Hardware Podcasts

S2E01 How to Determine if an Idea is Worth Pursuing – Mechanical Engineering Professor at MIT | Alexander Slocum

Being an Engineer · 8 Jan 2021 · 1h 12m · Episode 1

What this episode covers

Alexander Slocum, a Mechanical Engineering Professor at MIT, discusses how to determine if an idea is worth pursuing, emphasizing the importance of philosophy in design, managing ego, and validating market demand before production. He shares personal strategies for work-life balance, such as tinkering with children and using exercise to maintain productivity, and advises engineers to invest in their companies or pursue residual income through real estate or stock options. Slocum warns against the pitfalls of relying solely on patents, citing his own 'Massages Soap' failure, and recommends using provisional patents and handmade prototypes to validate demand before committing to expensive tooling. He also outlines a peer-review process for design teams and stresses the importance of protecting equity and seeking legal counsel for partnerships.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MIT, ASME, Other Mill, Other Lab, Thompson Industries, USPTO, Pipeline Design & Engineering, Test Fixture Design
Products
Massages Soap, Pringles
Also
Precision Machine Design, FUNdaMENTALs of Design, R&D 100, Saul Griffith, Peter Mughalstones, Greg Lyons, Iron Man, Kiawah Island

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