S7E18 Aaron Moncur | Building Pipeline, the Being An Engineer Podcast, and Engineering Communities

Being an Engineer · 24 Apr 2026 · 1h 01m · Episode 18

What this episode covers

Aaron Moncur, founder of Pipeline Design & Engineering, recounts his journey from being laid off during the 2009 recession to building a one-person engineering consultancy into a multi-brand company. He details the early challenges of cold-calling for clients, learning sales and marketing, and hiring his first team members while managing complex automation projects. Moncur also explains his mission to accelerate engineering through initiatives like the Being An Engineer podcast, The Wave online community, and the PDX Product Development Expo, aiming to highlight the impact of engineers on modern society.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How Soft Skills Drive High-Impact Engineering Teams w/ Aaron Moncur

    Aaron Moncur, founder of Pipeline Design & Engineering, discusses how soft skills like communication and psychological safety drive high-performing engineering teams. He shares specific management strategies, such as 'managing by invitation' and removing bureaucratic barriers to accelerate engineering speed, including the strategic use of 3D printing. Moncur also highlights the evolving landscape of engineering education, promoting his platform The Wave and the PDX expo as alternatives to traditional degree requirements.

  • Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast · 1h 40m

    Ep. 8 - Ryan from V1 Engineering

    Ryan Zellers, founder of V1 Engineering, explains how his passion for making things led to the creation of the Mostly Printed CNC (MPCNC) and the growth of his company. He details his journey from working at Robo 3D and a medical device firm to bootstrapping V1 Engineering from a garage, leveraging the Thingiverse community for design feedback and sales. Zellers discusses his deliberate choice to remain a solo operator, using automation and contractors to handle logistics while he focuses on product design and community engagement.

  • The Builder Circle · 11m

    The Pilot: Unveiling the Blueprint of "The Builder Circle"

    Sera Evcimen, host of The Builder Circle, explains her motivation for launching the podcast after mentoring startups at Techstars Paris and working on technologies like CubeSats and ion thrusters. She outlines the show's format, which includes case studies with founders like Bridget Hunter Jones and expert discussions with industry veterans such as Scott Miller. The episode details the podcast's unique value proposition, including 50-minute episodes with TL;DL summaries and a focus on actionable advice and failure analysis rather than just success stories.

  • How I Built This · 55m

    Live Episode! Clubhouse: Paul Davison and Rohan Seth

    Paul Davison and Rohan Seth, co-founders of the social audio app Clubhouse, discuss their journey from previous failed startups to building a platform that capitalized on the pandemic's demand for virtual connection. They detail the technical and social challenges of their earlier location-based app Highlight, the personal tragedy that led Rohan to found the Lydian Accelerator, and the iterative product development that transformed their initial 'Talk Show' concept into Clubhouse's live, ephemeral audio rooms. The founders also address the complexities of moderating live group audio, managing rapid scaling, and maintaining focus amidst intense competition from tech giants.

  • Global Medical Device Podcast · 39m

    How Being Strategic During A Career Transition Can Yield The Best Opportunities

    Aaron Moncur, owner of Pipeline Design & Engineering, joins host John Spear to discuss his transition from employee to entrepreneur after being laid off in 2009. Moncur explains how he narrowed his firm's focus to custom test fixtures and automated equipment for medical device companies, citing a client's improvement in Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) first-pass success rates from 50% to nearly 100% as a key value proposition. The conversation covers the psychological aspects of career changes, the importance of mentorship through organizations like Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), and the technical challenges of delivering complex engineering projects on tight schedules.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.