# S6E48 Brent Lavin | Bridging Engineering & Commercialization

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2025-11-28
- Length: 46m
- Episode: 48
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization

## Summary

Brent Lavin, Director of Strategic Growth at BD, discusses his transition from electrical engineering to product management and commercialization in the MedTech industry. He shares anecdotes from his time at GE Healthcare and BD about balancing engineering sophistication with user needs, such as optimizing MRI bore size for patient comfort rather than just image quality. Lavin also covers the complexities of M&A integration, the importance of filtering engineering 'noise' to find product-market fit, and emerging opportunities in non-invasive ablation and ambulatory surgery centers.

## Chapters

- [0:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=13) Introduction: Brent Lavin's Career Path
- [1:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=90) Engineering to Product Management Transition
- [5:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=323) The Bridge Role: Engineering vs. Commercial Needs
- [8:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=482) Filtering Noise: Simplifying Medical Devices
- [12:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=733) Consumer Psychology in MedTech: The MRI Anecdote
- [23:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=1387) M&A Pitfalls: Scaling Manufacturing
- [26:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=1584) Determining Product-Market Fit
- [29:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=1758) Networking and Career Advice for Engineers
- [32:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=1976) Future Disruption: Non-Invasive Ablation and ASCs
- [40:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-28-s6e48-brent-lavin-bridging-engineering-commercialization#t=2422) Prototyping and Physician Feedback

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- BD (company)
- GE Healthcare (company)
- Insightec (company)
- HistoSonics (company)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- PDX 2026 (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [005 - “Compassionate Product Development” with Cameron Jones](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-03-005-compassionate-product-development-with-cameron-jones) (Let's Combinate)
- [007 - "Beyond The Obvious" with Miiri Kotche](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-11-17-007-beyond-the-obvious-with-miiri-kotche) (Let's Combinate)
- [Pros & Cons of Being a Physician turned MedTech Inventor](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-04-13-pros-cons-of-being-a-physician-turned-medtech-inventor) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [#393: Engineering MedTech Success: Simplifying Prototypes, Pivoting Strategy, and Creating Complex Designs with Justin Bushko](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2024-11-29-393-engineering-medtech-success-simplifying-prototypes-pivoting-strategy-and-cre) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [Full body preventive health care with Andrew Lacy of Prenuvo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-07-full-body-preventive-health-care-with-andrew-lacy-of-prenuvo) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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