# 001 - “Learning Never Exhausts the Mind” with Rick Doe

- Show: [Let's Combinate](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate)
- Published: 2021-10-06
- Length: 1h 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letscombinate/episodes/001---Learning-Never-Exhausts-the-Mind-with-Rick-Doe-e175hcl

## Summary

Rick Doe, a biomedical engineer with a career spanning large medical device companies, discusses his journey from poverty to leading roles in manufacturing and operations. He details his strategy for career development, emphasizing the use of rotational programs to gain perspective and the importance of aligning personal growth with professional choices. Doe shares advice on navigating corporate structures, managing passion ebbs and flows, and the critical role of mentorship in building a successful engineering career.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=1) Introduction: Rick Doe and his background at medical device companies
- [3:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=211) Rick Doe's upbringing, family influence, and decision to study Biomedical Engineering
- [7:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=453) Choosing the University of South Carolina and the value of its early BioE program
- [12:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=724) The importance of leaving home to gain perspective and the role of rotational programs
- [23:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=1438) Transitioning from college to industry: technical writing, testing, and corporate culture
- [36:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=2202) Managing passion ebbs and flows through multiple outlets and work-life balance
- [42:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=2549) Choosing between title-oriented and problem-solving career paths
- [47:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=2865) Inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci and the quote 'Learning Never Exhausts the Mind'
- [51:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=3061) Why Einstein is the ideal dinner guest: navigating early career struggles and patent office work
- [1:03:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=3800) Paradigm shifts: slowing down, appreciating mentorship, and the value of 'Outliers'
- [1:10:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=4226) The excitement of being a mentee and the critical role of mentors in connecting dots
- [1:12:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=4322) Strategies for finding mentors: categorizing by strengths/weaknesses and personality fit
- [1:22:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe#t=4976) Practical advice for finding mentors: leveraging professors, conferences, and alumni networks

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- University of South Carolina (company)
- LinkedIn (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [21: The Tent Is Flat and Everyone Is Wet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-10-02-21-the-tent-is-flat-and-everyone-is-wet) (Embedded.fm)
- [S5E49 John Rogers & Sean Maciag | A Career Worth Engineering – From Graduation to Professional](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-12-06-s5e49-john-rogers-sean-maciag-a-career-worth-engineering-from-graduation-to-prof) (Being an Engineer)
- [S5E47 Ryian Williams | Finding Purpose as an Engineer, & How to Improve Faster](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-11-22-s5e47-ryian-williams-finding-purpose-as-an-engineer-how-to-improve-faster) (Being an Engineer)
- [S4E34 Carla Minett | Departmental Rotations, Ship Building, & Engineering Leadership](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-09-08-s4e34-carla-minett-departmental-rotations-ship-building-engineering-leadership) (Being an Engineer)
- [S5E5 Tom Kress | Medical Device Engineering Leaders 6](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-02-02-s5e5-tom-kress-medical-device-engineering-leaders-6) (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/lets-combinate/2021-10-06-001-learning-never-exhausts-the-mind-with-rick-doe. 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 Let's Combinate.