# 279: Top Pedant

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2019-02-22
- Length: 1h 11m
- Episode: 279
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant
- Listen: https://makingembeddedsystems.libsyn.com/279-top-pedant

## Summary

Patrick Yeon, an electrical engineer and lead at the nonprofit space organization Nonprofit Spaceship (formerly of Planet Labs), discusses the challenges of building small spacecraft and influencing space policy. He joins hosts Sarah White and Christopher White to debate embedded software testing strategies, specifically the use of mocks versus real data, and the importance of design patterns like the Command Pattern for scalable command-line interfaces. The conversation also covers leadership advice, recommending books like 'Turn the Ship Around!' and 'The Manager's Path' for new technical managers.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=6) Introduction: Patrick Yeon and Nonprofit Spaceship
- [2:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=174) Space Policy and Nonprofit Hardware Development
- [5:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=356) Lightning Round: Space Trivia and Personal Views
- [12:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=738) Testing Strategies: Unit Tests, Mocks, and Real Data
- [24:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=1455) Safety-Critical Design: Hardware vs. Software Interlocks
- [35:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=2124) Debugging Habits and Compiler Warnings
- [40:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=2423) Design Patterns: The Command Pattern and CLI Parsing
- [55:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=3309) Leadership Advice and Management Books
- [1:05:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant#t=3927) Funding, Hiring, and Closing Thoughts

## Topics

- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Planet Labs (company)
- Nonprofit Spaceship (company)
- Planetary Society (company)
- Ultima Thule (other)
- Europa (other)
- STM32 (chip)
- Turn the Ship Around! (other)
- The Manager's Path (other)
- Design Patterns (other)
- Test Driven Development for Embedded C (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Hipster Fodder](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-08-25-hipster-fodder) (The Amp Hour)
- [Christmas Special](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-12-22-christmas-special) (The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast)
- [Software for Rockets with Charles Aylward](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-04-04-software-for-rockets-with-charles-aylward) (The Amp Hour)
- [Pedantic or Andrantic](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-01-03-pedantic-or-andrantic) (The Amp Hour)
- [Testing on the Host vs Target](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-09-07-testing-on-the-host-vs-target) (The Pragmatic Embedded 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/2019-02-22-279-top-pedant. 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.