[ChrisMarshallNY]

Very nice, but probably a bit too expensive to just hand out.

I knew a chap that had a similar hardware business card (I don't remember exactly what it did, but it wasn't as cool as this one).

I remember that his card was pretty scuffed up, and he insisted I give it back, after he handed it to me. Bit weird.

[chamomeal]

Maybe you wouldn’t give em to just anybody, but anybody who gets one is guaranteed to remember you!

I’d probably even keep it in my desk to play with. After a few weeks I’d accidentally have this guy’s email/linkedin memorized for eternity

[xp84]

I'm just imagining interviewing a candidate for a job involving embedded systems and this dude pulls this out at the end and says "If you have any other questions, my email's right on there."

What an absolute baller this guy is.

[CubicalBatch]

Still has to respond "no" on the post interview scorecard because the given solution didn't use the optimal ObscureLeetCodeAlgorithm

[codeflo]

I mean, the candidate can design and build innovative custom hardware, but do they remember an obscure impractical algorithm from a second semester CS course? No? Obviously not a fit for this company.

[nine_k]

(This assumes that the guy passed through the resume filters and advanced to the in-person stage, which is not that easy. Should work on a video call though.)

[conductr]

I am thinking how most of the people I get business cards from are people I've already invited in to my office and are discussing some potential business relationship. They've often flown to my city, staying in a hotel, paying for transport, meals, etc. The impression they make during that 1 hour meeting is paramount and I think this is certainly going to leave a lasting impression. Most of those business cards just get tossed into a drawer or trash bin, I bet people keep this one on their desk a play around with it.

[computomatic]

This matches my experience fairly accurately except for the one guy I met at a housewarming who handed out cards to everyone. It was so weird - I haven’t seen anyone do that in real life. He had a shop that repairs chipped windshields.

And you know what? About 8 months later my windshield got sprayed by gravel. That guy got the business (he’s a friend of a friend after all, and I had his number in my wallet).

I’d say the issue isn’t that cards are outdated. It’s that people aren’t using them correctly.

[NikolaNovak]

I had an ad on Facebook marketplace for a synthesizer. The guy who bought it gave me his business card - cloud architect for a competitor. He didn't give it to me because we were in similar field - we had a pleasant conversation over shareEd hobby and he gave it to me then, after which I realized we were in same field, so clearly he gave them around a lot.

If I consider changing jobs, or if I need those very particular services he's getting a call :-).

[conductr]

Definitely still a market for regular cheaper business cards for stuff like this. I regularly keep cards of people like this were I might need their service in the future, but they don’t need to be fancy at all and I don’t think it really adds much value when they are. The market for “good service” in trade type labor that I’d always hire a guy I have even a weak social connection with over some random person I found online. I feel like there’s a higher chance of them not price gouging and caring about the workmanship.

But, I don’t think he’d be handing out $20 BOM cards that freely. I was more validating that there is still probably a market of people where $20 cards might make sense. As in the example I posed, a business card isn’t providing any additional information. By the time I meet these people in my office, we’ve already exchanged emails and had some conversations on the phone and are acquainted. That’s what led to the in-person meeting. I know their names and have them in my contacts.

But, just as it felt like a social faux pas to receive a business card at a housewarming party, I think it also feels like a faux pas to meet someone in a business environment (where you are the selling party) and not give out a card during the initial first handshake interaction. This is a pretty low volume and high value moment for that person so a $20 card is no big deal and could easily make sense.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I have what I call my “Victorian Calling Cards.” I’m retired, and have no need to advertise or boast.

They are fairly fancy moo.com cards, with my name, email, and cellphone. Nothing else.

On the back, is a fancy “dragon head” logo (the one you see, if you look at most of my social media accounts). It’s actually my old artist signature. It’s over a burnt umber gradient.

People like them, and use them.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

This is true.

I remember a story linked from here, recently, where a designer submitted a CV that was a custom-made widget of some kind.

He got the job.

[physix]

In the way back days when we submitted our CVs on paper, I always cut mine to a smaller size than letter, in a branded folder. People tend to stack things with the smaller items on top. I don't know if mine actually was on top of the stack, but I can say that I basically always got the contract.

[ASalazarMX]

I used to subtly watermark mine with nerdy silly diagrams, in the hopes that someone noticed the hints of color and gave them a second look. I even ran a plain vs watermark experiment, and the watermark had almost double the response.

Another trick was adding a "Valid until <YEAR> in the cover". It seems counterintuitive that a CV expires, but it made a few companies approach me for an updated CV.

[xp84]

I believe Sears famously used that same move (probably close to 100 years ago) to cause their catalogs to be stacked right on top of the Montgomery Ward one!

[DonHopkins]

I'd include a sad tomagotchi that after a week or so guilt tripped you into giving it back, its heart broken, missing its original owner.

[bee_rider]

That’s a funny way to try and get people to get back in touch with you, haha.

[CGMthrowaway]

Feed your animal by calling me once a month to check in (and get the monthly "food code")

[Aurornis]

> but probably a bit too expensive to just hand out.

These are generally done as portfolio projects. It’s driving a lot of traffic to the website.

Producing a small number to hand out to potential freelance clients or job prospects is also common.

[hypercube33]

I half expected this to have a button/mode to show custom QR codes...

[phirks]

I tried, that's why it's 21x21. Still haven't managed to get it to read.

[hturan]

I might be wrong, but you might need need (at least) a 23x23 LED matrix to have a white border around the outside to give it the contrast needed (the "quiet zone", since QR data is black).

[phirks]

This is why my first prototype had a white border around it. The LEDs were red back then, so I don't know exactly what I was thinking, but I was aware of the problem.

https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/me...

[nine_k]

Could as well display the name and/or email, if rotated just so.

[mcdonje]

That's a good idea!

[Cthulhu_]

How much does it cost? The guest passes for hacker conferences are full-on computers these days, if this is in the same price bracket it would be a great idea for those.

[4gotunameagain]

There's a BOM, you can find out. Plus some peanuts for the PCB :)

Now whether you get it populated or not..

https://github.com/Nicholas-L-Johnson/flip-card/blob/main/ki...

[unwind]

Just as a point of interest perhaps for folks who are not familiar with PCB design and modern electronics: the "huge" matrix of 21x21=441 LEDs would, with the specified LED from the bill of materials (BOM) cost all of $6.

That is based on the price for low quantity (1-500 pieces) though; if you were to build more than one board you would buy more LEDs, pushing the per-LED price (way) down. You can get 4,000 LEDs for $30.'

Edit: here is the LED in question, from the BOM [1].

[1]: https://jlcpcb.com/partdetail/C497920

[whartung]

I don't know, I struggle with a light switch, but that doesn't look like board someone took home with a box of parts and a soldering iron to make at home.

Are there services that you can send the BOM and board files too, and not only do you get the PC board back, but it's populated? Will they do that for a onesy-twosy thing like this?

Then all you have to do is supply the battery and download the firmware (however that is done).

[bkettle]

Yes, I’ve done it for a batch of 10 with https://jlcpcb.com/smt-assembly for around $10/board including the PCB

[nilamo]

>$10 per business card is extremely high, though.

[vFunct]

Not if you're at a trade show in an industry where a single deal can net millions of dollars, and a small booth might cost $15k just for the space for a few days.

There's definitely an entire business available for expensive trade show merchandise, including electronic business cards. People routinely give away shirts and other merchandise that cost far more than $10..

[eitally]

I wouldn't even necessarily give one to anybody. If you're looking for a job just point to this block post in your resume/site and that's equally impressive.

[Tempest1981]

Giving the actual card though leaves a feeling of guilt... sort of like those old surveys you would receive in the mail, with a $1 bill included. A hyperlink is forgettable.

[akoboldfrying]

Or give out a regular paper business card with a QR code on it pointing to your resume website...

snicker

[nosignono]

If you ask for it to be handed back, it's not a business card. It's a toy.

[SkyMarshal]

Just put a QR code on the front that transmits a vCard. Or a way to make the LEDs on the back display a QR code. Then you can still show people your digital business card, even let them hold it and play with it, but it's still obvious the idea is for them to scan the QR code and hand it back.

[mytailorisrich]

You don't hand out business cards to everyone, only to those who deserve one.

[saretup]

Exactly my thought. Just make it a desk toy.