# An Interview with Julia Truchsess

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2019-01-07
- Length: 1h 30m
- Episode: 424
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/424-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess/

## Summary

Julia Truchsess, founder of Pragmatic Designs, discusses her career designing audio products for Electro Harmonics, including the EH 8000 guitar synthesizer and Space Drums, before moving into toy electronics for companies like Schwarztraber Seagan and Playtime Products. She details the development of low-cost voice chips for Hallmark greeting cards and her own hit products like Rumbler's trucks, before explaining the failure of her digital picture frame startup due to supply chain and market timing issues. Truchsess then describes her work with Zildjian on the Gen 16 acoustic-electric cymbals, which led to her current specialization in EMC mitigation consulting and high-power electronics.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=0) Introduction: Julia Truchsess and Pragmatic Designs
- [1:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=87) Early Life and Electro Harmonics: EH 8000 and Space Drums
- [18:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=1132) Toy Industry: Musical Ornaments, Hallmark Cards, and Voice Chips
- [36:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=2204) Independent Consulting and the Digital Picture Frame Failure
- [55:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=3327) Spin Master Consulting and Zildjian Gen 16 Cymbals
- [1:10:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=4249) EMC Consulting, Microchip Partnership, and KiCad
- [1:26:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-07-an-interview-with-julia-truchsess#t=5208) Current Work: High Power and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Electro Harmonics (company)
- EH 8000 (product)
- Space Drum (product)
- Schwarztraber Seagan (company)
- Hallmark (company)
- Playtime Products (company)
- Zildjian (company)
- Gen 16 (product)
- KiCad (tool)
- Microchip (company)
- Analog Devices (company)
- Blackfin (chip)
- TUV Rhineland (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [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)
- [317: What Do You Mean by Disintegrated? (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-10-06-317-what-do-you-mean-by-disintegrated-repeat) (Embedded.fm)
- [Top 10 Product Design Mistakes You Must Avoid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/predictable-designs-podcast/2022-07-05-top-10-product-design-mistakes-you-must-avoid) (Predictable Designs Podcast)
- [471: Bicycle Built For Two](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2024-02-22-471-bicycle-built-for-two) (Embedded.fm)
- [359: You Can Never Have Too Many Socks (Repeat)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-11-18-359-you-can-never-have-too-many-socks-repeat) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

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