Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541840
8 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2025 As PCB engineers, we are puzzle solvers, innovators, and scrupulously detail-ori- ented wizards of the PCB world. We pour so much of ourselves into our designs, meticulously creat- ing balanced PCB stackups, placing components, routing traces, and debugging layouts. It's a true labor of love, but it's very strenuous mental work. Sometimes the lines between work and life get blurrier than a poorly etched copper trace, and the pursuit of professional success comes with a hid- den, often painful, price tag. I know this all too well. Our personal lives become just another "compo- nent" we're trying to fit onto an already crowded board. The passion for our craft is immense and addic- tive. But if we're not careful, that very passion and ambition can, ironically, lead to burnout, dimming the spark that makes us great. Trust me, design- ing a robust and reliable life means paying just as much attention to your personal "circuitry" as you do to your professional ones. F E AT U R E A RT I C L E BY S T E P H E N V. C H AV E Z , P C E A A True Story Rylan was a truly exceptional PCB engineer, fresh out of school and eager to pursue a success- ful career, with a mind like a perfectly tuned high- speed differential pair. He was willing to pursue success at all costs. He fearlessly tackled complex layouts that others found daunting, while master- ing a high-end EDA tool. He was often the first to arrive and the last to leave, even working around the clock to polish a challenging routing scheme to perfection. He was on the fast track to becom- ing a premier principal engineer and subject mat- ter expert, leading groundbreaking projects, and was, by all accounts, a resounding professional success. But what price did Rylan pay for that dizzying climb to the top? The Challenge: Silent Erosion of Self Our role is to understand complex systems, antic- ipate problems, mitigate risks, and optimize A PCB Engineer's Heartfelt Blueprint for a Life Without Regrets