This is the second post in a series about how new software technologies are accelerating how we build physical products. The first post was about APIs.

Manufacturers have recently accelerated a trend that has been going on for many years: digitizing manufacturing systems and processes for more reliable production and quality. Even though there are still paper-based operations out there, manufacturers are opening up to the opportunity that digitalization can bring. And some are becoming increasingly aware of the existential threat to businesses if they choose to do nothing.

Existing systems

The manufacturing software systems that are generally in place today are…

A few weeks ago, fellow UIUC grad Marc Andreesen wrote a post titled It’s Time to Build. I couldn’t agree more and I have for a while. That said, I have been trying to think beyond the inspiration and aspiration. Specifically, I have been thinking about how we really jump start the promise of Industry 4.0 by applying the huge advancements in digital technology over the past few decades to the problems that have existed in manufacturing for decades.

When it comes to the future of hardware and manufacturing systems, I believe that Industry 4.0 will be shaped more by…

“The only constant in life is change”

-Heraclitus

Despite the cliché, this quote from antiquity is more true today than it was then. And its meaning impacts more than just philosophy or relationships.

As the next part of my series of posts on the evolution of the manufacturing industry, I want to explain a topic that I’ve been forming for the past few years: Change understanding.

The second industrial wave was ushered in by the Ford Motor Company and its assembly line. …

I moved to Los Angeles in 2013. For the first few years, I lived how many yuppy Los Angeles transplants live: I was enamored by living in a beach town and driving for everything I needed to do. Hermosa Beach didn’t really allow for much else. I drove to and from work, I drove for social things unless I was planning on drinking, in which case I took Uber.

2016 brought many changes. Tired of beach life and hungry for more cultural diversity, I moved to downtown LA. I switched jobs. I moved in with my fiancée. Oh — and…

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is one of the cornerstone systems for managing information in complex manufacturing environments. It makes sense: Companies and engineers need a way to manage the information that make up a product’s identity. Similar to how version control systems (VCS) like git are critical to modern software development. Unlike modern version control systems, though, PLM systems were developed by companies that assumed a no-connectivity workflow.

The problem is that PLM has been wrapped up by methodologies and software vendors from decades ago. Processes designed for an era before the internet and software built by companies from the…

I’m very excited to announce that I am returning to pursue my passion in aerospace and manufacturing. This isn’t without some sadness, though. I spent almost 2 years at Sense360 working with an amazing team. Since joining as employee #6, we raised a round of funding, brought on loads of new clients, grew the team to over 15 people (and growing!), and had a lot of fun doing it. The team has a lot of work ahead of them, and I am extremely confident that they will continue building a world-class company that dominates the market. I want to give…

There is no shortage of analyses on this year’s election. There is more information and thoughts on it this time around than ever before, and I don’t think that’s going to change for the next election cycle. You know what else I don’t think will change for the next election cycle?

Jobs.

The Democratic and Republican parties are more polarized than ever. There is even greater polarization within those parties than ever before. However, there is one thing that all of the parties agree on.

We have to bring back jobs.

Let’s think about that for a minute. Save a…

The idea of “getting ahead” is one that is touted as the triumph of our modern societies and economies. We are no longer trying to advance our efforts for the glorious emperor, queen, or God. Instead, we’re told that if we work hard and push ourselves, that we will “come out ahead” and therefore be happy. We’re also told, in the very same framework, that if everyone works hard and makes an effort to get ahead, then everyone will benefit because society as a whole will advance. There is an admission that the framework causes there to be some winners…