I take on fixed-price embedded Python and MicroPython work, scoped up front and delivered async. You get a defined deliverable and a price before anything starts. No hourly billing, no standups, no open-ended retainer.
Why me
I’m a MicroPython core contributor with 263 upstream PRs, and I’ve spent a bit over 20 years building embedded systems, firmware on STM32, NXP i.MX RT and ESP32, native C libraries wrapped for Python with CFFI, and the multi-platform build, packaging and CI that ships it all. A fair bit of that work has been on regulated, safety-critical devices, so I’m comfortable holding to that bar when a project needs it.
How I work
Fixed scope, fixed price. We agree what “done” looks like, I quote a number, and that’s the number, the AI-accelerated way I work is my problem, not a meter running against you. Nearly everything runs async over email and a shared repo, so it fits around your team without booking their time.
The prices below are starting points. The final number depends on scope, which we pin down together before you commit to anything.
Start here
Debugging or architecture-review sprint, from AUD $1,500
A focused block to unstick one specific problem or sanity-check a design before you build on it. Bring me the crash, the timing bug, the “why won’t this port boot”, or the architecture you want a second set of experienced eyes on. You get a written findings summary and, where it fits, a fix.
This is the low-risk way to see how I work, and it usually tells us both whether a bigger piece is worth doing.
Larger pieces
MicroPython board bring-up or port, from AUD $6,000
Get MicroPython running properly on your board or SoC: board profile, pin and peripheral config, the drivers you’re missing, a clean build, and a device that boots and behaves. Tiered by how far off the beaten track your hardware is.
Build, packaging and release pipeline, from AUD $8,000
CI that builds your embedded-Python firmware and wheels across the platforms you actually ship, handles native extensions, signs and packages the artifacts, and gives you a repeatable release you can hand to the rest of the team. This is the stuff that quietly eats a week every release until someone sets it up once.
What I don’t do
No hourly or staff-augmentation work, no ongoing on-call, no “just jump on a standup”. If you need a body in seats forty hours a week, I’m not it. What I’m good at is a hard, well-defined piece delivered fast and done properly.
Get in touch
Email me at andrew@alelec.net with a couple of paragraphs on what you’re building and where you’re stuck. If it’s a fit I’ll come back with a scope and a price; if it’s not, I’ll usually be able to point you somewhere useful.