Welcome to the Being an Engineer podcast. Today we kick off our special series on tools for accelerating engineering with TJ Strang, a distinguished leader in the medical device industry. TJ’s expertise spans over two decades at companies like Abbott, St. Jude Medical, and Acutus Medical, where he led groundbreaking projects in electrophysiology, cardiac rhythm management and leadless pacemakers. Currently, he serves as VP of Engineering at Atraverse Medical, where he and his team are developing cutting-edge left-heart access technologies.
Aaron Moncur: TJ, thank you for joining us today.
TJ Strang : Thank you, Aaron. Thanks for having me.
Aaron: I’ve been really excited to start this series. It’s all about accelerating engineering processes. Over the past 20 or 30 episodes, I’ve asked guests how they speed up engineering, which has led to some fantastic insights. Now, we’re dedicating a whole series to it! To kick us off, can you share two or three of the most common bottlenecks you’ve seen slowing engineering down?
TJ: I’d say the most common issues are team structure and planning. Sometimes there are simply too many “cooks in the kitchen”—too many people involved—or the reverse, with a solo engineer trying to do it all. Neither approach fully taps into the power of a small, dedicated, empowered team, which I believe should be around four to six people. Another big factor is planning. Poor planning often drags down timelines, especially if tasks are tackled in series rather than finding ways to work in parallel. Overthinking without moving forward—what we call “analysis paralysis”—can also slow engineering to a crawl.
Aaron: To recap, poor planning and having either too many or too few people can create bottlenecks. Shifting gears, let’s talk about junior engineers just starting out. I’ve often seen new engineers hesitate to ask for help, which can waste time. But they also need to build the skill of figuring things out on their own. What’s the right balance there?
TJ: That doesn’t go away with experience. At St. Jude Medical, where I worked for 17 years, I often knew the answers to most questions. But when I switched roles within the industry, I had to rebuild my “question-asking muscle.” Asking questions effectively is a skill in itself. One way I’ve helped new engineers build this skill is by assigning tasks where I don’t necessarily have the answers either. This forces them to figure things out, meet people along the way, and maybe even come back to me with questions. That process is invaluable for their growth.
Aaron: There are countless problems to solve as an engineer, some with known answers and some that require R&D. My advice to engineers is to seek help if an answer is available. But when you’re tackling R&D problems, dive in and work through it on your own—that’s where you grow.
TJ: Absolutely. Even with senior engineers, you may hear, “We tried that, and it didn’t work.” It’s important not to get discouraged because advancements in material science and software today could mean that what wasn’t possible before now is.
Aaron: What are one or two tools you’ve seen used effectively to “fail fast” and inexpensively?
TJ: The idea of failing fast has been around for a while, and *The Lean Startup* is a game-changing book on this. It encourages engineers to just “build it.” Even in highly regulated fields like medical devices, rapid prototyping with 3D printers or makeshift materials can help get a concept in front of stakeholders. Five minutes of feedback from a user can often tell you more than years of theoretical planning.
Aaron: Now, let’s talk about the softer side of engineering. Psychological safety is crucial in teams. Can you think of a time when you helped an engineer feel safe enough to speak up, leading to a positive outcome?
TJ: Absolutely. A great resource on this topic is the *Columbia Accident Investigation Board* report, which concluded that some engineers felt unsafe bringing up potential issues, ultimately contributing to the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. In my teams, I try to create a space where engineers feel safe challenging ideas without fear of repercussions. I remind them not to fall in love with their ideas so they’re open to constructive feedback, which leads to better solutions.
Aaron: I have a friend who uses a playful technique he calls “McDonald’s ideas.” If his team is reluctant to suggest ideas, he’ll propose McDonald’s as a lunch spot. This often makes others feel comfortable sharing ideas, even silly ones, knowing they can’t be worse than McDonald’s!
TJ: I love that! It’s all about creating an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable contributing.
Aaron: Speaking of atmosphere, leadership clearly impacts the speed of engineering projects. Can you share a story where leadership sped things up—or slowed things down?
TJ: Leadership plays a huge role. At St. Jude Medical, we had a period where our small team operated almost like a startup within the company. We were empowered to make decisions without constant managerial oversight. In about a year and a half, we transformed a struggling product line into the best on the market. When you give a team the autonomy and tools they need, amazing things can happen.
Aaron: Let’s talk about collaboration. What are some best practices for ensuring smooth collaboration in cross-functional teams?
TJ: Include everyone from the start. Adding people mid-project is like stopping a car trip to pick someone up—you lose momentum. For example, if manufacturing will eventually handle the product, I want those folks involved from day one. Concurrent engineering and designing for manufacturability are so much easier if everyone is aligned from the beginning.
Aaron: Has there been a time when introducing new tools or technologies significantly reduced engineering time?
TJ: Yes, introducing finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate product designs was transformative. Although it took time to set up properly, it eventually saved us so much time. FEA allowed us to model scenarios that would have otherwise required hundreds of physical prototypes, cutting down iteration times dramatically.
Aaron: I didn’t realize digital models of the human body were getting so advanced. That must open up huge possibilities in medical devices.
TJ: Absolutely. Companies like Dassault Systèmes are doing incredible work, with support from the FDA. Digital twin technology is creating highly detailed models for R&D.
Aaron: Have you taken any unconventional approaches to expedite an engineering process?
TJ: Radical transparency has been one. Sometimes you don’t want to show all the issues upfront, but I’ve found it helps avoid unpleasant surprises. Being upfront about problems makes it easier for the whole team to collaborate on solutions without last-minute “grenades” derailing projects.
Aaron: At Pipeline, one of our core tenets is, “Take what’s on the inside, put it on the outside, and talk about it.” That transparency has led to some of our best outcomes.
TJ: Absolutely. It’s about creating an open, collaborative atmosphere.
Aaron: What about tools for communication? Any methods that have optimized team interactions and sped up project timelines?
TJ: Being co-located is ideal. The efficiency of being able to turn and ask a question or check in on someone’s work face-to-face is unmatched. COVID challenged this, but we adapted. I also love physical scheduling boards on the wall. Visual reminders of our progress keep everyone aligned.
Aaron: Especially for leaders, being close to the team allows you to observe interactions and offer guidance when necessary.
TJ: Absolutely. Leadership visibility strengthens the team.
Aaron: One last question: if you had to choose just one thing that most significantly speeds up engineering, what would it be?
TJ: The power of a small, empowered team. Give a team of four to six people the autonomy to make decisions, provide them with a clear purpose, and let them work. Startups often succeed because they have that alignment and freedom. Larger organizations can learn from this by creating small, focused teams with the same empowerment. When you empower people and remove unnecessary obstacles, amazing things happen.
Aaron: What a great way to close our episode. TJ, thank you again for all the incredible insights and experiences you shared today. How can people reach you if they’d like to connect?
TJ: The best place is LinkedIn. I’m with Traverse Medical, where we just launched our first product a few weeks ago, and I’d love to connect with anyone interested in networking or seeking advice.
Aaron: Wonderful. Thanks again, TJ, for being on the podcast.
TJ: Thanks for having me, Aaron.
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