S5E40 Tony Dietz | How to Accelerate the Speed of Engineering, Episode 4

Oct 4, 2024

Tony Dietz, President of Paxauris and former NASA Senior Research Scientist, shares his extensive engineering experience. He discusses the critical role of communication in projects, illustrating how simplicity fosters creativity. Dietz also explores innovative solutions like sous vide cooking for efficient engineering practices. The conversation highlights the importance of psychological safety in teams and quirky productivity methods, such as tea time, to enhance collaboration. He wraps up by detailing the rapid development of an innovative inflatable earplug set to revolutionize hearing protection.

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ADVICE

Clarify Objective, Deadline, Effort

Ask and communicate three things for every task: objective, deadline, and level of effort.
Keep the communication loop both up and down and be the squeaky wheel to enforce deadlines.

ANECDOTE

Fortnight Misunderstanding Cost Time

Tony asked a welding shop for a wind-tunnel part and said he needed it in a fortnight, but they didn't start because they misunderstood.
The miscommunication cost him another two weeks to get the tunnel part.

ADVICE

Hustle For Fast Answers

Hustle toward the question you need to answer and get a quick result before perfecting details.
Use cheap, available tools first to test assumptions and avoid over-investing time or money.

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In the fourth episode of How to Accelerate the Speed of Engineering, host Aaron Moncur interviews Tony Dietz. . Tony emphasized the importance of clear communication, focusing on objectives, deadlines, and effort levels. Dietz shared examples from his diverse background, including a NASA wind tunnel project and a cost-effective earplug test using a $7 heating pad. He highlighted the value of field interaction with customers and using simple tools like Lego for prototyping. Dietz also stressed the need for daily team meetings to maintain focus and address roadblocks. He warned against rushing critical tasks without proper analysis, citing a failed superconducting cable test as an example.

Main Topics Covered:

Communication and Bottlenecks in Engineering Projects
Ignoring the Customer and Tools for Failure
Creating Psychologically Safe Environments
Cross-Disciplinary Communication and Documentation
Introducing New Technologies and Tools
Unconventional Approaches and Field Interaction
Lessons from Failed Attempts to Accelerate Engineering
Key Factors in Accelerating Engineering

About the guest: Tony Dietz is the President of Paxauris, where he leads the development of innovative hearing protection products. With over 30 years of experience, he previously worked at Creare, leading R&D projects in advanced airdrop technology and cryogenic systems, and at NASA Ames as a Senior Research Scientist. Earlier, he served as an Engineering Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. Tony holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Sydney.

Links:
Tony Dietz - LinkedIn

Download the Essential Guide to Designing Test Fixtures: https://pipelinemedialab.beehiiv.com/test-fixture

About Being An Engineer

The Being An Engineer podcast is a repository for industry knowledge and a tool through which engineers learn about and connect with relevant companies, technologies, people resources, and opportunities. We feature successful mechanical engineers and interview engineers who are passionate about their work and who made a great impact on the engineering community.

The Being An Engineer podcast is brought to you by Pipeline Design & Engineering. Pipeline partners with medical & other device engineering teams who need turnkey equipment such as cycle test machines, custom test fixtures, automation equipment, assembly jigs, inspection stations and more. You can find us on the web at www.teampipeline.us