# Samuel Feller | Product & Project management, Kickstarter, & DIY Product Launch

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2022-10-28
- Length: 46m
- Episode: 41
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/sam-feller-product-management/

## Summary

Samuel Feller, a mechanical engineer and founder of awkward engineer, discusses his career transitions from structural and aerospace engineering to product management, consulting, and running his own business selling panic button light switches. He details the experience of launching an analog voltmeter clock via Kickstarter, explaining how he learned to distinguish between a creative hobby and a viable business model, particularly regarding the challenges of distribution and manufacturing costs like injection molding tooling. Feller shares his project management philosophy, emphasizing the importance of asking 'what do I get? When do I get it?' to streamline communication, and highlights the value of collaborating with machinists early in the design process to optimize for manufacturability.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=0) Introduction: Samuel Feller and Career Overview
- [3:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=221) The Origin of awkward engineer and the Analog Voltmeter Clock Kickstarter
- [10:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=634) Kickstarter Success vs. Ongoing Distribution Challenges
- [13:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=821) Project Management Philosophy: 'What do I get? When do I get it?'
- [25:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=1555) Learning Tools vs. First Principles and the Machinist Toolbox Analogy
- [32:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=1948) Collaborating with Machinists for Design for Manufacturing
- [37:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=2220) Career Hops, Novelty Seeking, and Unbillable Time
- [40:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch#t=2449) Kickstarter Pro Tips: Audience Building and Tooling Costs

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- awkward engineer (other)
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Tulip (company)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- Kickstarter (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [3: Onward](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2015-10-28-3-onward) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2023-11-09-ep-8-ryan-from-v1-engineering) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Product Design and Manufacturing with Nick Frank of Knectiv](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2020-02-02-product-design-and-manufacturing-with-nick-frank-of-knectiv) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 19 - Craighton Berman, Founder of Manual (04/16)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2014-04-16-afterschool-podcast-episode-19-craighton-berman-founder-of-manual-04-16) (Core77 Podcast)
- [S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-13-s3-e7-building-bootstrapped-hardware-that-sells-with-christian-reed) (The Builder Circle)

## 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/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch. 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.