# S1E47 How To Engineer Your Way Out of Boring Engineering Work | Peter Cerreta

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2020-10-30
- Length: 54m
- Episode: 47
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta

## Summary

Peter Cerreta, a mechanical engineer and founder of The 3D Connectors, explains how he used programming to automate tedious engineering tasks, reducing a three-year data migration project to three months. He discusses his career path from pre-med to mechanical engineering, his time at Safari Land learning lean manufacturing, and his work at GE Oil & Gas automating SolidWorks models via VBA. Cerreta also details the evolution of his company, The 3D Connectors, from selling MakerBot printers to dominating government 3D printing sales through the GSA schedule, while reflecting on leadership and hiring challenges.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=0) Introduction: Peter Cerreta and The 3D Connectors
- [1:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=109) Peter's Path to Mechanical Engineering
- [10:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=622) Lean Manufacturing at Safari Land
- [20:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=1239) Automating CAD Models with VBA at GE
- [24:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=1496) Solving the Data Migration Problem
- [34:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=2067) Founding The 3D Connectors
- [40:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=2419) Pivoting to Government Sales and GSA
- [45:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta#t=2729) Leadership, Toxicity, and Hiring

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- The 3D Connectors (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- MakerBot (product)
- GE Oil & Gas (company)
- Safari Land (company)
- Johnson & Johnson (company)
- Macro Express (tool)
- Fusion 3D Printer (product)
- GSA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [461: Check Out My Immune System!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-11-08-461-check-out-my-immune-system) (Making It)
- [510: My Office is a Mess, My Head is a Mess… Everything’s a Mess](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-01-09-510-my-office-is-a-mess-my-head-is-a-mess-everythings-a-mess) (Making It)
- [An Interview with John Davis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-03-26-an-interview-with-john-davis) (The Amp Hour)
- [Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap with Joe Carson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2019-11-25-taking-the-entrepreneurial-leap-with-joe-carson) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Episode 113: You’ve changed…. Change is good](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2017-03-31-episode-113-youve-changed-change-is-good) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-30-s1e47-how-to-engineer-your-way-out-of-boring-engineering-work-peter-cerreta. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Being an Engineer.