Welcome to The Wave Engineering Newsletter, your weekly guide to the cutting edge of engineering. Whether you're a seasoned professional, an eager student, or simply curious about innovation, we’re here to inform, inspire, and connect.

More than just a newsletter, we tell the human stories behind the tech—spotlighting the innovators, dreamers, and changemakers shaping our world. Backed by insights from Pipeline Design & Engineering and the Being an Engineer Podcast, we deliver the latest advancements, impactful collaborations, and stories that redefine what’s possible.

Join the conversation at The Wave, where ideas spark, questions find answers, and the engineering community comes together to create the future. Engineering isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. Subscribe and ride the wave of innovation with us.

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Are you a technical founder? What is one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Fun fact: While writing this newsletter, I’ve had to spell 'entrepreneurship' about a dozen times. Each time, it came out differently - sometimes with an ‘a’ after the r, sometime without the ‘u’ - you name it. More than half those times, even spell check couldn’t figure out what I was trying to say. After some time, I decided that it was imperative to memorize the spelling and spent over 15 minutes spelling this word, “detention-style” so I wouldn’t misspell it in the future. In that time, I could have launched a startup, disrupted an industry, or at least updated my LinkedIn profile. But here I am, still debating if there's an 'e' after the 'r'. If you're an engineer who's ever let perfect spelling get in the way of perfect timing – or perfectionism block your path to innovation – this newsletter is for you. Let's talk about rethinking success, breaking free from the corporate blueprint, and yes, finally mastering that word that even spell-check struggles with.

The word "innovation" gets tossed around a lot, especially in engineering circles. But here’s a surprising truth: the most impactful innovations often aren’t the flashy breakthroughs—they’re the incremental improvements that compound over time.

In The Innovator’s Dilemma, Clayton Christensen explores why great companies fail despite doing everything "right." His insights challenge us to rethink what it means to innovate, especially in industries where progress must be methodical and precise.

🔍 The Innovation Paradox: Sometimes, being too good at improving what exists blinds us to emerging opportunities. Christensen shows how companies that overshoot market needs can miss disruptive shifts entirely.

⚙️ The Power of 'Good Enough': Instead of chasing perfection, ask: Do our users actually need maximum optimization? Often, simplifying or focusing on accessibility leads to more meaningful outcomes.

🛠️ Practical Insights for Engineers: Christensen’s research inspires us to:

True innovation isn’t always glamorous—it’s thoughtful, deliberate, and often hidden in the details.

Curious about how these principles can reshape your approach to engineering? Want an implementation guide to help you put Christensen’s principles into practice? Visit The Wave below:

Think being a great engineer is all about technical skills? Think again. As someone who spent years focusing purely on technical excellence, I've learned a crucial lesson: the most effective engineers aren't always the most technically brilliant ones.

In a recent conversation with Joe Mulling, a former aerospace engineer turned influential technical recruiter, this reality came into sharp focus. "The number one skill I'm seeing that is almost always requested these days is project management skills," Mulling emphasizes. Technical competence alone isn't enough anymore – modern engineers need to be project managers, communicators, and strategic thinkers.

Mulling's advice? "Go get yourself a PMP certification" and "be an unbelievable communicator." But here's the key: "Don't write for an engineer, write for a human reading what you're writing." This shift reflects how engineering work increasingly requires influencing decisions across organizations.

The future belongs to engineers who can combine deep technical knowledge with broader organizational and interpersonal skills. As Mulling puts it, "What we're doing around the table is we're trying to influence people with our ideas."

Want to future-proof your engineering career? Read the full article to discover the four key strategies that successful engineers are using to stay ahead of the curve, and learn why the question isn't whether to develop these capabilities, but how quickly we can adapt to this new reality.

Have you ever been in this situation? You’ve identified a problem, validated your solution, and mapped out the technical development timeline. The blueprints for Idea X are clear in your mind, backed by user interviews and market gaps. Your whiteboard was filled with architecture diagrams, technical specifications, and development timelines. Classic engineer approach - methodical, structured, and comfortable.

The path from "I have an idea" to "I have a business" isn't as mysterious as it seems. Through my own journey and conversations with successful technical founders, I've learned that building a business follows patterns just like engineering problems do - you just need the right framework to see them.

In this week's article, I share what I've learned about turning technical innovations into viable businesses. From choosing the right business structure (hint: it's not always about the obvious benefits) to protecting your intellectual property without breaking the bank, I break down the essential steps that every technical founder should know.

The best part? You probably already have many of the skills you need - they just need to be applied differently. That systematic problem-solving approach you use in engineering? It works surprisingly well for market validation too.

→ Read the full article to discover how to leverage your engineering mindset for business success, learn from real technical founders who've made the leap, and get a practical roadmap for your entrepreneurial journey.

Engineering is about solving, innovating, and connecting ideas to make a difference. Progress is a collective effort and your curiosity is what drives it forward. Thank you for exploring the dynamic world of engineering with all of us at Pipeline Design & Engineering and The Wave.

If you found value in this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague who might enjoy it too. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a new perspective, idea, or breakthrough.

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” - Steve Jobs

In collaboration and creativity,
Brad Hirayama
Blueprinting tomorrow, today