Taming the Engineering Brain

Eric Thorsen
Jun 10, 2024
2 min read

So I want it to start recording video content, and I was out on my road bike one morning, thinking about this.

I’ve wanted an excuse to get one of these nice 4k mirrorless cameras. So, I think, okay, I will continue to do a lot of research on that.. I'd already started it a while ago.

What about lighting?

I need to get some good key lighting and maybe some backlight.

I'd already started doing some research on this...pretty expensive stuff…might even be some aftermarket gear I can get there.

Videography

I am part of the startup mentor program and do a few other things over at the local high school and I thought, well, I could probably get some people who are really into videography to help me shoot that…

Then I caught myself…

That was my engineering brain over complicating this...when it's really quite simple. At least, from a starting perspective.

I rode to the top of the hill, took out my phone and recorded my first video and posted it.

I'm good at breaking things down, collecting data, and analyzing it. I'm also good at involving others to move things forward. These skills have helped me and continue to help me in my work...but...

…Just as important (if not more) is the ability to keep things simple and stay focused on the goal.

This is often easier to see when it is happening around you than between your own ears.

I see this often: people get stuck in the weeds of the details and lose focus on the goal.

-> Are you overcomplicating something?

-> Are you focusing on one thing at a time?

-> Do you need to bring in an outside perspective or ask for help?

For me, the goal was to start posting video content.

There was a simple solution right in front of me, so I took action and pushed through.