How advisable is it to hire freelance hardware talent for a startup?

Question

I am looking to build out a proper MVP for a consumer product I've been working on. I have enough experience with Arduinos/microcontroller programming that I was able to build a low fidelity prototype and test successfully with several users. However, I want something more robust now to test with a larger audience, which would likely require creating a PCB.Is it advisable to hire freelance hardware support to build this or do I need a hardware-minded cofounder? (For further context, this is not a particularly complicated device). Wanted to learn what your experiences were with hiring freelance and if you had any recommendations for platforms to use/engineers to hire.

matthewfelgate · Accepted Answer

Can I help you with this?

dlcarrier · Answer

I've worked with this guy and can recommend him: https://www.icbreakout.com/pages/servicesFor me the best way to judge a freelancer is to look at previous projects, but that only works because I'm experienced designing electronics, so I know what to look for. If you end up looking into any other potential contractors, I don't mind helping you evaluate their portfolios.