Hi, author here.

It's not about business (or being bought). It's about my hobby. This is the email they sent me:

--- Your BurgerDisk project is an ingenious way to modernize Apple II storage, showcasing your expertise.

This is Emily from PCBWay. I'd like to sponsor your projects with free PCB prototyping. A brief review would be appreciated in return.

Would you be interested? ---

This is my reply:

--- OK, why not, as long as my review is my own and honest :) What is the budget ? ---

I then published my post without them pre-screening it. It's a honest, factual review about how it goes to have PCBWay make an assembled PCB. They didn't even ask me to share it on any social media.

What I got out of it is a few hours of fun (because this is my hobby) routing a (rather simple) PCB, and a batch of twenty modules that I didn't have to use my pocket money for.

This is all. Don't overthink it.

I do sell my device. It's mostly as a service to the community members who don't have the equipment, time or skill to assemble it themselves, as it is a free software, open hardware project; it's not going to replace my salaried job in any foreseeable timeframe, and it's not the goal.

Hope that clears things up,

Colin