Tired of feeling overloaded no matter how hard you work? This episode breaks it down. It’s not about adding more energy—it’s about deleting what doesn’t matter. Jake lays out a ruthless framework for increasing clarity, output, and agency by maximizing your signal-to-noise ratio.

Not theory—practical, tactical advice for engineers buried in distractions and pointless obligations.

Key Topics Covered
• Why burnout often stems from noise, not effort
• How engineers accidentally hoard obligations and justify distractions
• The lie of being “informed” and how it ruins your clarity
• Deletion as a productivity framework (not just a mindset)
• Why strategy is really just energy allocation
• How to build your personal filter for prioritization
• The truth about letting people down—and why it’s worth it
• How to handle judgment when you start deleting things
• What most engineers are afraid to give up (and why they must)
• The one question that decides your real priority

Actionable Steps
• Ask: “Who is waiting on me to move forward?” Prioritize them.
• Ask: “If I don’t do this today, who suffers?” If nobody—delete it.
• Cut meetings where you add no value—ask for notes instead
• Delay or delegate anything that doesn’t serve your core mission
• Stop chasing notifications—disable them all
• Say no to vague requests until they’re clearly defined
• Build a to-don’t list and enforce it
• Automate or outsource low-value tasks
• Adopt “If someone’s waiting on me, they are the priority” as your rule
• Start tracking where your energy goes—then seal the leaks

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers drowning in meetings, emails, and task lists
• Managers who feel like bottlenecks
• ICs trying to focus but constantly pulled away
• High-performers burning out despite “doing everything right”
• Anyone who’s tired of being tired

Why It Matters
Energy is your most valuable asset. If you waste it on distractions, you’ll never reach your potential. But when you delete ruthlessly, filter relentlessly, and prioritize precisely—you become unstoppable. This episode is about reclaiming that power. Delete more. Do better. Own your damn day.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

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You don’t know which doors you’ll need to open—until they’re locked in your face. And when that moment comes, it’s too damn late to wish you had started building your network.

This episode isn’t about “networking.” It’s about regret-proofing your career.

Jake and Steve break down the truth engineers don’t hear enough: the relationships you build today are the skeleton key for tomorrow’s opportunity.

Not theory—practical, tactical advice for ambitious engineers who want to stop playing small and start becoming known.

Key Topics Covered:
• Why being great at your job isn’t enough if no one knows you
• How obscurity quietly caps your career ceiling
• Breaking the lie that reaching out is selfish or awkward
• The compound returns of being “known and helpful” in your industry
• Internal vs. external networks—and why both matter
• How to reduce luck by increasing surface area
• Simple first steps for engineers who feel like nobodies
• The right way to send cold DMs or emails without cringing
• Stories that prove one connection can change your life
• How to be remembered, not forgotten

Actionable Steps:
• Send 5 personal connection messages a day for 6 months
• Follow up every 3–4 months with genuine check-ins—no agenda
• Build relationships with vendors, suppliers, and partners now
• Start with warm connections to build confidence and reps
• Say this: “We’ve crossed paths, and I’d love to connect—I admire the work you do”
• Ask others what they enjoy, what they struggle with, and where they’re headed
• Join at least 1 industry event per quarter—show up, talk, repeat
• Use LinkedIn the right way: personalize every request
• Stop judging yourself—no one remembers a fumbled intro
• Offer help more than you ask for it

Who This Episode Is For:
• Engineers in years 0–10 who feel stuck or unseen
• High-performers who’ve built skills but not visibility
• Burned-out doers wondering why promotions pass them by
• Founders or freelancers starting cold with no warm leads
• Anyone who fears rejection more than stagnation

Why It Matters:
You can’t brute-force your way through a locked door. Not in this industry. When opportunity knocks—or worse, when it doesn’t—you’ll wish you’d built the relationships that could’ve opened it. You don’t need to network. You need to be known. That’s how careers rise.

Where to Listen:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

In this episode, Jake and Steve break down a real-world story of a promising project derailed by ego-driven leadership—and how it quietly destroyed the motivation of a high-performing engineering team. If you've ever worked under someone who needed to be the smartest in the room, this one will hit home.
Not theory—practical, tactical advice.

Key Topics Covered:
• How ego can quietly destroy team culture from the top down
• The difference between control and contribution in leadership
• What happens when engineers are shut out of decisions
• The silent cost of “you just do what I say” management
• How loss of ownership drives your best people out the door
• Why even competent leaders can lose team trust
• Spotting toxic patterns before they become the norm
• The “blue on black” tactic for dealing with bad managers
• Learning from bad leadership without internalizing it
• Why engineers must be humble enough to listen—and sharp enough to lead

Actionable Steps:
• Don’t confuse compliance with commitment—listen before leading
• Invite contributions before declaring direction
• Use 1-on-1s to check in on team morale, not just deadlines
• Ask your team, “What am I missing?” and mean it
• Recognize when you're making decisions from fear or ego
• If you’re under a poor manager, extract what lessons you can
• Document examples of what not to do as a future leader
• Maintain professionalism but protect your energy
• Use questions to unlock learning from even difficult leaders
• Create space for others to care by giving them real input

Who This Episode Is For:
• Engineers working under controlling or ego-driven leaders
• Team leads who want to avoid demotivating their crew
• Senior ICs navigating poor management from above
• New managers still developing their leadership voice

Why It Matters:
Poor leadership doesn’t just delay schedules—it drives talent out the door. But even bad examples can teach us how to lead better. Learn how to protect your energy, lead with humility, and become the kind of engineer others actually want to follow.

Where to Listen:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

In this episode, Jake and Steve break down the core traits that separate engineers who accelerate teams from those who quietly stall progress. This is a raw, practical conversation about how ego shows up in engineering—and how to replace it with real influence, clear communication, and team-building behaviors that actually get noticed.

Not theory—practical, tactical advice from engineers who’ve been there.

Key topics covered:
• The real meaning of agency and urgency—and why they belong together
• How ownership and accountability build trust fast
• Why curiosity and humility unlock next-level influence
• How ego-driven behavior quietly destroys team capacity
• The biggest career-limiting behavior you may not realize you're doing
• Delivering clarity under pressure—even when it's not your fault
• Why engineers need to manage upward as well as across
• Recovering from mistakes in a way that builds your reputation
• Communication strategies that work with execs and field teams alike
• What it really takes to become the engineer people trust

Actionable takeaways:
• Follow up within 24 hours—no exceptions
• Ask people how they want to receive updates
• Don’t wait to be told—take initiative within your lane
• Own the outcome, even when someone else drops the ball
• Convert mistakes into visible lessons learned
• Deliver updates in three clear sentences, not a ramble
• Track your open loops and close them like it matters (because it does)
• Stay curious and ask why, not just what
• Give credit, take feedback, and actually apply it
• Show urgency with your response time and your decision-making

This episode is for engineers who are tired of being overlooked, want to lead without waiting for permission, and are ready to build real trust and career equity through action—not noise.

Where to listen:
Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This one’s for every engineer who’s ever been told to “speak up more” without being given a blueprint.

David Hall—author of Minding Your Time and host of The Quiet and Strong Podcast—joins us to dismantle the noise around introversion in the workplace. He’s not here with theory. This is tactical, field-tested insight for deep thinkers who want to lead without pretending to be extroverts.

We go deep into how to use your internal processor to drive action, earn respect, and stop being overlooked in rooms full of noise.

Key Topics Covered
• What introversion really is (and why most people get it totally wrong)
• The difference between shyness and quiet—and why the confusion screws careers
• How internal processors can dominate meetings without dominating airtime
• Strategic silence: how to build presence before you speak
• The energy cost of context-switching and how to reclaim your calendar
• Using Clifton Strengths to stop fighting yourself and start accelerating
• Tools for managers working with introverted engineers
• Misconceptions about leadership—and how the loudest voice often lacks the most value
• The power of concise, confident delivery when you're not the one talking nonstop
• How David built a podcast and wrote a book as a so-called “quiet” person

Actionable Steps
• Write down one insight and one question before every meeting
• Speak within the first five minutes of a call—even just once—to shift perception
• Request agendas ahead of time so you can prep like a weapon
• Block your calendar for recharge time and deep thinking—not just tasks
• Build a “someday” list to offload ideas that are valuable but not urgent
• Tell your manager how you work best—don’t assume they know
• Stop managing to everyone else’s energy—optimize for yours
• Use written follow-ups after meetings to drop clarity bombs
• Set decision deadlines to avoid drowning in overthinking
• Stop trying to match extrovert volume—match their impact

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers who feel unseen or undervalued in loud team environments
• ICs who know they’re capable but get dismissed as “quiet”
• First-time managers trying to lead introverted reports effectively
• Burned-out overthinkers looking for structure and clarity
• High-performers who hate traditional networking bullshit

Why It Matters
You don’t need to be loud to lead—but you do need to be heard. Quiet minds build rockets, develop systems, and lead teams. But when your silence is misunderstood, your impact dies in the dark. This episode is about reclaiming visibility without selling out who you are. Your gifts are powerful—if you learn how to use them.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

Episode 108: Guest Mark Smith - Fired, Hired, and Thriving — Real Lessons from the Early Career Shitshow

Your first engineering job might suck. It might burn you out, betray your expectations, or end with you getting fired. That’s not a failure—it’s training. In this episode, we sit down with Mark Smith, founder of Bothwell Engineering, to unpack the early career war stories that shape who you become. From getting let go in his first year to building a thriving consultancy in life sciences, Mark shares tactical lessons for engineers trying to lead with integrity, energy, and clarity. Not theory—practical, tactical advice.

Key Topics Covered
• Getting fired in your first job: what it really teaches you
• How to pitch your worst experience as your strongest value
• What makes a real mentor—and how to keep them invested in you
• Why Bothwell Engineering was built to fix broken engineering culture
• How to avoid becoming “just a number” in your career
• The surprising power of honesty in job interviews
• Early career moves that build long-term trust and career leverage
• How co-ops and field experience prepare you for real leadership
• When not to take a full-time offer—and why
• Building a business without burning yourself out

Actionable Steps
• Reframe every failure into a value story—especially in interviews
• Ask the “dumb” questions early—don’t let fear cost you progress
• Get your hands dirty: walk the floor, inspect installs, ask the trades
• Build your micro-resume weekly—track what you learn and share it
• Spend 15 minutes a week expanding your network, no excuses
• Know what “support” looks like—ask for structure if you need it
• Find mentors by implementing their advice, not just listening
• Don’t burn bridges—you’ll see these people again, guaranteed
• Explore co-ops and contractor roles for real-world acceleration
• Challenge clients and companies—your integrity is your brand

Who This Episode Is For
• Engineers in toxic work environments wondering if it’s just them
• Early career ICs with no structure, mentorship, or support
• New grads navigating co-ops, contracts, or first real jobs
• Overlooked engineers trying to find better leadership
• Engineers burned by loyalty to companies that didn’t return it

Why It Matters
Energy, visibility, and performance are what move your career forward—not being “perfect” out of the gate. The early years are where you build your voice, your values, and your ability to lead. This episode is a playbook for turning chaos into clarity—and using every tough lesson to level up faster.

Where to Listen
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.

Episode 107: Learn the Game: Systems, Strategy, and the Equity You’re Missing

In this no-BS breakdown, Jake and Steve dive deep into what separates high performers from invisible ICs. It's not just about doing the work—it's about building value that compounds over time. From turning templates into leverage, to earning internal loyalty and external referrals, this episode shows you how to play the long game in engineering.
Not theory—practical, tactical advice from engineers who’ve been there.

Key Topics Covered:
• What it really means to “learn the game” in engineering
• How to align your work with business goals (or get labeled a low performer)
• Why SOPs and personal systems are a career cheat code
• The power of reusable tools and repeatable execution
• How follow-through separates leaders from everyone else
• Career equity vs resume padding: what clients and bosses actually remember
• Why project adversity can be more valuable than perfect execution
• Leveraging lessons learned while they’re fresh
• The hidden value of visibility and feedback loops
• Who your real “customer” is—and how to earn their loyalty

Actionable Steps:
• Start asking business questions beyond your task list
• Build SOPs for your most common project types
• Create and maintain a personal engineering Excel toolkit
• Standardize drawing notes and design details—stop reinventing
• Review and update lessons learned after every job
• Use calendar blocks for system-building and follow-through
• Capture client and PM feedback as career capital
• Convert successful one-offs into reusable templates
• Don’t skip final QA—train yourself to finish all the way
• Document adversity and outcomes, then share them

Who This Episode Is For:
• Engineers stuck in “heads down” mode
• High performers who get overlooked or misunderstood
• Technical leads trying to level up team execution
• New grads or EITs looking to gain an edge
• ICs who want to build influence without a formal title

Why It Matters:
You can do great work and still get passed over. The difference is visibility, alignment, and value that compounds. Build systems, get seen, and make every project work harder for your future. That’s equity—and it’s how careers are made.

Where to Listen:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Or wherever you get your podcasts

If this episode hit home, send it to someone. The Impactful Engineer grows by word of mouth—just like the best careers do.