# Danny Smith | Interviewing Engineers, Managing Engineering Budgets, & Technical Writing

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2022-10-14
- Length: 47m
- Episode: 39
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/danny-smith-interviewing-engineers/

## Summary

Danny Smith, R&D Manager at Fluidics Medical Technology, discusses his 20-year career in medical device engineering, highlighting the critical role of technical writing and cross-functional collaboration. He shares insights on managing engineering budgets by leveraging experience to predict unforeseen costs, such as mold rework, and emphasizes the importance of balancing perfection with practical constraints. Smith also details his approach to hiring and leadership, advocating for engineers who can work unsupervised, communicate effectively, and challenge assumptions to drive innovation.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=0) Introduction: Danny Smith and Career Origins
- [3:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=216) Transitioning to Medical Devices and Personal Impact
- [7:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=430) Startup Experience: Wearing Multiple Hats
- [13:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=813) Career Moves: Specialization vs. Broad Experience
- [19:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=1143) Managing Engineering Budgets and Unforeseen Costs
- [22:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=1359) Hiring Strategies: Interview Questions for Engineers
- [25:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=1552) Transitioning from Engineer to Manager
- [32:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=1954) Traits of Top Engineers: Communication and Critical Thinking
- [35:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=2126) The Importance of Technical Writing in Med Device
- [39:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=2388) Checklists, ISO Standards, and Product Validation
- [43:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-14-danny-smith-interviewing-engineers-managing-engineering-budgets-technical-writin#t=2580) The Hardest Part: Balancing Competing Stakeholder Needs

## Topics

- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Fluidics Medical Technology (company)
- Becton Dickinson (company)
- Specialized Health Products International (company)
- Bard Access Systems (company)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- Mini Lock Safety Infusion Set (product)
- ISO 13485 (other)
- Extreme Ownership (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#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: Laura Court](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-19-meet-a-guru-laura-court) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [215 - Why Aren’t Technical People Leading Drug-Device Audits?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2025-11-26-215-why-arent-technical-people-leading-drug-device-audits) (Let's Combinate)
- [Are you Spending Enough Time Defining and Managing Requirements for your Medical Device?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2020-11-18-are-you-spending-enough-time-defining-and-managing-requirements-for-your-medical) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [082: Smooth Product Flow from Visual Design to Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-06-30-082-smooth-product-flow-from-visual-design-to-engineering) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

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