Most conferences = sales pitches, no learning. PDX = hands-on learning and solving real world problems

What you WON'T find at PDX:

❌ Vendor sales pitches disguised as "education"
❌ Theoretical presentations you'll forget by Monday
❌ Networking events where everyone exchanges the same business cards

What you WILL find:

✅ DfAM best practices taught by Impac Systems
✅ Mastering GD&T presented by R. Dean Odell
✅ Sick 3D Robot Guidance by Clayton Controls
✅ 30+ other vendor experts ready to help solve your hardest problems

The catch? We’re limited on attendees. And we’re giving you exclusive access to some of the remaining available seats.

Mesa, AZ | October 21-22, 2025 | $295 (while space remains)

P.S. As subscribers of this newsletter, use code “WBH50” for $50 off registration!

P.S.S. Enter to win one of two free expo passes by filling out the survey.

Hi There!

Hope everyone reading had a recharging long weekend and is energized to conquer the short week! A quick note on the origins of Labor Day in the US.

The story of Labor Day is the story of America's rise during the Industrial Revolution, a time of immense growth powered by the hard work of laborers, factory workers, and engineers.

The holiday is a testament to the decades-long struggle for fair wages, reasonable hours, and safe working conditions. It's a reminder that progress is often the result of collective action and perseverance.

As we look to the future, let's carry forward that spirit of respect for all labor. Happy Labor Day to everyone who contributes their skills and effort to build and innovate every day.

Xuechen Li walked out of xAI with trade secrets that allegedly make Grok superior to ChatGPT, cashed out $7 million in stock, then handed everything to OpenAI; Musk's most despised rival. This isn't corporate espionage. This is the AI equivalent of your spouse leaving for their ex and taking the family recipes.

The case exposes how desperate AI companies have become for talent, with average engineer salaries jumping 40% in 18 months. But the real story is how Musk is waging asymmetric legal warfare against OpenAI, unable to compete on funding ($18B vs $80B valuation), using courts to drain resources and establish precedents that could lock down talent mobility across the entire industry.

We're watching Silicon Valley's fluid talent market transform into something resembling defense contractors - compartmentalized, paranoid, and potentially innovation-killing.

Link to the article that inspired this discussion.

A more detailed analysis is on The Wave.

In 1955, two numerically controlled machines represented radically different approaches to the same breakthrough technology. MIT's Whirlwind project filled entire rooms with computing equipment, required Ph.D.-level operators, and needed weeks of mathematical programming for simple parts. Meanwhile, in a Wisconsin factory, Richard Kegg's Milwaukee-Matic I quietly executed precise cuts using paper tape controls that any experienced machinist could master in days.

Both machines could automatically control cutting tools with unprecedented precision. Only one made money.

The MIT machine dazzled with technical sophistication—a genuine marvel of computer-controlled manufacturing that proved numerical control was theoretically possible. Kegg's machine at Kearney & Trecker took a different path entirely. Instead of pushing technological boundaries, he focused on a much harder problem: making advanced automation work profitably in real factories with real deadlines and real bottom lines.

The Milwaukee-Matic succeeded through deliberate simplification. Where MIT used general-purpose computers for complex real-time calculations, Kegg designed dedicated circuits for specific functions. Where academic programmers wrote hundreds of lines of mathematical code for simple brackets, Kegg created intuitive interfaces that matched how machinists already thought about cutting operations. Where researchers pursued maximum capability, Kegg optimized for reliability, serviceability, and user adoption.

The results spoke clearly in the language factories understand: dollars and cents. Early customers like Pratt & Whitney…

Two Rivian engineers just proved electric vehicles can dominate America's toughest navigation challenge and their biggest obstacle wasn't the technology.

Alex Anderson and Lilly Macaruso transformed from fourth-place rookies to 2024 Rebelle Rally champions, piloting their electric R1T truck through eight days and 1600 miles of California's harshest terrain. Using only paper maps and compass - no GPS, no phones, no outside contact - they navigated from 14-degree mountain conditions to 110-degree desert heat.

The Rebelle Rally scores precision over speed. Teams chase invisible checkpoints marked only on paper maps, earning points based on how close they get to exact coordinates. Among 60 competing teams, just six drove electric vehicles, all charged by green hydrogen fuel cells in remote desert locations.

The R1T's multiple drive modes, silent operation, and hydraulic air suspension provided technical advantages across rock crawling, sand dunes, and boulder fields. But their victory came down to systematic eight-month training in both navigation skills and conflict resolution under extreme stress.

Daily routines began at 5 AM plotting 30-40 checkpoints before departing into conditions that would challenge any vehicle. Teams survived on dehydrated meals, tent camping, and minimal sleep while making split-second decisions that determined success or failure.

Their win validates electric vehicle capability in demanding off-road environments while highlighting how technical excellence requires equally sophisticated human dynamics.

Listen to the full episode at the link below

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