the general population (like 3Doodler). Here are some of the major things we have internalized in the past four months of running a business:
Found a Startup in College
When I took The Entrepreneurial Initiative in Spring 2012, it solidified my intention to start a company. However, I was convinced that waiting until school was over was a good idea. As it turns out, starting a company while still in school was a much better idea. Here’s why:
Making Our Campus Safer
Recent discussions were catalyzed by ‘It Happens Here’, (Frankly Speaking Oct 2012). Spurred by these discussions, three students approached Frankly Speaking about publishing a moderated discussion on what the Olin community can do to prevent rape. This is an excerpt of that discussion.
Green Space: February
Paper or plastic? This debate never seems to end– Whole Foods and others have banned plastic bags, but Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) data shows that plastic bags are actually less impactful than paper.
Rubber Soul (The Many Uses of Rubber Bands)
Make a motor with your Legos
Preserve the freshness of your Eggos
Shoot at strangers, start a riot
Extra fiber in your diet
Attach a cell phone to your ear
Make a marker for your beer
Stretchy leashes for your dogs
Protect your pants leg from bicycle cogs
Revamp your shoes with cheap new laces
Add some pain to your mouthful of braces
Play catch with a bouncy rubber ball
Make a net to catch your fall
Use scissors and glue to make some art
Hold things together when your life falls apart
Keep the Saran wrap on things you cook
Mark your place in your favorite book
Lace them together to make a strong cord
Keep all the things in your truck bed on board
Pass the time in any old place
Keep them around your left wrist just in case!