Engineering is often associated with technical expertise. We celebrate the engineers who know the standards, master the software, and solve difficult problems. Those skills matter. But after years of leading engineering teams and developing products, I've found that the engineers who make the greatest impact all share one characteristic. They're curious. Curiosity Creates Better [...]
Engineering students spend years learning math, physics, analysis, and CAD. Very few learn how to participate in a design review. That is unfortunate, because design reviews may be one of the fastest ways to develop engineering judgment. Design Reviews Are Not About Finding Fault Many early-career engineers walk into their first review expecting approval. Experienced [...]
CAD Is Not Engineering: Why the Best Engineers Start With Requirements One of the most common mistakes I see engineers make is opening CAD before they understand the problem. That might sound strange coming from a mechanical engineer who has spent decades designing products. CAD is an essential tool. Modern engineering would be nearly impossible [...]
There’s a lot of conversation right now about AI replacing engineers. But after more than 20 years leading engineering teams, developing products, and mentoring engineers, I think the bigger shift is happening somewhere else. The engineers who thrive in the next decade will not simply be the ones who know the most software or can [...]
Engineering leaders love metrics. Executives love metrics even more. But most engineering organizations track the wrong ones, or track the right ones in a way that drives the wrong behavior. Velocity, utilization, task completion, and “busy dashboards” may look good in a report, but they often fail to answer the only question that matters: Is [...]
Over the past month, something notable happened at HatchOne. A growing number of conversations didn’t begin with a Google search. They didn’t start with a traditional RFP or a referral chain. They started on social platforms, especially TikTok. Mechanical engineers, product designers, and engineering leaders were finding us through short, practical teaching moments: design reviews, [...]
As a mechanical engineering leader, I can usually tell within the first 10 minutes whether a design is on a solid path, or quietly accumulating risk. Not because I’m faster or smarter than the team. It’s because mechanical engineering design problems repeat. The same gaps show up again and again: unclear requirements, hidden assumptions, interface [...]
Whenever I pick up a part, any part, I can tell a lot about the engineer who designed it. Most people see “a piece of plastic.” A product design engineer sees decisions, tradeoffs, constraints… and sometimes compromises. Here are the 5 things I look for immediately and what they reveal: Gate location Tells me whether [...]
Over the last 20 years in product development, I’ve observed something rare, and it’s become one of the most important skills I work to help engineers train in themselves. It’s the ability to operate at the 30,000-foot level and then immediately drop into the 1,000-foot level without losing momentum. At 30,000 feet, you’re asking the [...]
You can assemble the most talented cross-functional team in the world, engineers, designers, marketers, finance, operations, and still fall short of your goals. Why? Because without strong project management, even the best teams risk drifting off course. Project management is more than timelines, tools, or Gantt charts. It’s the strategic leadership discipline that turns good [...]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s here, reshaping how we design, test, and manufacture products. For mechanical engineers, the rise of AI is redefining workflows, unlocking efficiencies, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in product development. Whether you’re working on precision components or large-scale systems, AI tools are rapidly becoming [...]
Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving framework rooted in understanding user needs, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, and generating creative solutions. It typically follows five phases: Empathize – Understand the user's needs, context, and pain points. Define – Clearly articulate the problem you're solving. Ideate – Brainstorm and explore a range of creative solutions. Prototype – [...]
Bringing a physical product to life takes more than just a great concept — it requires seamless collaboration between product design, mechanical engineering, marketing, and manufacturing. For product managers, founders, and cross-functional leads, learning to speak each team’s language and clearly communicate your product’s vision is the key to success. Here’s how to do it [...]
Building a great product isn't just about having a brilliant idea—it's about solving real problems for your customers. Prioritizing customer needs and ensuring that your product meets those needs is crucial to success. But how do you identify and prioritize what truly matters, and how can you ensure those requirements translate into your product? Here’s [...]
Strong communication is essential for teamwork, fostering collaboration, and ensuring alignment. I’m currently writing annual reviews and realizing that clear, concise communication is a skill that needs constant practice. Here are some items I expect from teams. Define Clear Objectives Set clear goals for communication—The ‘Kim Request’ at the beginning of most meetings, including [...]
Fostering Innovation: Insights from Harvard Business Review’s Managing Creativity and Innovation I've read, reread, recommended, and gifted this book to many aspiring engineers and creatives, and it deserves a dedicated blog. First published in 2003, I first read it on a flight back from Baja and was struck by its concise guidelines for fostering innovation [...]
In the competitive world of product development, the ability to generate, refine, and select ideas is critical to creating successful and innovative products. A structured approach can help teams move from a vast pool of concepts to the top three best ideas, ready for implementation. Here, we explore the best practices for ideating, converging, and [...]
In today’s new product development, the margin for error is razor-thin. Companies must deliver high-quality products while meeting timelines and controlling costs. A critical tool that enables this balance is early-stage simulations, which allow engineers to predict how products will perform under real-world conditions before physical prototypes are built. By incorporating techniques like Computational Fluid [...]
