# S6E7 Michael Hadley | A Thirst for Learning: Becoming An Engineer 20 years After Graduating

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2025-02-14
- Length: 43m
- Episode: 7
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr

## Summary

Michael Hadley, a mechanical engineer at Pipeline Design & Engineering, recounts his unconventional career path, which included a 20-year hiatus to work in the human development movement and as business manager for Tony Robbins. He details his return to engineering, highlighting a successful medical device project involving a PTFE bite block and airway that required complex injection molding, and a failed 72-foot solar dish project that missed its market window. Hadley advises aspiring engineers to develop broad, interdisciplinary skills rather than narrow specialization, emphasizing that persistence and market fit are critical to success.

## Chapters

- [0:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=15) Introduction: Michael Hadley and Pipeline Design & Engineering
- [1:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=78) Michael Hadley's Background: Human Development and Tony Robbins
- [9:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=561) Educational Journey: Vanderbilt, Navy Scholarship, and Return to Engineering
- [25:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=1557) Success Story: PTFE Bite Block and Airway Medical Device
- [34:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=2063) Failure Story: 72-Foot Solar Dish and Market Timing
- [37:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr#t=2268) Advice: Broad Skillsets and Continuous Learning for Engineers

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- Tony Robbins (other)
- PTFE (material)
- Vanderbilt (other)
- est (other)
- Isa (other)
- PDP-11 (other)
- Strategic Coach (other)
- Dan Sullivan (other)
- Warren Starnes (other)
- David Goggins (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)
- [487: You’re Wrong, and Right!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2025-06-20-487-youre-wrong-and-right) (Making It)
- [Why We’re Proud to Be Manufacturers & Engineers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-08-03-why-were-proud-to-be-manufacturers-engineers) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [21: The Tent Is Flat and Everyone Is Wet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-10-02-21-the-tent-is-flat-and-everyone-is-wet) (Embedded.fm)
- [169 - Should You Study Bioengineering in 2025? My Decade-Long Perspective](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2025-01-01-169-should-you-study-bioengineering-in-2025-my-decade-long-perspective) (Let's Combinate)

## 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/2025-02-14-s6e7-michael-hadley-a-thirst-for-learning-becoming-an-engineer-20-years-after-gr. 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.