# #009 - Unleashing Creativity Through User-Driven Storytelling - Sam Feller - Human-Centered Engineering, Team Management, Tracking Deliverables, Tactics for Problem Solving

- Show: [Designing in the Wild](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild)
- Published: 2022-02-21
- Length: 1h 01m
- Episode: 9
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent

## Summary

Sam Feller, a product manager at Tulip Interfaces and former program manager at Amazon, discusses his transition from mechanical engineering to systems management. He explains how shifting teams from technical task lists to user-driven storytelling and deliverable-based tracking simplifies complex engineering problems, such as runtime conflicts, into simpler user interface solutions. Feller also details his approach to managing large hardware teams by focusing on binary deliverables rather than percentage completion, and shares his background with early hardware ventures like Awkward Engineer and solar kiosks.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=0) Introduction: Sam Feller and Career Arc
- [4:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=281) Awkward Engineer and Kickstarter Experiences
- [12:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=729) Deliverable-Based Tracking at Amazon
- [16:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=988) User Stories and Value-Focused Engineering
- [23:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=1431) Simplifying Technical Problems via User Context
- [32:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=1960) Status Meetings and CAD Deliverables
- [40:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=2440) Systems Engineering and Design History Files
- [48:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent#t=2935) Creative Pursuits and Curation

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Tulip Interfaces (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Alexa (product)
- Awkward Engineer (company)
- ThinkGeek (company)
- Urban Outfitters (company)
- Fiskars (company)
- Jo-Ann Fabrics (company)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Core 77 (other)
- Swiss Miss (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Samuel Feller | Product & Project management, Kickstarter, & DIY Product Launch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-10-28-samuel-feller-product-project-management-kickstarter-diy-product-launch) (Being an Engineer)
- [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)
- [S7E10 Daniel Gledhill | How to Win at People-Centered Leadership in Engineering Teams](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-03-06-s7e10-daniel-gledhill-how-to-win-at-people-centered-leadership-in-engineering-te) (Being an Engineer)
- [S1E43 A Joyful Approach to Product Development | Lisa Ho & Andrew Muyanja (Menlo Innovations)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-10-09-s1e43-a-joyful-approach-to-product-development-lisa-ho-andrew-muyanja-menlo-inno) (Being an Engineer)
- [Moonshot Engineering Projects: Getting Innovative Initiatives Off the Ground](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-05-25-moonshot-engineering-projects-getting-innovative-initiatives-off-the-ground) (Over the Air)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-02-21-009-unleashing-creativity-through-user-driven-storytelling-sam-feller-human-cent. 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 Designing in the Wild.