Throwaway because I tie my main to my real self.<p>I&#x27;m an EE.  I love embedded work.  I used to do it for a major non-software company, but I couldn&#x27;t stand the work environment.  Because of the... <i>sensitive</i> nature of my work I had a lot of trouble finding a new job.  When I finally did it was with a small, local, non-embedded software company.<p>I really want to get back into it.  I have been out long enough that many companies won&#x27;t even talk to me about these kind of roles because of my current one.  I don&#x27;t particularly want to work for a large company anyway.<p>My overarching career goal is to start my own company in the hardware or embedded space, preferably with other people.  I don&#x27;t have the network of people I need to find partners in this, though.  Thus, I&#x27;m considering trying to go it alone.  A nights&#x2F;weekends thing would be doable, because my current company has a sane non-compete and has nothing to do with the hardware or embedded spaces.<p>As an alternative, I would love to be one of the first employees at someone else&#x27;s startup.  I just had an interview with one, though, and was rejected despite the technical chops because &quot;in our current stage and needs, we wouldn&#x27;t be a good fit at this time&quot;.  I obviously disagree, but something about the way I present myself gives the impression that I am not early-stage material.  My pickings for hardware&#x2F;embedded startups here are really slim, so I want to maximize my chances of success because <i>I</i> think I would be a valuable addition to any of them.<p>I figure a solo run, even if small and ultimately unsuccessful, would gain me more respect and attention from the types of companies I want to work for.  It might even solve my problem by creating the company I want to work for.<p>Am I misguided?  Clueless?  Nucking futs?<p>For context: I am in the Midwest.  I will not move farther west.  I would love to move farther east, particularly DC&#x2F;Baltimore, North Carolina, or Georgia.
Ask HN: Getting into an embedded startup?