Employee Spotlight: Evan Fierst, Design Engineer III at Marlin Technologies

🎛️ Role & Responsibilities

Evan Fierst thrives in a role where no two days look the same. As a Design Engineer, he moves fluidly between PCB design, firmware development, and debugging customer applications—sometimes all in a single day. The variety is exactly what he enjoys most. Every challenge is different, every problem is an opportunity to create something new, and every project pushes him to think in fresh ways.

His work strengthens Marlin’s mission by helping deliver reliable, innovative electronic solutions that customers can trust. Whether he’s designing hardware, writing code, or troubleshooting complex systems, Evan’s contributions help ensure Marlin stays competitive through technical excellence and creative problem‑solving.

One part of his job that might surprise people: just how much creativity engineering requires. It’s not only about logic and precision—there’s a lot of imagination involved in turning ideas into functioning products.

🧭 Career Journey

Evan joined Marlin after reconnecting with Jake, the Director of Engineering, whom he had worked with previously. When an opportunity opened, he took the leap—and four years later, he’s become a go‑to resource for both coworkers and customers.

He began as a new engineer learning Marlin’s products and processes. Today, he’s someone others rely on when they need answers, guidance, or a fresh perspective on a tough technical challenge.

His earlier experiences shaped him in unexpected ways:

Evan worked in kitchens throughout high school and college as a prep cook, a line cook, etc., and learned a lot about staying calm and organized under pressure. Having a lot of project deadlines looming is a lot like having a bunch of dishes that need to go out at the same time, but “I learned to thrive in that environment”.

After college, he worked as a researcher in a materials science laboratory while attending graduate school. He shared “When experiments can take weeks or months to complete, and the chance of failure is high, it’s important to be methodical and think critically about how you’re going to approach the problem, anticipate and account for failure modes, and carefully observe and document everything. The same is true with electronic design; a little bit of background research and planning can go a long way towards securing a successful outcome.” Evan’s experience in grad school also taught him a lot about how to communicate technical concepts effectively, because at some point, he needed to learn how to explain to a non-technical audience what it is he does all day and why it’s important

These experiences built the foundation for his engineering approach: thoughtful, organized, and always curious.

The most important lesson he’s learned?

In the immortal words of James Dalton, Patrick Swayze’s character in Road House: “Be Nice”. Take things in stride, help others when you can, and be up-front and honest with people.

🏆 Impact & Achievements

One of Evan’s favorite accomplishments came from an internal engineering design competition. The challenge: create the coolest—and most intentionally “useless”—device using a Marlin 4‑In/4‑Out controller.

Evan transformed his controller into a handheld fishing video game complete with an OLED display, buttons, a rechargeable battery, and a cloud‑connected high‑score leaderboard. It was a playful, creative twist on Marlin’s technology—and a huge hit with his kid, who was far more impressed with the game than any of the other projects Evan had brought home.

He measures success not only by the functionality of the products he designs but also by how much he learns along the way and how effectively he can pass that knowledge on to others.

🤝 Team & Culture

Evan appreciates the collaborative spirit at Marlin. The team is supportive, approachable, and always willing to help—something he’s experienced firsthand countless times. He describes the culture as open, friendly, and grounded in mutual respect.

What sets Marlin apart from other workplaces he’s been part of is the willingness of people to drop what they’re doing to help someone else. That sense of shared purpose makes the work more enjoyable and the challenges more manageable.

🌱 Personal Insights

Evan is motivated by the constant opportunity to learn. Every new problem is a chance to grow his skills and deepen his understanding, and he enjoys sharing what he learns with the team.

To stay organized, he relies on a simple but effective tool: a pen‑and‑paper to‑do list. Despite the allure of productivity apps, nothing beats the satisfaction of writing tasks down and checking them off.

Outside of work, Evan is passionate about art—both making it and experiencing it. He believes everyone should create and consume art, especially as a counterbalance to the highly functional nature of engineering. He doodles cartoons for his kid’s lunch, makes paper collage cards for his wife, knits (slowly), and loves wandering through art museums for inspiration.

A fun fact many coworkers may not know:
As a kid, Evan threw out the first pitch at a Milwaukee Brewers game during a Boys and Girls Club event—an unforgettable moment from his childhood.

His favorite way to unwind after a busy week is spending time with his family, making art, or simply relaxing with something creative and enjoyable.

If he could switch roles for a day, he’d choose something hands‑on and artistic—anything that lets him create freely without constraints.

🔭 Looking Ahead

Evan has a growing list of programs he wants to build—some for work, some just for fun. He’s excited to keep exploring new ideas and pushing the boundaries of what Marlin’s technology can do.

He sees the engineering department continuing to evolve with new tools, new processes, and new opportunities for innovation. As systems grow more complex, collaboration and knowledge‑sharing will become even more important.

His advice for new team members:

“Don’t be afraid to ask anyone for help. People here will always step up when you need it. And make sure you do the same for others—it pays off, and it’s the right thing to do.”