366: All the Wrong Tools

Embedded.fm · 18 Mar 2021 · 59m · Episode 366

What this episode covers

Laurel Cummings, a Senior Associate at the startup Building Momentum, discusses 'austere engineering'—the practice of solving critical problems with limited resources during disaster relief and military operations. She explains how her team trains active-duty Marines and civilians to innovate rapidly by breaking down rigid engineering mindsets and embracing constraints, citing examples like building wireless fuel gauges for emergency generators after Hurricane Florence. The conversation covers practical survival toolkits, the importance of self-teaching, and her initiative to create a remote disaster response network to support field teams.

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