Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Parlmer.
Hi Thomas, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2021 I started working as a software engineer. But after about 2 years I felt like I wasn’t learning much. An opportunity came presented itself for me to work as a contractor, and since then I have been working with a variety of customers. The diversity of work projects drastically accelerated my learning. Shortly after I began contracting I created my own LLC , and started to learn the ins and outs of owning and running your own business. Finding contracts is hard – harder than just sitting back and collecting a paycheck – but in my opinion it’s worth it. Naming my business was the fun part. There aren’t a lot of LLC and domain name options left. Thankfully I was able to find a good one. My consulting firm is called Smilodon (named after the extinct genus of North American sabertooth cat). My firm currently does AI & software consulting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest challenge is finding business. As a business owner, especially a consulting firm that only has bandwidth for between 1-3 clients at a time, you need to get creative about how you advertise yourself. You can’t take too much time away from client work, but you need to put a lot of effort into writing blog posts, networking, going to conferences, etc…
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My firm, Smilodon, does custom AI and software engineering. The AI and software space is moving so fast that its a challenge for anyone to keep pace. Even large companies with huge resources are struggling to keep up. As a small firm, I am more nimble and able to allocate my efforts in the highest yield spaces. For example, I did a big project last year focused on vendor-agnostic AI. The goal was that if one provider went offline my client would still be able to access AI resources. This was a really interesting project, and to the best of my knowledge not many people are focused on this. Most companies, from small to large, are relying on a single AI provider. As AI becomes more important to businesses, this single point of failure increases in risk.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My wife deserves a huge amount of credit for standing by me through the ups and downs of business. Running a consulting firm is a roller coaster. I also credit my close friends who love to discuss technology – I would not be where I am without their expert tutelage.
Pricing:
- Rapid Software Prototype ($500 up front/ $500 at delivery)
- Monthly Retainer Fee ($5000 / month)
- AI Consultation ($500 flat fee)
- Post-Prototype Custom Software ($-billed hourly, varies depending on project scope)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smilodon.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smilodon-software/
