Engineer to Entrepreneur: Crombie's Path

John Crombie, President at Upstart Product Development, shares insights on transitioning from engineering to entrepreneurship in the medical device industry at MD&M East.

Medtech expert and entrepreneur John Crombie will discuss current trends in medtech careers during a talk at the upcoming MD&M East Show. Guzaliia Filimonova/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

• Career expert and entrepreneur John Crombie will discuss medtech career paths during a talk at MD&M East
• Crombie believes entrepreneurship can be a viable, rewarding option for those with the skills and ambition.

Engineering can be a rewarding career, but given the constant changes in technology and business priorities, it is imperative that engineers constantly assess their careers and, if needed, make the necessary changes to stay relevant and improve career prospects. This has been the path that John Crombie, President at Upstart Product Development has taken in achieving a successful career as an engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur.

At the upcoming MD&M East Show at the Javits Center in New York City, Crombie will discuss his experience in a talk titled, “How to Build a Better Engineering Career: A Conversation with John Crombie.” Crombie will sit down with Spencer Chin, Senior Editor of Design News , to explore career paths in engineering. Drawing from his own experience, Crombie will discuss career development while exploring key challenges such as automation and AI.

In a recent conversation with Design News , Crombie recounted his earlier years being involved with product development at companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. While Crombie started out in product development, he later became involved in managing projects and teams, gaining experience dealing with juggling deadlines and managing development teams. This experience was instrumental in fueling Crombie’s more recent career as President of Upstart Product Development, a consumer and medical device product development company adjacent to thecampus of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, New Jersey.

Crombie’s transition from engineer to entrepreneur was no accident. Crombie told Design News his exit from Johnson and Johnson was not a sudden result of corporate downsizing but instead carefully planned and done with the company's blessing. Crombie left Johnson & Johnson on good terms and maintained good relationships with his former employers, which can be a valuable source of clients for a startup company.

Entrepreneurship, while not for everyone, can be a rewarding career path in medtech, according to Crombie. Seeing one’s ideas and expertise leveraged into a business can give an ambitious engineer the freedom and flexibility to take control of one’s career. At MD&M East, Crombie will draw from his own experience to give prospective entrepreneurs invaluable tips.

While managing a startup is never easy, Crombie’s corporate experience dealing with product development, project budgets, and other aspects of medical product development was helpful. Also, as patents often play a role in protecting valuable IP, Crombie says that understanding how to get an invention patented is also valuable. As Crombie has patented numerous inventions, he says what and when to patent protects valuable IP and will avoid potential legal issues down the road.

Not surprisingly, funding is always an issue for startups. One piece of advice from Crombie is to be creative and not be secretive when starting a business. Crombie recalls his experience talking with an industry professional about an invention he had. Without hesitation, this person whipped out a check and told Crombie to use the money to get his invention to market, recognizing its potential benefits.

For more valuable advice on medtech careers, including potentially becoming an entrepreneur, attend the session “How to Build a Better Engineering Career: A Conversation with John Crombie,” taking place Wednesday, May 21 st , at the Medtech Stage, Jacob Javits Center, from 10:30 am to 11:15 AM. For more information,  .

Spencer Chin is a Senior Editor for Design News, covering the electronics beat, which includes…