# S1E27 Flat Org Structures, Communicating with Engineers & Philanthropic Design | Reade Harpham

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2020-08-07
- Length: 1h 01m
- Episode: 27
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/flat-org-structures/

## Summary

Reade Harpham, Senior Medical Device Specialist at Priority Designs, discusses his career path from industrial design to human factors, emphasizing the importance of communicating user needs to engineers using specific constraints rather than abstract feelings. He details his time at Battelle, a nonprofit R&D organization, where he engaged in philanthropic design projects like developing grain threshers for Mali. At Priority Designs, he explains how the company maintains a flat, employee-owned structure to foster autonomy, organic growth into new capabilities like sound design, and a culture that supports intrapreneurship.

## Chapters

- [0:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=14) Introduction and Career Origins
- [3:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=205) Communicating Human Factors to Engineers
- [14:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=846) Experience at Battelle and Philanthropic Design
- [29:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=1775) Priority Designs Flat Structure and Culture
- [44:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=2657) Organic Growth and Sound Design
- [51:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-08-07-s1e27-flat-org-structures-communicating-with-engineers-philanthropic-design-read#t=3109) Challenges and Vendor Recommendations

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Priority Designs (company)
- Battelle (company)
- Schlessinger Research (company)
- Three Fieldwork (company)
- Majors (company)
- Gates Foundation (company)
- General Mills (company)
- Conquest Maps (company)
- FDA (other)
- MDI (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Bringing Medical Devices into the Home](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2022-05-18-bringing-medical-devices-into-the-home) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [Ep 1: The hard truth about building design team](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/build-2-create-hardware-founder-stories/2026-01-08-ep-1-the-hard-truth-about-building-design-team) (Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories)
- [005 - “Compassionate Product Development” with Cameron Jones](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-03-005-compassionate-product-development-with-cameron-jones) (Let's Combinate)
- [072 - OXO PFS, Drug/Device Usability, Toothbrushes for Children, Epicurious Series and Baseball with Dan Formosa](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2023-02-15-072-oxo-pfs-drug-device-usability-toothbrushes-for-children-epicurious-series-an) (Let's Combinate)
- [#019 - Chairless chair, with Keith Gunura of noonee, Switzerland](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-03-29-019-chairless-chair-with-keith-gunura-of-noonee-switzerland) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

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