305: Humans Have a Terrible Spec Sheet
Amanda Wozniak, a principal engineer at Amazon Robotics with a background at Analog Devices, the Wyss Institute at Harvard, and NxStage, discusses her career path from semiconductor design to biomedical engineering and robotics. She explains the critical gap between academic theory and practical engineering, highlighting how parasitics and non-ideal component behavior often cause circuit failures that textbooks ignore. Wozniak also details the challenges of navigating FDA regulatory processes for medical devices and the importance of establishing robust quality systems early to avoid bureaucratic busywork. Finally, she addresses the realities of being a woman in tech, offering advice on handling sexism, avoiding burnout, and recognizing that engineering is fundamentally a team sport rather than a solo endeavor.