Bad engineers
Written by John Teel.
When I first set out to develop my product, I was filled with excitement and determination.
My product required substantial mechanical design and needed to be manufacturable with injection molding. As an electrical engineer, this was way outside my expertise.
I wanted the best, so I hired an MIT-trained mechanical engineer. Jackpot, right?
There was just one problem: this guy had his own “brilliant” project on the side, and my product was clearly his lowest priority.
Every time I checked in, he had a fresh excuse:
“I had a big breakthrough on my project.”
“I just need to finish this one thing for my project.”
Or the best one: “I’ve been meeting with investors who want to give me a lot of money”
At this point, I felt like a dog dependent on his owner to go for a walk—and I do not like feeling dependent on anyone.
I realized this arrangement wasn’t going to work, so I fired him and moved on to engineer number two who was recommended by a 3D printing company.
Surely this guy would be better.
At first, he was. He got right to work, and I felt hopeful.
But soon, a familiar pattern emerged: delays, excuses, and barely any progress.
He’d send me a design to review, and within hours, I’d send back a detailed list of changes. Then … silence. Days turned into weeks before he’d address even the smallest edits.
I didn’t understand, these changes were so simple! I kept thinking, if only I knew how to use the software, I could probably do this faster myself.
The breaking point came during a phone call. I had sent him my latest edits days earlier and hadn’t heard back. So, I called to follow up. What happened next still amazes me to this day.
He completely lost it.
“YOU NEED TO CHILL OUT!” he yelled.
“You’re rushing me, and I can’t work under this kind of pressure!”
I was stunned.
I had been polite and professional, but here was this professional engineer yelling at me like I’d just insulted his mother.
My first thoughts were – no you’re the one who needs to chill out. No one talks to me that way, especially someone I’m paying!
Then something clicked.
I realized I was done relying on people who didn’t share my sense of urgency and passion for my product.
I needed a new plan.
So I fired him and made a bold decision: I would learn how to do the mechanical design myself.
I bought SolidWorks, a college textbook on injection molding, and started teaching myself.
Within a month, I could hold my own with 3D modeling. Within three months, I had learned enough about injection molding to finish my product’s design.
And here’s the kicker: in those three months, I made more progress than I had in the previous six months working with two professional engineers.
Here’s the lesson: if there’s something you feel capable of learning, learn it.
No one is more motivated than you, the product innovator. No engineer you hire will match your obsession, your sense of urgency, or your desire for success.
Sure, engineers can bring expertise—but their focus is split between multiple clients and perhaps their own project, so your product won’t be their top priority.
When you learn to do something yourself, you’re not just saving money. You are moving faster and gaining valuable skills you can apply again and again.
The knowledge I gained about injection molding has benefited every product I’ve worked on since.
Even if you don’t plan to do the design yourself, understanding the process makes you better at overseeing and managing the people you do hire.
And who knows? Maybe you’ll save yourself from being in an awkward yelling match.
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