# S7E13 Brad & Aaron | How To Accelerate The Speed of Engineering (Episode 2 of 3)

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2026-03-20
- Length: 53m
- Episode: 13
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3

## Summary

Aaron Moncur and Brad Hirayama of Pipeline Design & Engineering discuss seven workflow strategies to accelerate engineering teams from idea to validation, drawing on patterns from 300+ interviews. They emphasize defining requirements early to avoid over-engineering, using rapid prototyping (including 3D printing and crude mockups) to fail fast, and conducting rigorous design reviews to catch manufacturing issues before production. The hosts also advocate for using checklists to ensure consistency, testing options in parallel to save time, involving manufacturing early for DFM, and centralizing project data to reduce search time.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=0) Introduction: Accelerating Engineering Workflows
- [1:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=95) Defining Requirements Early and Verifying Constraints
- [10:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=635) Failing Early and Inexpensively via Rapid Prototyping
- [18:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=1118) Holding Regular Design and Drawing Reviews
- [26:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=1606) Using Checklists to Error-Proof Human Tendencies
- [33:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=2004) Testing Multiple Options in Parallel
- [37:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=2264) Involving Manufacturing Early for DFM
- [45:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3#t=2708) Centralizing Access to Project Data

## Topics

- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)
- James Dyson (other)
- The Checklist Manifesto (other)
- Atul Gawande (other)
- Joe Moke (other)
- Apple (company)
- PDX (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [149: How to Professionally Prototype your Invention Idea](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-11-09-149-how-to-professionally-prototype-your-invention-idea) (Product Startup)
- [How Soft Skills Drive High-Impact Engineering Teams w/ Aaron Moncur](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-08-26-how-soft-skills-drive-high-impact-engineering-teams-w-aaron-moncur) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [DeepDive 1-on-1 Series: MAPPING THE ROUTE - Path to the Summit (20m32s)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/npi-sherpa/2026-02-25-deepdive-1-on-1-series-mapping-the-route-path-to-the-summit-20m32s) (NPI Sherpa)
- [082: Smooth Product Flow from Visual Design to Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-06-30-082-smooth-product-flow-from-visual-design-to-engineering) (Product Startup)
- [#027 - Rapid prototyping - a platform and its essential tools, with Finbarr Watterson of Fictiv, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-05-24-027-rapid-prototyping-a-platform-and-its-essential-tools-with-finbarr-watterson) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## 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/2026-03-20-s7e13-brad-aaron-how-to-accelerate-the-speed-of-engineering-episode-2-of-3. 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.