I taught myself electronics, 3D printing, and programming, then did freelance prototype development work for nearly a decade. I made art installations, climate controls, wearable apps, toy prototypes, robots, medical devices, and other gizmos and gadgets for clients in and around New York City.
When COVID started spreading, I realized that meetups, trade shows, and mixers were over. I figured potential clients would waste their time on YouTube instead, so I got to work stacking my channel with the best videos I could make. People liked them, and soon the channel itself was more successful than freelancing. I moved to Colorado, finished my last client project, and went all-in on questionably educational streaming video production.
For the most part, I build projects, write scripts, shoot video, cut episodes, and manage the business by myself. My wife Brooke helps shoot when I’m in front of the camera, and handles the community, social, and streams. It generally takes about a week to make a project, three days to write a script, two days to shoot, and two to cut. It’s a relentless, never-ending slog, but honestly, luck and circumstances mattered more.
When I’m too tired to keep working, I play video games, cook, and snuggle my puppy.
Fun zack facts
- I have one kidney.
- My dog’s name is The Dread Pirate Roberts. We call him Rob.
- My favorite booze is Amaro Braulio.
- Most of the projects from the show are scrapped and reused in other projects.
- After every episode is finished, I take a nice long bath.
- Yes, my keycaps are exactly what they look like.
What’s up with the quagsires?
When I was a kid, I played the Pokemon TCG and took it very seriously. At the time, Rocket’s Zapdos WAS the metagame, and I discovered that Wooper and Quagsire were soft counters. Wooper could lock out Zapdos’ second move, and Quagsire could finish a Zapdos that had already taken some self-damage.
The other meta Pokemon was Sneasel, which had a devastating attack that needed two Dark Energy. At the time, Dark was nonbasic and limited to four per deck, and Quagsire had an attack that destroyed Energy, making that smiling blue bastard a delightfully frustrating counter.
Armed with Quagsire.dec, I gave New World Manga a wet willie until they started playing Scyther again and peed in my cornflakes. But that stupid-faced giant salamander was now a part of my identity. Nope, Quag Daddy is not a manatee. I was as surprised as you are.
Zack Freedman 
Hi Zack,
I’m a tech research analyst for Lockwell Investments, a mutual fund. (My Linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/vincent-tang-cfa/0/968/777). I came across your Skillshare class while researching Arduino and its applications.
Are you around for coffee? I’d love to get your thoughts on DIY electronics and the maker movement. Plus, it’d be nice to make your acquaintance!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Vin
Thanks for reaching out, Vin! I’ve sent you an email so we can talk privately.
Hello Zack,
I read the recent article about Glass and the prospect of a ban. One way to mitigate the challenge that you rightly identify is the use of HUD like functions. However, more utility and less bling is what is needed. Perhaps the HUD interface needs lockouts to prevent distractions like Superbowl highlight while in motion greater than a specific speed. Still, more important than lockouts, an app for optical enhancement of the field of view would be a deal breaker for a ban. Especially important in fog, rain or dark conditions, being able to get a better perspective of the road ahead would make Glass a safety device and not just a parallel system for existing and approved auto indicators.