Degrees of Freedom is a practical art project started in 2018 with the goal of bringing people joy through deeply technical product design.

My background is in mechanical engineering and the majority of my career has centered on developing unfolding solar array wings for spacecraft.

Since I couldn't show friends and family the satellites I developed (and they wouldn't really get it if I did), when it came time for a birthday or engagement or wedding, I would make them presents using the mechanisms I used at work. Bringing my technical fascinations into the lives of loved ones in meaningful and intuitive ways allowed me to bridge the gap between dimensions of my life which were normally isolated but both brought me joy that I wanted to share. I was addicted, and this creative habit became my preferred respite from the stresses of my professional career.

Over the years I built up a portfolio of creations: a folding table for mom, a folding lamp for my for my friends, an engagement ring box for my girlfriend, a chess set for my nephew. If these creations delighted Melissa or Jeremy, and assuming they weren't psychological anomalies, maybe 5 or 10 other people in the world would want them too. I started making batches of these creations and putting them out in the world. If people liked them and they sold, I would make more. If they didn't, it wouldn't matter... they were for Melissa or Jeremy anyways.

Think of our product strategy like throwing darts at a dart board, but with your eyes closed. Throw enough darts and eventually you'll land a bull's eye. It took six years but finally we made something people actually wanted: the ring box I made for Melissa. That became the Kinetacube, and it turned DoF into a business.

I've always used a blank check in expense and time when synthesizing creations for loved ones. My development process is protracted and our products are saddled with cost of designs which won't reach escape velocity for commercial success if they even make it that far). Ultimately cheap products are a solved problem, so we create first and let our (high) prices fall where they may. I think there's a shortage of unrestrained thoughtfulness in the simple objects we use in and DoF is my chance to fill that void for the occasional person.

My engineering career didn't come to an end when I started Degrees of Freedom in 2018. Since leaving SpaceX and while releasing products through DoF, I've cofounded two venture-backed startups (Parallel Systems and Source Energy Company), coauthored technical papers, and consulted with a variety of aerospace companies.

In 2023 I finally stepped away from my traditional engineering career and decided to go full-time with DoF. I realized I could invest my energy into the growth of young employees and business models, or invest the same energy into the growth of my daughter and marriage. It turned out the mental math was very simple and I haven't looked back since. Degrees of Freedom is finally my full-time gig and offers me the mental space to be present at home.

Whether you're a reader, follower, or customer, I hope Degrees of Freedom has succeeded in sharing some dimension of the joy it has afforded me.