# S4E39 Kyle Valiton | Common Pitfalls of Startups, Dealing With Stress, Setting Budgets

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2023-10-13
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 39
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge
- Listen: https://teampipeline.us/Kyle-Valiton-common-pitfalls/

## Summary

Kyle Valiton, founder of Build to Launch, discusses common pitfalls in startup engineering, emphasizing the need for strong cross-departmental communication and the use of tools like Slack to maintain transparency. He advises engineers to adopt an 'abundance mindset' and set realistic budgets to manage stress and avoid pigeonholing during R&D projects. Valiton also highlights the importance of storytelling in prototyping and building professional networks through closed communities like Discord and Slack to support career growth.

## Chapters

- [0:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=38) Introduction: Kyle Valiton and Build to Launch
- [5:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=354) Communication Silos and Open Threads in Startups
- [11:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=666) Startup vs. Corporate Engineering Careers
- [17:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=1020) Storytelling in Prototyping and Design
- [21:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=1287) Managing Stress and Setting Budgets
- [31:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=1871) Pros and Cons of Engineering Consulting
- [36:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-10-13-s4e39-kyle-valiton-common-pitfalls-of-startups-dealing-with-stress-setting-budge#t=2203) Career Advice for Young Engineers

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Build to Launch (company)
- Cal Poly (other)
- Tesla (company)
- Slack (tool)
- Discord (tool)
- Linktree (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [034: Staying Motivated & Overcoming Lack of Money, Time & Skills](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-01-03-034-staying-motivated-overcoming-lack-of-money-time-skills) (Product Startup)
- [Engineering Culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-02-22-engineering-culture) (Oxide and Friends)
- [Slack & Flickr: Stewart Butterfield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-07-30-slack-flickr-stewart-butterfield) (How I Built This)
- [Live From HIBT Summit: Payal Kadakia, Tristan Walker, and Perry Chen on Innovation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-07-22-live-from-hibt-summit-payal-kadakia-tristan-walker-and-perry-chen-on-innovation) (How I Built This)
- [From Vision to Reality: Product Roadmaps in Embedded Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2026-08-04-from-vision-to-reality-product-roadmaps-in-embedded-development) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)

## Citing this page

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