# Episode 320: I’m an idiot, help me…

- Show: [Making It](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it)
- Published: 2021-08-27
- Length: 1h 05m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me
- Listen: https://making-it-with-jimmy-diresta-bob-clagett-and-david-picciuto.castos.com/episodes/episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me

## Summary

Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their experiences with imposter syndrome, sharing personal anecdotes about feeling inadequate when tackling new skills like building a travel trailer, operating a backhoe, or working with complex machinery like a Bridgeport mill. They explore how the fear of being perceived as a fraud affects their confidence in both professional settings and personal projects, such as car restoration and woodworking. The hosts conclude that owning one's lack of knowledge and adopting a 'forever learner' mindset helps mitigate these feelings and encourages others to ask for help without shame.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=0) Introduction and Travel Plans
- [16:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=973) Imposter Syndrome at Events
- [26:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=1598) Fear of New Machinery and Skills
- [40:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=2423) Overcoming Fear and Asking for Help
- [48:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=2890) Learning from Experts and Feedback
- [53:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=3190) Car Restoration and Long-term Learning
- [1:00:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me#t=3650) Recommendations and Outro

## Topics

- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Oregon Trail (product)
- Bridgeport (tool)
- Holly Factory (company)
- Destin (other)
- Chip Gaines (other)
- Fixer Upper (product)
- No Pain, No Gains (product)
- Smarter Every Day (product)
- Full Blast podcast (product)
- Jeff Fader (other)
- DuPont (other)
- Zanesville (other)
- John Saunders Machine Works (company)
- Inventibles (other)
- ORD Camp (other)
- Work Bench Con (other)
- Fab Tech (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [24: I'm a Total Fraud](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-10-23-24-im-a-total-fraud) (Embedded.fm)
- [STL342: What We Wish We Knew](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2025-05-30-stl342-what-we-wish-we-knew) (Shop Talk Live)
- [Ep. 39 - Starting a Hardware Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2025-05-15-ep-39-starting-a-hardware-company) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Introducing: How I Built This with Guy Raz](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2016-09-02-introducing-how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz) (How I Built This)
- [STL214.5: The one with no questions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/shop-talk-live/2020-05-01-stl214-5-the-one-with-no-questions) (Shop Talk Live)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-08-27-episode-320-im-an-idiot-help-me. 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 Making It.