# How a Career in Manufacturing Prepares You for Entrepreneurship with Kiley Summers, Founder of SpenDebt

- Show: [Manufacturing Happy Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour)
- Published: 2020-10-06
- Length: 43m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe
- Listen: http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/27

## Summary

Kiley Summers, founder of the fintech company SpenDebt, discusses his transition from a manufacturing leadership role at PepsiCo (specifically Frito-Lay) to entrepreneurship. He explains how the accountability and problem-solving skills gained from managing large-scale automation projects, such as an automated warehouse in Rosenberg, TX, prepared him for the rigors of starting a business. Summers details SpenDebt’s business model, which uses behavioral economics to help users pay off debt through micropayments added to everyday transactions, and shares advice on 'intrapreneurship' for those still employed at large corporations.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [6:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=362) SpenDebt Business Model and Behavioral Economics
- [8:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=499) Early Entrepreneurial Spirit and Engineering Path
- [13:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=799) The Catalyst for Leaving PepsiCo and Starting SpenDebt
- [17:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=1034) Intrapreneurship and Maximizing Current Roles
- [19:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=1178) Manufacturing Lessons: Accountability and Operations
- [25:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=1520) Benefits of Entrepreneurship: Autonomy and Family
- [31:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=1861) SpenDebt Mechanics and Vendor Selection Challenges
- [37:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2020-10-06-how-a-career-in-manufacturing-prepares-you-for-entrepreneurship-with-kiley-summe#t=2270) Final Advice and Personal Philosophy

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- SpenDebt (product)
- PepsiCo (company)
- Frito-Lay (company)
- Rockwell (company)
- Square (company)
- Capital One (company)
- The Innovation Stack (product)
- Audible (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Intrapreneurship in Industry 4.0: What You Need to Succeed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2022-02-01-intrapreneurship-in-industry-4-0-what-you-need-to-succeed) (Over the Air)
- [KiwiCo: Sandra Oh Lin](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-25-kiwico-sandra-oh-lin) (How I Built This)
- [S6E2 Derek Pietz | Industrial Automation, Losing A Million Dollars, & Successful Startups](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-01-10-s6e2-derek-pietz-industrial-automation-losing-a-million-dollars-successful-start) (Being an Engineer)
- [Meet The HIBT Fellows: Dinesh Tadepalli & Jennifer Zeitler](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-05-25-meet-the-hibt-fellows-dinesh-tadepalli-jennifer-zeitler) (How I Built This)
- [Ep. 26 | Microchip's Steve Sanghi on How to Bring a Company from Debt to Billions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-06-08-ep-26-microchips-steve-sanghi-on-how-to-bring-a-company-from-debt-to-billions) (Moore's Lobby)

## Citing this page

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