I’m Sam, and I used to be a Technical Writer at iFixit. I developed clear, user-friendly repair procedures for a wide range of consumer electronics and industrial equipment. I joined the Technical Writing team in August 2020 after working hands-on in iFixit’s repair kit assembly operations.

I studied Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where I embraced a hands-on approach to learning. True to Cal Poly’s learn by doing philosophy, I focused on practical problem-solving skills that continue to shape my work in technical documentation and repair.

I started at iFixit in 2019 as a Warehouse Kitter, assembling repair kits with a focus on precision and quality. Transitioning to Technical Writing allowed me to apply my technical knowledge to documentation, creating repair guides that help users troubleshoot and fix their devices with confidence. Since then, I’ve authored and refined hundreds of guides, covering everything from VR headsets to cement mixers.

My most memorable fix was on a Piper Cherokee. I had flown into a small airstrip in Gualala, California for a fishing trip. On takeoff roll my airspeed indicator never came alive, and I had to abort the takeoff.

I removed the pitot tube and checked for blockages – nothing found. I then tried to blow and suck air through every opening to clear it, but still no luck. Finally, I cut a piece of safety wire and carefully probed inside. On the first pass, to my horror, a wounded wasp crawled out and attempted to fly away.

We reinstalled the pitot tube, our airspeed indicator was working again, and we flew home without issue.

I grew up in Lakeport, a small town known for bass fishing and open skies. Outside of iFixit, I’m a cyclist and enthusiast for cooking and aviation.

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