# Meet a Guru: Etienne Nichols

- Show: [Global Medical Device Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast)
- Published: 2021-05-24
- Length: 30m
- Episode: 207
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols
- Listen: https://podcast.greenlight.guru/episode/meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols

## Summary

Etienne Nichols, a Medical Device Guru at Greenlight Guru, discusses his transition from mechanical engineering in aerospace and steel to medical device project management, highlighting how a personal injury sparked his interest in biomedical design. He explains that Greenlight Guru was founded to solve the inefficiency of managing dynamic design controls in static Excel spreadsheets, aiming to keep traceability matrices updated in real-time. Nichols emphasizes the value of the 'Guru Edge,' where a team of experienced engineers helps customers navigate complex regulatory workflows, such as UDI implementation and software as a medical device (SaMD), to bring safe products to market faster.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=0) Introduction: Etienne Nichols and Greenlight Guru's Guru Team
- [2:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=134) Etienne's Career Path: From Mechanical Engineering to Medical Devices
- [4:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=272) The Guru Edge: Seeing Emerging MedTech and SaMD
- [8:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=504) Direct Part Marking and UDI Implementation Stress
- [12:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=773) Origin of Greenlight Guru: Solving the Excel Traceability Matrix Problem
- [19:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=1192) Customer Success and the 'One Document' Vision
- [27:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols#t=1660) Advice for Customers: Go Slow to Go Fast

## Topics

- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Greenlight Guru (company)
- Etienne Nichols (other)
- Jon Speer (other)
- Wade Schroeder (other)
- Jessica Lyons (other)
- MedTech Innovator (other)
- FDA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S1E12 Simplifying Quality Management | Jon Speer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-06-05-s1e12-simplifying-quality-management-jon-speer) (Being an Engineer)
- [Etienne Nichols | How to Become a MedTech Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-03-24-etienne-nichols-how-to-become-a-medtech-engineer) (Being an Engineer)
- [S5E7 Matt Zachek | Medical Device Engineering Leaders 7](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-02-16-s5e7-matt-zachek-medical-device-engineering-leaders-7) (Being an Engineer)
- [S1E17 Precise Speech, Customer Success, & General Engineering Love | Jesseca Lyons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-06-26-s1e17-precise-speech-customer-success-general-engineering-love-jesseca-lyons) (Being an Engineer)
- [S6E19 Stuart Grant | MedTech Innovation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-05-09-s6e19-stuart-grant-medtech-innovation) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/global-medical-device-podcast/2021-05-24-meet-a-guru-etienne-nichols. 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 Global Medical Device Podcast.