# Sam Wicoff | Volunteering, Time management, & Journaling

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2022-08-26
- Length: 34m
- Episode: 32
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/sam-wicoff-time-management/

## Summary

Sam Wicoff, a biomedical engineer specializing in mechanical fixtures and PCBs for production assembly lines, discusses his career at an established medical device company. He details the design lifecycle of custom test fixtures, such as a 'bed of nails' for pacemakers, using SolidWorks and 3D printing for prototyping while relying on machine shops for production. Wicoff emphasizes the importance of 'productive paranoia' in medical device engineering to ensure safety and effective communication between R&D and manufacturing teams. He also shares his personal strategies for time management, including daily journaling and time-blocking, inspired by David Goggins and Cal Newport.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=0) Introduction: Sam Wicoff and Pipeline Design & Engineering
- [1:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=78) Sam Wicoff's Path to Biomedical Engineering and Nicaragua Volunteer Experience
- [7:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=455) Designing Mechanical Fixtures and PCBs for Medical Device Production
- [13:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=800) The Importance of Communication and Productive Paranoia in Engineering
- [16:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=1005) 3D Printing Limitations: Prototyping vs. Production with Markforged
- [20:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=1206) Career Motivation, Job Hopping, and Inventing New Processes
- [23:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=1401) Time Management Strategies: Journaling, Deep Work, and Habits
- [28:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-08-26-sam-wicoff-volunteering-time-management-journaling#t=1735) Study Abroad at Cambridge and the McDonald's Coffee Case

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- SolidWorks (tool)
- Markforged (other)
- David Goggins (other)
- Cal Newport (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [305: Humans Have a Terrible Spec Sheet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-10-03-305-humans-have-a-terrible-spec-sheet) (Embedded.fm)
- [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)
- [#470: The Real Cost of MedTech Innovation: From Idea to Pre-Production with Lisa Voronkova](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2026-09-22-470-the-real-cost-of-medtech-innovation-from-idea-to-pre-production-with-lisa-vo) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [Meet a Guru: Etienne Nichols](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [Sam Holland (Co-Founder, Informal)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-04-15-sam-holland-co-founder-informal) (Just Gonna Send It)

## Citing this page

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