Hardware Podcasts

S5E15 Derek Harper | The Benefits of Working At A Small Company, & How to Motivate Your Engineering Team

Being an Engineer · 12 Apr 2024 · 43m · Episode 15

AI in practice: one real use of AI described

What this episode covers

Derek Harper, a biomedical engineering leader, discusses the career advantages of starting at small startups, such as gaining broad exposure to design, manufacturing, and quality processes, compared to the narrow roles at large medical device corporations. He recounts a specific product failure where a device designed with input from only three lead surgeons was rejected by a larger, high-volume community of users, highlighting the critical need to validate products with diverse customer segments before launch. Harper also details his leadership philosophy of treating teams with respect and sharing the 'why' behind decisions, contrasting it with fear-based management, and highlights emerging trends in biomedical engineering, including biomimetic scaffolds for rotator cuff repairs and brain-implanted chips for ALS patients.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Running the companyChatGPT (GPT-4/Plus)200+ transcripts indexed

The podcast host uploaded over 200 PDF transcripts of previous episodes into a custom ChatGPT agent to create a searchable knowledge base of engineering advice, allowing users to query historical interview data.

“We have taken all of the transcripts one example of how we're using AI, we've taken all of the transcripts of the being an engineer podcast. So there are 200 Plus transcripts, episodes that we've had. And we've uploaded these as PDF documents into a chat GPT agent.”

Aaron Moncur · Hear it at 39:29

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Pipeline Design & Engineering
Products
Gore Tex
Tools
ChatGPT
Materials
PLGA
Also
PDX Expo, FDA 510 K, Elon Musk

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