# Dave hanging with Fran Blanche

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2023-10-10
- Length: 1h 06m
- Episode: 647
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/647-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche/

## Summary

Fran Blanche discusses her past work at Electro-Harmonix building automated tube testing racks using stepper motors and Windows 3.11, and her current struggles with high storage costs and real estate in Philadelphia. She and Dave Jones analyze the inefficiencies of NASA's Space Launch System compared to SpaceX's Starship, noting the political constraints driving SLS's budget overruns. They also critique YouTube's algorithm for burying long-form technical content and discuss the rise of channel hijacking scams targeting creators.

## Chapters

- [0:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=2) Introduction and Australian Documentary
- [5:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=305) NASA SLS vs SpaceX Starship Analysis
- [15:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=920) Electro-Harmonix Tube Testing Racks
- [19:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=1154) Windows 3.11 and File Management Frustrations
- [26:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=1564) Philadelphia Storage Costs and Real Estate Crisis
- [39:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=2340) YouTube Algorithm and Long-Form Content
- [55:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-10-10-dave-hanging-with-fran-blanche#t=3315) Channel Hijacking Scams and Saturn 1B Collapse

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Electro-Harmonix (company)
- NASA (company)
- SpaceX (company)
- Starship (product)
- Space Launch System (product)
- Windows 3.11 (other)
- YouTube (company)
- Linus Tech Tips (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [233: Always the Wrong Way](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-02-09-233-always-the-wrong-way) (Embedded.fm)
- [Episode 185: Rube Goldberg of Mistakes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-10-05-episode-185-rube-goldberg-of-mistakes) (Making It)
- [397: The Gift Curtain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-05-05-397-the-gift-curtain) (Making It)
- [Ep 350: Damnation for Spreadsheets, Praise for Haiku, and Admiration for the Hacks In Between](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2025-12-19-ep-350-damnation-for-spreadsheets-praise-for-haiku-and-admiration-for-the-hacks) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep140: Aqua Battery, IBM Cheese Cutter, Waiting for USB-C, and Digging ADCs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-10-15-ep140-aqua-battery-ibm-cheese-cutter-waiting-for-usb-c-and-digging-adcs) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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