Hardware Podcasts

S2E32 An Engineer Who Sold His Engineering Podcast | Filip Valica

Being an Engineer · 23 Jul 2021 · 42m · Episode 32

What this episode covers

Filip Valica, a Product Line Manager at Forum Subsea and former co-host of The Product Startup podcast, discusses his transition from engineering to management and the sale of his podcast to Kevin from Mega Design. He shares insights on validating product ideas by asking 'why' to uncover root customer needs, warning against building solutions for non-existent problems. Valica also advises engineers on career growth, explaining how becoming an indispensable 'fixer' can create a ceiling for those seeking management roles, and emphasizes the importance of broad, cross-functional knowledge over deep specialization for generalists.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Mega Design, Forum Subsea
Tools
SolidWorks
Also
The Product Startup podcast, Shark Tank

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Builder Circle · 11m

    The Pilot: Unveiling the Blueprint of "The Builder Circle"

    Sera Evcimen, host of The Builder Circle, explains her motivation for launching the podcast after mentoring startups at Techstars Paris and working on technologies like CubeSats and ion thrusters. She outlines the show's format, which includes case studies with founders like Bridget Hunter Jones and expert discussions with industry veterans such as Scott Miller. The episode details the podcast's unique value proposition, including 50-minute episodes with TL;DL summaries and a focus on actionable advice and failure analysis rather than just success stories.

    Starting a product companyValidation & product-market fit
    5 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 36m

    How to Start a Successful Industrial Podcast with EECO's Chris Grainger

    Chris Grainger, Engineering & Services Manager at EECO, discusses the origin and operation of his company-sponsored podcast, 'EECO Asks Why.' He explains how he secured executive buy-in to focus on people and ideas rather than products, and details the systems used to manage production while balancing his day job. Grainger emphasizes the importance of deep guest research, sharing specific tactics like reading guests' books and using dynamic spreadsheets to coordinate with his executive producer.

    Marketing & brandCareers & education
    6 chapters

  • IoT For All Podcast · 38m

    What it Means to be a Product Manager in IoT | Daniel Elizalde, IoT Product Consultant | #AskIoT E004

    IoT Product Consultant Daniel Elizalde joins hosts Ryan Chacone and Mark BLS to discuss the complexities of product management in the Internet of Things. Elizalde explains his 'IoT Decision Framework' and the concept of the 'T-shaped' product manager, emphasizing the need for broad horizontal knowledge across the tech stack and deep vertical expertise in specific areas. He highlights the critical importance of defining clear business problems before building, warning against 'shiny object syndrome' and premature hardware development. The conversation also covers team structures, the shift toward 'as-a-service' business models, and the challenges of pricing in large-scale deployments.

    Validation & product-market fitPricing, margins & unit economics
    9 chapters

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 40m

    Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering

    Ryan Zellers, founder of V1 Engineering, explains how his passion for making things led to the creation of the Mostly Printed CNC (MPCNC) and the growth of his company. He details his journey from working at Robo 3D and a medical device firm to bootstrapping V1 Engineering from a garage, leveraging the Thingiverse community for design feedback and sales. Zellers discusses his deliberate choice to remain a solo operator, using automation and contractors to handle logistics while he focuses on product design and community engagement.

    Industrial & consumer product designStarting a product company
    8 chapters

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 18m

    #001 - Introduction to the podcast, with your host, Balint Horvath, Switzerland

    Balint Horvath, founder of The Hardware Entrepreneur podcast, explains his motivation for creating a platform dedicated to hardware founders, contrasting the 'atoms vs. bits' debate with the tangible reality of physical product innovation. He outlines his background in physics and electrical engineering, his career at Swiss multinationals, and his observation that hardware entrepreneurship is a growing global trend driven by lower barriers to entry. Horvath emphasizes the importance of sharing stories from both high-growth startups and small-to-medium enterprises to build a healthier, more supportive ecosystem for makers and entrepreneurs worldwide.

    Starting a product companyMaker community & events
    1 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.