Member Profile: Product design engineer and informal co-founder Sam Holland

When he’s not running informal, improving its internal tools, or working with clients, how does informal co-founder and product design engineer Sam Holland fill his days? We sat down to ask him just that. With over a decade of experience in mechanical and product design engineering — and just as much time freelancing — Sam is known for jumping into messy hardware problems, translating complex ideas into human speak, and helping teams make better stuff, faster. He’s collaborated on everything from wearable tech to toilet-mounted health sensors, and he’s not afraid to get weird (see his Donut hole-der side project, Dear Dunkin). In this Q&A, Sam talks about what makes great product design, why he loves working with freelancers, and how Vermont sunsets and toddler time help unleash his creativity.

As a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience, what’s your professional superpower? 

I think I’m really good at being a mercenary. You can drop me into a project, and I can quickly evaluate and choose the best direction to go without hitting analysis paralysis. I also think I can translate engineering speak into human language really efficiently, so helping form teams and get everyone on the same page has been a strength of mine. I’m very fast in CAD and absolutely love working alongside designers, which seems to be a rarity for mechanical engineers.

What’s your favorite product?

I think it has to be Lego. It has clear directions you can follow to learn how to build things, but then you can also repurpose it however you can imagine. This lets you use both sides of your brain. The Lego Technic sets with gears and mechanical components are an amazing way to learn mechanisms and system design while playing. Plus, a Lego brick is one of the pinnacles of injection-molded plastic design. The tolerances and mold design around Lego bricks are insanely consistent and allow for every brick ever made to fit together — it’s bonkers.

As someone who’s worked for yourself almost as long as you worked corporate engineering jobs, what do you love most about freelancing? 

I fell in love with freelance work because it exposes me to a variety of problems to solve across many industries. At a full-time gig, people tend to get pretty myopic and typecast in a specific role, but freelancing lets you experiment and try new things. The ability to collaborate with clients and other freelancers around the world is also a great way to avoid some of the traditional pitfalls of working day to day with colleagues who you may disagree with. I also love the flexibility. When my son was born, I was able to take an extended paternity leave, which could’ve been difficult with a traditional 9–5. 

You have a knack for writing and making complicated subject matter easy to understand. Where does that come from?

Most people would tell you that I have a strange sense of humor, and I think writing is my way of trying to convey this to folks without weirding them out immediately (which happens often in person). I love reading tech blogs and thoughtful analysis of difficult technical topics, and I really enjoy trying to help others learn about our industry. The hardware world is complicated and full of weird acronyms, and engineers typically begin conversations assuming that the folks they’re speaking to have a similar degree of knowledge to them. This is rarely true, and it can be alienating or downright confusing. I’ve found that I really enjoy helping clients learn how to navigate this chaotic industry, and I try to write with the assumption that the reader has no idea what I’m talking about. 

From your experience, what are some of the biggest challenges to bringing a hardware product to market in the current climate?  

I still think we’ll be making things in China for the foreseeable future, so the real questions we’re trying to get clarity on right now are the additional costs for doing this instead of where else we should move to. We’ve noticed many clients are less excited to start a new project at this time since they’re unsure of how they may get funding from the government or VCs, and they’re hesitant to spend their life savings on their own ideas right now. I’m hopeful things will smooth back out soon, but it’s been a bumpy ride over the last few months for sure. 

Running a company and all of its systems sounds like a full-time job. Do you ever get to take on client work? When is that an option, and what are some of the most fun projects you’ve worked on (that you’re allowed to talk about)?

I would say I’m fighting fires 10% of the time, working on new tools 25% of the time, working on content and sales 50% of the time, and then the rest of that 15% is spent on client work. In the past, I was filling my time with client work, and I really love getting my hands dirty. We also have over 100 talented product design engineers who are ready to do what I do, and probably better. It’s all about spreading the love but also getting to flex my brain muscles sometimes. 

I love challenging projects that require creative ways to solve problems. For me, this typically includes trying to figure out how to break up an industrial design model for mass manufacturing and assembly. These are essentially puzzles that have infinite solutions with various tradeoffs, and they’re so much fun. The Neurosity headset was a great puzzle, and I was super happy with the result.

I’m also really proud of the work I’ve done with the Throne team recently. They’ve made a smart device that clips onto your toilet and lets you monitor your hydration, digestion, and gut health. There are some difficult packaging concerns, waterproofing, and industrial design challenges that made that project incredibly satisfying. 

Along with the rest of LinkedIn, we noticed you launched a little gem called Dear Dunkin’. What was your inspiration? Where do you see it going?

I thoroughly enjoyed working on Burrito Pop and the serious approach the team took to a silly problem. I think the Donut Hole-der was born from that energy, mixed with a lot of my weird New England upbringing. Being pretty dangerous in CAD and having access to 3D printers is a powder keg, and I think Covid lit the fuse. Work dried up, and I was trying to stay busy and find meaning in an uncertain time. It was really fun to make my own thing for once. It made me and my loved ones laugh, so it was immediately rewarding.

My friends and family will tell you that I love beating a joke to death, and I think Dear Dunkin’ was a direct result of me not stopping when I probably should have. I’m using it as a way to learn more about creating websites, renders, and doing the things that others have done on teams in the past. I’m also learning that I absolutely suck at social media and I’m OK with that.

I see it ending with me and my family cruising on Lake Champlain this summer on the SS Coolatta.

What’s your favorite thing about Vermont? Anything you miss about big city living? 

Vermont has always been a magical place for me. We used to spend summers at camp here and playing on a lake. I ended up going to University of Vermont because of those fond memories, and it was just far enough away from home that I felt independent but close. I’m incredibly lucky to have found an amazing house with absolutely insane sunset views over Lake Champlain and an excellent bike path to take me to the big city or my son’s daycare. I’m also super fortunate to work from home, and I repurposed the room that was the home gym into my workshop. So my favorite things about Vermont are probably the calmness, space, and friendliness of it. The Nepalese food is also amazing up here.

Before Vermont, my wife and I lived in Brooklyn. I loved the ease of access to great bars and restaurants, and I miss the Greek food. I also definitely miss exploring random neighborhoods and the never-ending surprises and weirdness of the city. I don’t miss alternate side parking, rats and cockroaches, and  summertime in the city. 

What lights you up outside of work? What’s a fun fact about yourself?

When I’m not working, I’m pretty much in full-time Dad mode. My son is 18 months old, and it’s been such an amazing ride watching him learn and grow. It’s so much fun and so exhausting. My wife and I love hiking, exploring Vermont, and hitting up breweries with friends. Before my son was born, I played drums often and was in a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band. I had to learn four hours of their music, which is far more hours than they have good songs 🙂

informal is a freelance collective for the most talented independent professionals in hardware and hardtech. Whether you’re looking for a single contractor, a full-time employee, or an entire team of professionals to work on everything from product development to go-to-market, informal has the perfect collection of people for the job.