Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting: full comparison for 2026
Quick verdict
Dojo Five (4.5/5) edges ahead of RMB Consulting (4.3/5) overall. Dojo Five is the better choice for teams that want a remote-first firmware partner with an explicit engineering culture. RMB Consulting is the stronger option for teams wanting to work directly with one named, 30-year-tenured firmware engineer. The right choice depends on your project size, budget, and required tech stack.
Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting: head-to-head summary
| Criterion | Dojo Five | RMB Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2018 | 1995 |
| HQ | Saint Paul, MN, USA | Frederick, MD, USA (also Tampa, FL) |
| Team size | 26 | 1–10 |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Primary differentiator | Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day | 30-plus years of hands-on embedded engineering experience concentrated in a single named principal with a public technical record |
| Pricing model | Project-based firmware engagements | Project-based and hourly consulting engagements |
| Min. engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Primary tech stack | C, C++, Python | C, C++, Bare-Metal Firmware |
| Industries served | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Industrial, Consumer electronics, Medical devices |
Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting: overview
Dojo Five
Dojo Five was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota with a team of 26 engineers. The company explicitly builds its identity around "modern firmware", the tools, techniques, and culture behind a better day-to-day experience building embedded devices, and operates remote-first with stated values including always learning, humble confidence, and pushing boundaries while protecting a 40-hour work week. For a buyer weighing team culture and engineer retention as part of a long-term hiring decision, that explicit values statement is unusually direct for a firmware company.
RMB Consulting
RMB Consulting has operated in embedded systems design and consulting since 1995, run by founder and chief engineer Nigel Jones, who brings more than 30 years of professional embedded systems engineering experience and a long-running record of public technical writing on firmware design. For a client hiring a small team, working directly with a single named, 30-year-tenured engineer, rather than being assigned whichever staff member is available, is close to the smallest and most direct version of an engineering-hire relationship this list offers.
Services and capabilities: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Capability | Dojo Five | RMB Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Firmware development | ✓ | ✓ |
| RTOS development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Hardware co-design | ✗ | ✗ |
| Embedded GUI development | ✗ | ✗ |
| Medical device firmware | ✓ | ✗ |
| Functional safety | ✓ | ✗ |
| Technical training | ✗ | ✗ |
| Expert-witness services | ✗ | ✗ |
| Staff augmentation | ✗ | ✗ |
Tech stack comparison: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Framework / platform | Dojo Five | RMB Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| C | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ | ✓ | ✓ |
| FreeRTOS | N/A | N/A |
| Zephyr | N/A | N/A |
| FPGA | N/A | N/A |
| Embedded Linux | ✓ | N/A |
| LVGL | N/A | N/A |
| AWS IoT | N/A | N/A |
| ARM Cortex-M | N/A | N/A |
Pricing comparison: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Criterion | Dojo Five | RMB Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum engagement | Not published | Not published |
| Engagement models | Project-based firmware development | Project-based consulting, Hourly consulting |
| Rate transparency | Not public | Not public |
| Price tier | Mid-market | Mid-market |
Target audience comparison: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Dimension | Dojo Five | RMB Consulting |
|---|---|---|
| Best company size | Startup to mid-market | Startup to mid-market |
| Best industries | Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices | Industrial, Consumer electronics, Medical devices |
| Best use cases | Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team, Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Hiring a single, deeply experienced engineer for a bare-metal firmware project, Second-opinion technical review from someone with a long public track record |
| Typical project type | Project-based firmware development | Project-based consulting |
Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting: pros and cons
| Dojo Five | |
|---|---|
| + | Explicit, published team culture (humble confidence, always deliver, 40-hour weeks) gives a hiring buyer real signal about who they'd be working with |
| + | Remote-first structure from the start, not a pandemic-era retrofit, suggests mature distributed-team practices |
| + | 7 years of operating history focused entirely on firmware, with a dedicated Embedded Linux team |
| + | Small team size (26) means a client works with senior engineers directly rather than being routed through account layers |
| - | 26 engineers caps concurrent capacity for a client needing several parallel workstreams |
| - | Its stated focus on connected medical devices and diagnostics is a narrower fit outside that vertical |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| RMB Consulting | |
|---|---|
| + | 30 years of professional embedded engineering experience concentrated in one named, publicly verifiable principal |
| + | A substantial public technical writing record lets a hiring buyer evaluate expertise before ever making contact |
| + | 30 years of operating history under the same founder gives continuity most larger firms can't offer |
| + | Team size of 1 to 10 means zero layers between the client and the engineer doing the work |
| - | A team of 1 to 10 people severely limits capacity for a large or multi-workstream engagement |
| - | No published pricing or minimum engagement figure |
| - | Availability may be constrained given the founder-led, low-headcount structure |
Who should choose Dojo Five?
A typical fit: embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team.
Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Medical devices, Diagnostics, Connected devices.
Who should choose RMB Consulting?
A typical fit: hiring a single, deeply experienced engineer for a bare-metal firmware project.
30-plus years of hands-on embedded engineering experience concentrated in a single named principal with a public technical record. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. Works best with clients in Industrial, Consumer electronics, Medical devices.
Decision matrix: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Your situation | Recommended choice |
|---|---|
| You need full-ownership delivery on a defined project scope | Both offer fixed-price models |
| You need a large dedicated team for an ongoing programme | Check each company's engagement model |
| Your budget is at the lower end | Compare: Dojo Five (Not published) vs RMB Consulting (Not published) |
| You need specialist depth in a specific vertical | Dojo Five |
| You need staff augmentation or team extension | Neither; consider alternatives that offer staff aug |
| You need consulting before committing to a build | RMB Consulting |
Use case fit: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
| Use case | Dojo Five fit | RMB Consulting fit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded Linux firmware development needing a dedicated, remote-first team | Strong | Limited | Dojo Five |
| Production-ready firmware handoff for a connected medical device | Strong | Limited | Dojo Five |
| Hiring a single, deeply experienced engineer for a bare-metal firmware project | Limited | Strong | RMB Consulting |
| Second-opinion technical review from someone with a long public track record | Limited | Strong | RMB Consulting |
| Fixed-price build | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
| Staff augmentation | Limited | Limited | Both equally |
Verdict: Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting
Dojo Five (4.5/5) is the stronger overall choice for most Embedded Firmware Development projects. Stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day.
RMB Consulting (4.3/5) is worth a look if you need second-opinion technical review from someone with a long public track record. If your situation matches that, RMB Consulting is a competitive option.
Related comparisons
Dojo Five vs RMB Consulting FAQ
Is Dojo Five better than RMB Consulting?
Dojo Five (4.5/5) scores higher overall, but "better" depends on your use case. Dojo Five's strongest advantage: Explicit, published team culture (humble confidence, always deliver, 40-hour weeks) gives a hiring buyer real signal about who they'd be working with. RMB Consulting's strongest advantage: 30 years of professional embedded engineering experience concentrated in one named, publicly verifiable principal.
How do Dojo Five and RMB Consulting differ in pricing?
Dojo Five uses project-based firmware engagements pricing. RMB Consulting uses project-based and hourly consulting engagements pricing. Neither firm publishes a full rate card; a discovery call is required for project-specific quotes.
Which is better for enterprise: Dojo Five or RMB Consulting?
RMB Consulting is the larger team and typically the better enterprise-scale choice. For very large programmes, verify team size and compliance coverage directly with each developer before shortlisting.
What are the main differences between Dojo Five and RMB Consulting?
Dojo Five's primary differentiator is: stated "modern firmware" culture with explicit values (humble confidence, 40-hour weeks) built into how the team operates day to day. RMB Consulting's primary differentiator is: 30-plus years of hands-on embedded engineering experience concentrated in a single named principal with a public technical record. They also differ in team size (26 vs 1–10), minimum engagement (Not published vs Not published), and primary industries served (Medical devices, Diagnostics vs Industrial, Consumer electronics).
Verify all details directly with each developer before making a decision.