Hardware Podcasts

Ghulam Murtaza | Overcoming Adversity: An Inspiring Tale of Perseverance

Being an Engineer · 30 Oct 2026 · 41m · Episode 45

What this episode covers

Ghulam Murtaza, a Controls Project Engineer at Vanderlande, shares his journey from digitizing his father's construction ledgers in Pakistan to earning a master's in robotics and AI at the University at Buffalo. He details overcoming visa delays, family resistance, and university rejections to build a career in industrial automation, where he developed tools like a Parts Lookup app and systems for equipment monitoring. Murtaza explains how he leveraged Python, AWS, and data analytics to solve inefficiencies in Amazon fulfillment operations, transitioning from a volunteer role to a full-time position by demonstrating his coding capabilities through a personal portfolio.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Vanderlande, CBRE, Amazon
Products
Parts Lookup app
Tools
Python, AWS, PLCs, HMIs, VFDs
Also
University at Buffalo

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 34m

    Building an Automation Company on Ambition and Hustle with Malachi Greb

    Malachi Greb, owner of Elite Automation, discusses building a robotics and automation systems integration company from a one-person operation to a 25-employee team in just three years. He details his strategy of using guerrilla marketing and high-value content at trade shows like the Vision Show to drive growth without expensive booths. Greb also explains his focus on robotic welding, AMRs, and bin picking, as well as the challenges and cultural adjustments involved in executing his first international project in India.

    Marketing & brandScaling production
    7 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 43m

    Building a Next Gen Industrial Automation Marketplace with Roman Piszcz, Founder of Quotebeam

    Roman Piszcz, Founder and CEO of Quotebeam, discusses his transition from leading the iPhone product operations team at Apple to building a marketplace for industrial automation parts. He explains how Quotebeam solves the industry's disjointed procurement process by integrating conversational collaboration with transactional e-commerce, allowing engineers to spec parts and place orders in one place. Piszcz shares specific challenges in designing user experience, such as overcoming user resistance to data entry in chat bots, and highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making learned at Apple.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceLeadership, teams & culture
    8 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 53m

    From Robotics to Workforce to Tech in Pop Culture with FedEx’s Aaron Prather

    Aaron Prather, Senior Technical Advisor at FedEx, discusses his 25-year career from materials handler to robotics evangelist, emphasizing that workforce buy-in is critical for automation success. He highlights FedEx's focus on picking, placing, and mobile robotics to handle e-commerce volume, while advocating for workforce development through organizations like the ARM Institute and eKami. Prather shares advice on networking, targeting 'dull, dirty, dangerous' jobs for automation, and leveraging pop culture like Futurama to inspire interest in technology.

    Robotics & autonomyHiring & workforce
    7 chapters

  • Embedded.fm · 52m

    333: Project Purgatory

    Bailey Steinfadt, a product manager at Dojo Five and long-time board member of the non-profit maker space Area 515, discusses her diverse engineering career and community work. She details the massive volunteer effort to produce over 6,000 face shields for emergency services during the pandemic, highlighting the logistical challenges of distributed manufacturing. Steinfadt also recounts a specific failure at Pioneer involving a soil-moving robot with active-high brakes that rolled out of control upon restart, and reflects on her transition from corporate roles to consulting and back to a product management position.

    Maker community & eventsScaling production
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 25m

    Training the Technician of the Future

    Tim Wilborne, owner of TW Controls, explains how he and his wife Amber transitioned from industrial controls integration to building a training business after struggling with cash flow and sales. He details the creation of their PLC trainer to generate steady revenue and the development of in-person courses that help technicians bridge the gap between mechanical and electrical roles. Wilborne argues that automation improves jobs by removing hazardous grunt work and discusses his strategy of building a large online audience through helpful, human-centric video content rather than direct promotion.

    Careers & educationDirect-to-consumer & e-commerce
    7 chapters

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.