# An Interview with Spencer Wright

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-09-03
- Length: 1h 07m
- Episode: 405
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/405-an-interview-with-spencer-wright/

## Summary

Spencer Wright, host of The Prepared newsletter and employee at Entopology, discusses his journey from construction management to building custom robotic doors and a mass-customized FM radio. He details the manufacturing challenges of assembling 5,000 radios in the US using Worthington Assembly and the role of Tulip software in managing work instructions. Wright also critiques the hype around 3D printing, advocating for precision casting's hidden importance, and highlights PartsBox as a critical tool for personal inventory management.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=0) Introduction and Background
- [6:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=404) Building Robotic Doors and Managing Engineering
- [14:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=893) Manufacturing the Public Radio in the US
- [28:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=1706) Entopology and Lattice Design for Additive Manufacturing
- [38:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=2303) 3D Printing vs. Precision Casting and Mass Customization
- [43:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=2631) Reducing Toll Gates and Human Factors in Manufacturing
- [57:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright#t=3431) Tulip Software and PartsBox Inventory Management

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- The Prepared (other)
- Entopology (company)
- Worthington Assembly (company)
- Tulip (tool)
- PartsBox (tool)
- Arduino (chip)
- AT tiny (chip)
- MFG.com (other)
- DigiKey (other)
- McMaster-Carr (other)
- Precision Cast Parts Corp (company)
- GE (company)
- Berkshire Hathaway (company)
- Relativity Space (company)
- Shapeways (company)
- Formlabs (company)
- Materialize (company)
- Autodesk (company)
- EOS (company)
- Nike (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [469: It’s My Fault, But Also Your Fault](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2025-01-31-469-its-my-fault-but-also-your-fault) (Making It)
- [120: Imbue All of the Choices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2025-01-18-120-imbue-all-of-the-choices) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Adapting to New Manufacturing Technology w/ Matthew Wright](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-04-18-adapting-to-new-manufacturing-technology-w-matthew-wright) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Episode 272: Play stairway to Heaven on the trumpet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2020-08-14-episode-272-play-stairway-to-heaven-on-the-trumpet) (Making It)
- [445: Look For The Lightning Bolt](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2024-06-10-445-look-for-the-lightning-bolt) (Making It)

## 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/2018-09-03-an-interview-with-spencer-wright. 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.