# Pavlovian Cheapskates

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2021-10-31
- Length: 1h 09m
- Episode: 564
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/564-pavlovian-cheapskates/

## Summary

Chris Gammell joins Parker Dolman and Stephen Craig of Macrofab to celebrate their 300th episode, discussing the evolution of the electronics industry, the impact of chip shortages on DIY and small businesses, and the shift towards automated manufacturing platforms. They debate the future of maker culture, the persistence of 'gray beard' engineers in dictating EDA tool choices like OrCAD, and the practical challenges of using tools like KiCad and Dip Trace. The conversation also touches on specific microcontrollers like the Parallax Propeller and EFM8, highlighting how component availability drives design decisions.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=6) Introduction and Macrofab Milestones
- [3:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=216) Remote Work, Culture, and Documentation
- [18:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=1115) EDA Tool Wars: OrCAD, Altium, and KiCad
- [31:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=1908) Microcontroller Selection and the Propeller
- [40:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=2417) The State of DIY, Maker Culture, and Commercialization
- [46:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2021-10-31-pavlovian-cheapskates#t=2760) Chip Shortages, Pricing, and the Future of Manufacturing

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Maker community & events](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/maker-community)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Macrofab (company)
- The Amp Hour (other)
- OrCAD (tool)
- KiCad (tool)
- Altium (tool)
- Dip Trace (tool)
- Parallax Propeller (chip)
- EFM8 (chip)
- DigiKey (company)
- Crowd Supply (company)
- Kickstarter (company)
- Indiegogo (company)
- Etsy (company)
- Pinoco (company)
- Golioth (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [372: The Motivation of Creativity](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-05-06-372-the-motivation-of-creativity) (Embedded.fm)
- [069 - Canned Cheese and Onion Rings](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2024-04-17-069-canned-cheese-and-onion-rings) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [BONUS - THE Supply Chain Intelligence PODCAST, episode one with Omnics CEO Akhil Oltikar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2022-11-01-bonus-the-supply-chain-intelligence-podcast-episode-one-with-omnics-ceo-akhil-ol) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [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)
- [Passing Storm or New Normal? How Should We Think of Today's Electronics Supply Chain?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2022-11-22-passing-storm-or-new-normal-how-should-we-think-of-todays-electronics-supply-cha) (Moore's Lobby)

## Citing this page

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