Spotlight – Michael Fraimovich

When I first joined the company, it was a very small team of just 9 or 10 people. The team was very hands-on and involved in the few projects we had at the time. We worked shoulder to shoulder to make projects happen. Over time, we started getting a lot more projects, the team grew, our tools and equipment grew and evolved, and the office size grew. It has been interesting to see the office size increasing, from a three rooms office (in an office building with a challenging 😉 heating and cooling system) to a stand-alone building.

It's great to see the same passion and energy carried through over the years.

I was earlier working for large companies in the military aerospace and later in the automotive sector. The projects were very long and there was a lot of engineering, but not much electronics design per se. It was always my dream to work in electronic boards design oriented company as opposed to a single product engineering and that’s what drew me to NeuronicWorks. There was an exciting portfolio of projects I could work on.

It’s hard to define a particular moment or project. Every time I learn something new, I consider it an accomplishment. And every time we deliver a project, I consider it an achievement. It is a great feeling to see something designed and deployed.

I have no idea, stopped counting after the 100th.

Any project that involves learning a new domain in which I have no experience is considered challenging. In most cases we apply our engineering skills, experience, and follow best practices, but in some cases, we must take a step back, pause and learn. It means digging for information, asking knowledgeable and more experienced teammates, researching literature, or looking for guidance from other sources.

We are currently working on a high-power conversion project where I am learning something new every day. It has been a great learning experience and we are lucky to work with wonderful, knowledgeable teammates on this project.

The fun and the satisfaction of the design process. It may sound repetitive, but I like being able to finish what has been started. The variety of projects and the diversity of the team are two other factors that I greatly appreciate. It’s only when we talk to others, we realize there are such absolutely incredible facets to their lives. I cherish those talks and have made some great friends along the way.

I would suggest opting for hardware designing only if at a younger age you had fun taking things apart and putting them back together in the wrong order just to see what happens.

Try new ideas, keep researching, dig around and read resources for inspiration. As a hardware designer, we have the fantastic opportunity to learn, try and implement something new and unique.

My advice would be to stay focused on the task at hand; focus on what needs to be done and delivered. Be methodical in finding the right solution and try new things. Another important point I would mention is to always read the manuals and understand the specs.

Also, please find the time to talk to the people around you. There are so many different people from varying backgrounds and both professional and non-professional experiences that comprise the team. There is always something new to learn. It is also fun to find out that the person beside you is a professional chef or a jewelry maker.

Ask and listen, be curious and have fun.

I hope to see myself in the same or a similar role as I am today, an Electronics Hardware Designer. I do have quite a bit of experience working for other organizations and in other roles, but I have realized that nothing satisfied me more than designing new boards and make them work.