Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, Bryan Hackleman has worked as a Mechanical Engineer with Endpoint Industrial Controls since 2024. In this role, Bryan Hackleman is tasked with full-cycle mechanical design for control panels, switchboards, and electrical enclosures compliant with Underwriters Laboratories standards, among other projects and responsibilities.
Bryan Hackleman previously spent nearly three years in the role of Mechanical Engineer II at Advanced Energy Industries, also in Fort Collins. His achievements in this position involved enabling the shipment of $60 million of radio frequency generators and network products in Q3 2023 by qualifying new components. He also resolved design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) concerns by adjusting the company’s assembly operations and build instructions, resulting in a more streamlined DFMA model. During his career in mechanical engineering, he has gained extensive experience in areas of automated mechanical design, including the use of coding, macros, and DriveWorks software.
Bryan Hackleman attended Colorado State University, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering. Outside of his work as a mechanical engineer, his interests include drawing, painting, and flyfishing.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about engineering. My day usually involves a combination of product design, CAD work, automation, troubleshooting, and collaborating with other departments. I try to tackle the most technically challenging work early in the day when my focus is at its highest. I also look for repetitive tasks that can be automated because every hour spent improving a process pays dividends over time.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I start by understanding the problem rather than jumping straight to a solution. Once I understand the constraints, I break the idea into smaller, manageable pieces and build a working prototype as quickly as possible. Testing early allows me to identify problems before investing too much time, and each iteration improves the final result.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The growing use of AI as an engineering assistant is incredibly exciting. Rather than replacing engineers, I believe AI will help automate repetitive work, accelerate design iterations, and make technical knowledge more accessible. Engineers who learn to work alongside AI will have a significant advantage in the coming years.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I constantly ask myself, “Can this process be improved?” That mindset has led me to build automation tools, write engineering macros, and simplify workflows that save both myself and my coworkers considerable time.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if you think you should already know the answer. The fastest way to grow is to stay curious, accept that mistakes are part of learning, and focus on continuous improvement instead of perfection.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe many people underestimate how much small improvements matter. Most breakthroughs aren’t the result of one brilliant idea. They’re the accumulation of dozens of small optimizations that compound over time.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Whenever I have to perform the same task multiple times, I stop and ask whether it can be automated or simplified. Investing time once to eliminate repetitive work usually pays for itself many times over.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I step back and identify the next concrete task rather than trying to solve everything at once. Breaking a large problem into smaller steps makes it much easier to regain momentum, and once progress starts, the rest usually follows.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
One strategy that has consistently helped my career is learning beyond what my job requires. I spend time learning programming, CAD automation, and new engineering tools outside of my normal responsibilities. Those skills have allowed me to streamline workflows, solve problems more efficiently, and contribute value beyond traditional engineering tasks.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early in my career, I sometimes spent too much time trying to build the perfect solution before testing it. I’ve learned that creating a simple working prototype first leads to faster feedback and ultimately produces a better final design. Progress through iteration is far more effective than waiting for perfection.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Create an AI-powered workflow optimization service for small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Many companies still spend countless hours on repetitive engineering and administrative tasks that could be automated with CAD macros, AI tools, scripting, and workflow integration. Helping businesses identify and automate those inefficiencies could generate substantial cost savings while creating a valuable consulting business.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
ChatGPT has become one of my most valuable productivity tools. I use it to brainstorm solutions, troubleshoot engineering problems, write scripts and macros, summarize technical information, and accelerate research. Instead of replacing my expertise, it helps me reach solutions much faster.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?/
One of the best recent investments I’ve made has been in AI tools and subscriptions. For roughly the cost of a nice dinner each month, they save me hours of research, coding, documentation, and problem-solving, making them one of the highest-return investments I’ve made.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
One book that has had a significant impact on me is The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts. While I don’t agree with every conclusion he reaches, it challenged me to think differently about uncertainty, control, and personal growth. Learning to become comfortable with uncertainty has made me both a better engineer and a better problem solver.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I’ve recently enjoyed Andor. What stands out isn’t just the action but the writing, character development, and realistic portrayal of leadership, sacrifice, and difficult decisions. It tells a compelling story without relying solely on spectacle.
Key learnings
- Continuous improvement often comes from many small optimizations rather than one major breakthrough.
- Automating repetitive work creates long-term value and allows professionals to focus on higher-level problem solving.
- Building and testing prototypes early leads to better solutions than striving for perfection from the start.
- Lifelong learning and developing skills beyond one’s job description can significantly accelerate career growth.
- AI is most valuable when used as a tool that enhances human expertise rather than replacing it.