About

Vision

To design the future by empowering those who build it

Mission

Our mission

What drives our work

Second Order Effects partners with organizations confronting technically rigorous and socially impactful challenges. We work across industries and disciplines to unlock capabilities for these partners and empower them to achieve their missions. As we go, we focus as much on defining problems and developing individuals as on delivering solutions.

The second-order effect of our approach is a team increasingly capable of identifying and addressing the right problems - those with the greatest potential for compounding systemic impact. Progress isnʼt what we build today; itʼs what weʼre capable of building tomorrow.

Values

Our values

Why we work

Empower others

We put others first; our clients, our colleagues, and our teams. We collaborate, support, and develop people, because our greatest potential is in preparing the teams of tomorrow.

Lead with curiosity

We embrace challenges, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from every experience. Listening, sharing knowledge, and understanding the “why” behind decisions guide how we grow and improve together.

Build the right thing

We focus on creating solutions that truly add value. By understanding core problems and aligning with client needs, we deliver work we’re proud of–work that has lasting impact and avoids harm.

Own the outcome

We take responsibility for what we build and how we build it. By anticipating challenges, communicating openly, and addressing problems proactively, we strengthen trust, collaboration, and lasting results.

APPROACH

Our approach

How we work

We learn

We welcome uncertainty. We master complex and novel engineering challenges. This allows us to expand our expertise, cross-train in new areas, and research technology deeply. We share our knowledge with our clients and give them the tools to grow their own technology base.

We think

We bring deep and functional expertise from the aerospace, automation, automotive, consumer, and biomedical industries. We work collaboratively with our clients through each engineering decision. Together, we’ll craft design parameters, develop tests to minimize risk, increase your knowledge, and produce results.

We build

We create reliable, customized, low-risk hardware and software. We work from prototype demo, to production-ready, to deployed in the field. We environmentally test hardware and repair any issues in-house. Our technicians and engineers can transform a napkin sketch into a sellable product.

We scale

As our clients’ needs expand, we can scale our relationships to support that business growth. We develop long-term relationships with our clients, looking beyond the project and striving for constant progress. The second-order effect of our growth is yours.

facilities

Our facilities

Where we work

El Segundo Office
711 Hawaii Street
El Segundo, CA 90245

Redmond Office
14700 NE 95th Street
Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052

CONTACT

Contact us

We’d love to learn about what you’re working on. Share a few details about your project using the form!


If you'd prefer to email or call us instead, reach us directly at connect@soeffects.com or (424) 290-0617.

CAREERS

Join our team

Our focus is on learning, support, and quality execution. We build knowledge, not short-term wins. There’s a role for you here—whether you’re a new grad or have years of experience.

Second Order Effects

connect@soeffects.com

(424) 290-0617

© 2026 Second Order Effects, Inc.

Second Order Effects

connect@soeffects.com

(424) 290-0617

© 2026 Second Order Effects, Inc.

Second Order Effects

connect@soeffects.com

(424) 290-0617

© 2026 Second Order Effects, Inc.