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AUGUST 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 11 Patrick Davis explains why new PCB design- ers usually cost their employer money in their first year, and don't become profitable until their third. Tom Hausherr drives home a great point in his feature article: You can't learn PCB design on your own. It's just not going to hap- pen. Michael Steffen stresses the importance of being a problem-solver, and why all the design curriculum in the world can't help you if you don't know how to apply this informa- tion. Kelly Dack discusses his work educat- ing the "Ians, Ashleys and Zachs of the world" in proper DFM strategies. Martyn Gaudion delves into the many "peripheral influencers" that young designers need to be aware of, many of which seem to have no connection to PCB design. Judy Warner walks us through Altium's educational formats, from YouTube videos to trade shows. And John Coonrod points out the many benefits of having a wide-ranging knowl- edge of engineering and fabrication processes. Speaking of DesignCon, we'll be bringing you coverage of this venerable show, which runs from August 16-18. Editor Nolan Johnson and I are looking forward to getting back to covering trade shows and conferences! I hope to see you there. DESIGN007 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 20 years. He can be reached by clicking here. tion—whether or not your boss pays for it— and that requires filtering through all of this content, whether it's online or in a hardback book. ere's a lot of noise, marketing content, and bad science masquerading as real design information. It's up to you to si through all that raw data. Pick your favorite design instructors and read everything they've ever written. If you're not sure who the design experts are, look to see who's speaking at DesignCon, PCB West, and AltiumLive. ere's a reason that the same group of speakers has been teaching PCB design at conferences around the world for years: they get good evaluations, so they get invited back. ey're like good bands; they pack the venue every time. Follow them. is month, we asked a variety of expert contributors, seasoned and not-so-seasoned, to describe their path to becoming success- ful PCB designers and their advice to new designers seeking to continue their education. Instructor Susy Webb explains how much PCB design has changed since she started her career, and how her class curriculum has evolved since she began teaching in 2003. Tomas Ches- ter discusses his entry into PCB design during the 2008 downturn and what college did and didn't teach him. Tamara Jovanovic shares a story about the day she went from assisting on design projects to designing her first PCB from start to finish.