# How to Speak Agile to Hardware Folks, with Mojtaba Hosseini

- Show: [The Pragmatic Embedded Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast)
- Published: 2021-05-27
- Length: 49m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini
- Listen: https://agileembeddedpodcast.com/episodes/how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-GZxcEKyI

## Summary

Mojtaba Hosseini, Director of Data Services at Not a Metrics, explains how to bridge the gap between software and hardware engineering by reframing 'Agile' as 'risk mitigation.' He shares a case study where his team de-risked a new market entry by initially building a proof-of-concept on a huge PC to validate APIs and video streaming requirements before committing to FPGA or ASIC designs. Hosseini argues that while iterative development works well within engineering teams, it creates significant downstream challenges for marketing, finance, and supply chain departments that are not accustomed to frequent hardware revisions.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=0) Introduction and the Language Barrier
- [3:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=186) Reframing Agile as Risk Mitigation
- [12:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=728) Case Study: De-risking with PC and FPGA
- [17:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=1040) The Problem with the Word 'Agile'
- [27:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=1658) Downstream Impacts on Marketing and Finance
- [37:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=2248) Theory of Constraints and Bottlenecks
- [45:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini#t=2708) Advice for New Grads and Internships

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Not a Metrics (company)
- Jira (tool)
- Asana (tool)
- BMW (company)
- FPGA (chip)
- ASIC (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#064 - To transform or not to transform your hardware company to an all agile one next year, with Balint Horvath, Switzerland](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-11-21-064-to-transform-or-not-to-transform-your-hardware-company-to-an-all-agile-one-n) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [129: The Best Hardware Product Development Processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2022-06-15-129-the-best-hardware-product-development-processes) (Product Startup)
- [Interview with Eric Ries - Transorted Testing Tachydidaxy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-08-21-interview-with-eric-ries-transorted-testing-tachydidaxy) (The Amp Hour)
- [#010 - How to think like Elon Musk - Scrum for Hardware, with Joe Justice of WIKISPEED and Scrum Inc, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2017-01-25-010-how-to-think-like-elon-musk-scrum-for-hardware-with-joe-justice-of-wikispeed) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)
- [165: Iterative Design Processes & Tools for Hardware Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-02-165-iterative-design-processes-tools-for-hardware-development) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-pragmatic-embedded-podcast/2021-05-27-how-to-speak-agile-to-hardware-folks-with-mojtaba-hosseini. 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 Pragmatic Embedded Podcast.