# 269: Ultra-Precise Death Ray

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2018-12-06
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 269
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/269-ultra-precise-death-ray

## Summary

Alan Cohen, author of 'Prototype to Product: A Practical Guide for Getting to Market' and a systems engineer at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the 'eleven deadly sins' of product development. He argues that detailed planning and 'surprise management' are critical to avoiding costly failures, contrasting agile iteration with structured waterfall processes. Cohen also advocates for model-based systems engineering using tools like Enterprise Architect to reduce software defects and emphasizes the importance of building strong, psychologically aware teams.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=6) Introduction: Alan Cohen and Prototype to Product
- [5:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=308) The Role of Systems Engineering and Integration
- [7:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=470) The Value of Detailed Planning and Estimation
- [11:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=717) Selling Planning to Non-Technical Stakeholders
- [15:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=953) Managing Back-Scheduling and Unrealistic Deadlines
- [23:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=1392) Iterative Waterfall and the 11 Deadly Sins
- [34:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=2062) Psychology in Engineering and The Mythical Man-Month
- [49:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=2955) Model-Based Systems Engineering and Enterprise Architect
- [1:00:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray#t=3606) Work at Massachusetts General Hospital and Proton Therapy

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Prototype to Product: A Practical Guide for Getting to Market (product)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (company)
- Enterprise Architect (tool)
- O'Reilly (company)
- The Mythical Man-Month (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2 E2: Demystifying Medical Device and System Development with Alan Cohen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2023-12-12-s2-e2-demystifying-medical-device-and-system-development-with-alan-cohen) (The Builder Circle)
- [IDology #11 - Most common mistakes in product development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2023-03-28-idology-11-most-common-mistakes-in-product-development) (IDology)
- [Project Management for Product Development of Medical Devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-10-27-project-management-for-product-development-of-medical-devices) (Global Medical Device Podcast)
- [S7E19 Ryan Schoonmaker | How to Take A Structured Approach to Solving Engineering Problems](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-05-01-s7e19-ryan-schoonmaker-how-to-take-a-structured-approach-to-solving-engineering) (Being an Engineer)
- [Waterfall vs. Agile: Battle of the Product Development Methodologies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-04-28-waterfall-vs-agile-battle-of-the-product-development-methodologies) (Global Medical Device Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-12-06-269-ultra-precise-death-ray. 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 Embedded.fm.