# Girl Power

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2010-08-24
- Length: 1h 00m
- Episode: 5
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/the-amp-hour-5-girl-power/

## Summary

Hosts Dave Jones and Chris Gammell discuss the rise of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and the challenges of sourcing electronic components, including counterfeit parts and supply shortages. They critique a new reality show called 'Nerd Girls' for focusing on the appearance of female engineers rather than their technical work, and debate the economics of solar energy incentives in Australia. The conversation also covers the transition from linear power supplies to switchers, the viability of home-made chip fabrication, and the disparity in compensation between engineers and sales teams.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=0) Introduction and Shout-outs: TechDirt and Kickstarter
- [8:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=510) Solar Technology and Australian Energy Incentives
- [15:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=929) Component Sourcing, Counterfeits, and Distributor Pricing
- [21:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=1297) Chip Manufacturing, Fabs, and Home-Built Chips
- [33:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=2030) Critique of the 'Nerd Girls' Reality Show
- [41:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=2516) Engineering Compensation and Starting a Hardware Business
- [52:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power#t=3171) Power Supply Design: Transformers vs. Switchers

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Analog & power electronics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/analog-and-power-electronics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Kickstarter (company)
- TechDirt (company)
- DigiKey (company)
- Mouser (company)
- NXP (company)
- TI Launchpad (product)
- EDN (company)
- Nerd Girls (product)
- LaserSore (product)
- Farnell (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [389: Blobs Are Not Stressful](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-10-14-389-blobs-are-not-stressful) (Embedded.fm)
- [Making Electronics Culture Cool Again: The Circuit Pulse Show](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-05-21-making-electronics-culture-cool-again-the-circuit-pulse-show) (OnTrack)
- [033 - All Over the Place](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-04-27-033-all-over-the-place) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [100: Unintentional Radiator](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-05-06-100-unintentional-radiator) (Embedded.fm)
- [026 - You Can Lose in so Many Colors!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2019-08-31-026-you-can-lose-in-so-many-colors) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-08-24-girl-power. 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 The Amp Hour.