# S1E08 Getting laid off and starting an engineering company | Aaron Moncur

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2020-05-20
- Length: 36m
- Episode: 8
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur

## Summary

Aaron Moncur, founder of Pipeline Design & Engineering, explains how a 2008 layoff led him to start a firm providing turnkey test fixtures and automation equipment for the medical device industry. He details his organic growth from a solo freelancer to a team of nine, emphasizing his hiring philosophy of prioritizing 'kindergarten skills' and manufacturing-aware portfolios over degrees. Moncur also discusses the importance of aesthetics in functional equipment, the challenges of learning sales and marketing, and the specific software tools he uses to manage projects and operations.

## Chapters

- [0:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=13) Introduction and Company Name Origin
- [1:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=99) From Layoff to Freelancing to Founder
- [5:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=314) Organic Growth and Hiring Philosophy
- [10:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=656) Evaluating Portfolios and Design for Manufacturing
- [14:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=875) Aesthetics and User Experience in Test Fixtures
- [18:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=1127) Sales, Marketing, and Building Trust
- [22:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=1343) Software Tools and Systems for Management
- [26:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-05-20-s1e08-getting-laid-off-and-starting-an-engineering-company-aaron-moncur#t=1592) Leadership, Communication, and Career Advice

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- testfixturedesign.com (other)
- Reich (tool)
- Airtable (tool)
- Dropbox (tool)
- Why We Sleep (other)
- Joy Inc (other)
- Menlo Innovations (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [How Being Strategic During A Career Transition Can Yield The Best Opportunities](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2020-06-11-how-being-strategic-during-a-career-transition-can-yield-the-best-opportunities) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [How Soft Skills Drive High-Impact Engineering Teams w/ Aaron Moncur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-08-26-how-soft-skills-drive-high-impact-engineering-teams-w-aaron-moncur) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Em Moshouris (Founder, WORC)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-02-11-em-moshouris-founder-worc) (Just Gonna Send It)
- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Design & Manufacturing Consulting with Scott Williams from Xentronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-03-19-design-manufacturing-consulting-with-scott-williams-from-xentronics) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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