# S2E51 The Hardware Academy | John Teel

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2021-12-03
- Length: 22m
- Episode: 51
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/John-teel-the-hardware-academy/

## Summary

John Teel, founder of Predictable Designs and The Hardware Academy, explains his platform which bridges electronics engineering and entrepreneurship for hardware startups. He details the academy's tiered subscription model, ranging from $49 to $249 per month, offering courses on PCB design, power management, and go-to-market strategy. Teel draws on his 15 years at Texas Instruments and his experience launching a consumer lighting product to advise engineers on avoiding the common pitfall of ignoring customer validation until after development.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=0) Introduction: John Teel and The Hardware Academy
- [3:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=218) Hardware Academy Structure and Pricing Tiers
- [7:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=435) Target Audience: Solopreneurs and Small Startups
- [9:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=559) Course Content: PCB Design and Product Roadmaps
- [11:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=675) Motivation: Merging Engineering and Entrepreneurship
- [14:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=873) Career Advice: Generalists vs. Specialists
- [16:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=997) Podcast Growth and Audience Building
- [19:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel#t=1191) Key Advice: Customer Validation Before Development

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch

## Mentioned

- Predictable Designs (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- Apple (company)
- Makezine (other)
- Hackster.io (other)
- STM32 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Hardware Entrepreneurs: 3 Critical Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-06-21-hardware-entrepreneurs-3-critical-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Development Costs for Hardware Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-05-07-development-costs-for-hardware-startups) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Why You Must Simplify Your Product to Succeed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-07-19-why-you-must-simplify-your-product-to-succeed) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Five Biggest Mistakes Hardware Startups Make with Customers with Dave Millman of BizDev Global](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-01-07-five-biggest-mistakes-hardware-startups-make-with-customers-with-dave-millman-of) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Top 10 Product Design Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-07-05-top-10-product-design-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)

## 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/2021-12-03-s2e51-the-hardware-academy-john-teel. 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.