Coredump Sessions

Memfault

Coredump Sessions is a podcast for embedded engineers and product teams building connected devices. Hosted by the team at Memfault, each episode features real-world stories and technical deep dives with experts across the embedded systems space.

From Bluetooth pioneers and OTA infrastructure veterans to the engineers who built Pebble, we explore the tools, techniques, and tradeoffs that power reliable, scalable devices. If you're building or debugging hardware, this is your go-to for embedded insights.

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S1 · E26
October 5 · 58 min
#025: Powered by Sunlight, Fenced by Software: Inside Monil's Cattle Collar
In this Coredump Session, François Baldassari and Chris Coleman are joined by Torstein Nesse, co-founder and CEO of Monil, to explore the engineering behind solar-powered livestock collars that replace physical fences with virtual boundaries. Torstein shares his path from embedded security to building a connected hardware business, and explains how Monil combines positioning, motion sensors, and sound to guide animals. The conversation covers low-power design, cellular connectivity in rural areas, offline operation, hardware selection, and the field telemetry needed to understand device behavior. They also discuss seasonal firmware updates, a four-month network debugging challenge, and how an animal-health alert helped farmers discover cattle in danger. Key Takeaways Monil’s collars use positioning, motion sensors, and sound to guide livestock within virtual boundaries. Immediate feedback helps animals learn to respond to the fence and turn around. The collars maintain virtual fencing offline and store telemetry until connectivity returns. Continuous positioning consumes more energy than occasional electric pulses. Solar charging and low-power design keep collars operating throughout the grazing season. Monil chose Nordic hardware for its low-power connectivity and mature SDK, alongside a dedicated GNSS receiver. Field data helped Monil develop alerts that identify animals stuck and needing rescue. Larger firmware updates are scheduled outside grazing season to reduce operational risk. Configurable device telemetry helps engineers investigate power consumption, fence behavior, and network failures. Farmers gain better grazing management, animal-health visibility, and peace of mind. ⁠⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠ ⁠⁠GoodPods⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Castbox⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E25
September 16 · 1 hr 1 min
#024: Shipping Firmware Under the CRA: Nicolas Schieli on the Questions Everyone’s Asking, and the Ones They Should Be Link:
In this Coredump Session, François Baldassari and Chris Coleman are joined by Nordic Semiconductor VP of Product Security, Nicolas Schieli, to break down what the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) means for teams building connected products. With the CRA’s first reporting requirements now in effect, they discuss what companies need to do today, how the 24-hour vulnerability reporting window works, which products fall within scope, and what changes when the broader requirements take effect in December 2027. The conversation also covers threat modeling, secure development processes, product classifications, SBOMs, long-term support, OTA updates, secure boot, open source dependencies, and how AI can fit into CRA workflows. Key Takeaways: The CRA’s vulnerability reporting requirements are already in effect, including a 24-hour reporting window for severe incidents or actively exploited vulnerabilities. Companies need a documented process for receiving, assessing, and responding to vulnerability disclosures. Checking a security inbox once a week is not enough for the CRA’s reporting timelines. The CRA applies broadly to products with digital elements placed on the European market, including hardware, software, firmware, and some devices that are not connected to the internet. Full compliance requirements take effect in December 2027 and include capabilities such as delivering vulnerability fixes, verifying that code has not been tampered with, protecting interfaces, and securing sensitive data. Threat analysis and risk assessment will need to become a formal part of product development rather than something engineering teams handle informally. Product classification determines how companies demonstrate compliance. Default-class products can generally self-assess, while higher-risk classes require additional third-party assessment or certification. Manufacturers need visibility into the software and hardware components inside their products so they can continuously monitor dependencies for vulnerabilities. Products placed on the market must declare a support period of at least five years, during which manufacturers are expected to track vulnerabilities and provide fixes. Documentation from chip, software, and other technology vendors can support a company’s compliance evidence, but the manufacturer placing the final product on the market remains responsible for that product. ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠ ⁠GoodPods⁠ ⁠Castbox⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E24
June 25 · 58 min
#023: Running Edge AI in Their Sleep: How Elemind Built Embedded Firmware for On-Demand Rest
In today's Coredump Session, we explore how Elemind is turning cutting-edge neuroscience into a wearable device that helps people fall asleep faster. CTO David Wang joins the show to unpack the engineering behind real-time brainwave sensing, closed-loop audio stimulation, and the embedded systems powering the technology. Along the way, the conversation dives into the challenges of building consumer neurotech, making advanced science effortless to use, and how AI could personalize sleep in the future. Key Takeaways Elemind uses EEG and real-time audio stimulation to influence brain activity and help users fall asleep faster. The system operates as a closed-loop feedback system with approximately two milliseconds of latency between sensing brain activity and delivering audio. Rather than playing relaxing sounds, the device delivers precisely timed audio pulses that interfere with specific brainwave patterns. The team discovered that suppressing alpha brainwaves was more effective for sleep onset than boosting slower brainwave frequencies. Consumer neurotechnology succeeds only if it requires almost no effort or behavior change from users. Audio was selected over electrical or magnetic stimulation because it provides a much less invasive and safer user experience. Early product development relied on rapid nap studies to validate neuroscience hypotheses before investing in longer sleep trials. Elemind is now exploring an AI-driven "sleep tailor" that could personalize stimulation for users who don't initially respond to the device. ⁠⁠ Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E22
May 13 · 59 min
#022: How Two Dads Thoughtfully Scaled Yoto Into One of the Fastest Growing Kid Tech Brands
In this Coredump Session, Tyler Hoffman joins us as host and Yoto co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker shared how they built one of the fastest-growing brands in kid tech around a simple idea, a screen-free audio player designed for real family life. They discussed how feedback from kids shaped key hardware decisions across multiple generations of devices, and how the team balanced durability, battery life, and connectivity as Yoto scaled globally. The conversation also explored how their approach to device monitoring and updates evolved alongside their growing fleet. Key Takeaways Yoto built its product around a deliberately constrained experience: no screens, no ads, no microphones, and controls simple enough for a two-year-old to use independently. The company treated audio content as the core product, combining licensed entertainment, music, podcasts, and interactive experiences to drive long-term engagement. Early prototypes were built with Raspberry Pi hardware to validate real-world usage quickly before investing in custom production hardware. Children became the primary usability test group because their behavior immediately exposed friction points and design flaws. Hardware constraints drove innovation. Limited controls and minimal inputs forced the team to create more intuitive product interactions. Yoto evolved through multiple hardware generations as real-world family usage exposed challenges around durability, connectivity, and battery performance. Device observability and fleet monitoring became increasingly important as Yoto scaled globally and needed visibility into issues occurring in the field. OTA update strategy matured alongside fleet growth, helping the team manage reliability improvements and software iteration remotely. Regulatory complexity around connected kid devices continues to increase, particularly around cybersecurity and children’s data protections. Community became a major product advantage, with parents contributing feedback, creating custom content, and shaping future product improvements. ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube [ADD Playlist YT Link from here)⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E22
March 25 · 1 hr 1 min
#021: Hardware at Software Speed: How BootLoop Is Bringing AI to the Bench for Firmware Teams
Summary:In today's Coredump Session, we sit down with Noah Pasek-Nelson and Chris Markus, the co-founders of BootLoop: an AI-powered platform purpose-built for firmware teams. The conversation gets into the real mechanics of how AI actually fits into embedded development workflows, from hardware bring-up and driver generation to hardware-in-the-loop testing and field debugging. Noah and Chris bring hard-won perspective from SpaceX, MIT, and FDA-regulated medical devices, and they don't shy away from the messy questions— hallucination, autonomy, trust, and what it actually takes to close the loop when your runtime is physical hardware. Key Takeaways: BootLoop is an AI platform built for the entire firmware lifecycle, from hardware bring-up through field debugging, not just code generation. The two core pillars are hardware understanding (ingesting schematics, data sheets, netlists) and hardware interaction (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, GDB). Firmware engineers only spend about 20% of their time writing code. The rest is testing, debugging, and validation, which is where BootLoop focuses. Agents do their best work in tight feedback loops. BootLoop builds, flashes, and tests on device automatically so the agent can iterate without human intervention. Hardware understanding eliminates hallucination by grounding the model in your specific chips, register maps, and pin configurations rather than public code averages. Power optimization is a standout use case: feed in the data sheet, connect a power meter, set a target, and come back to optimized code. BootLoop supports C, C++, Rust, Zephyr, bare metal, and embedded Linux. HDL and FPGA support is coming. Sentinel, their field debugging product, automatically kicks off root cause analysis the moment a bug comes in from the field, before an engineer even sits down. Pricing is a flat fee with unlimited usage, intentionally aligned so the incentive is correct code, not more code. New chips are supported as fast as you can upload the documentation. There is no supported chips list. Chapters: 00:00 Intro: AI at the Bench for Firmware Teams02:23 What Is BootLoop? Meet the Founders05:18 What Actually Changes Day-to-Day for Firmware Engineers07:13 The Hallucination Problem and How to Solve It in Hardware09:51 From Data Sheet to Flashed Device: A Live Workflow Demo11:20 Oscilloscopes, GDB, and Natural Language: Hardware Interaction Explained13:34 How Much Babysitting Does an AI Agent Actually Need?45:59 Greenfield vs. Brownfield: Where BootLoop Fits Best47:33 Audience Q&A: Business Model, Security, and Supported Chips57:35 Debugging in the Field: Sentinel, MCP, and Root Cause Analysis1:00:04 Closing Thoughts and How to Get a Demo Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube [ADD Playlist YT Link from here)⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E20
January 29 · 53 min
#020: The Hidden Architecture of Autonomy: How Skydio Drones Think, See, and Connect
Spotify DetailsIn today's Coredump Session, François Baldassari and Chris Coleman sit down with Ross Yeager, VP of Device Platform Software at Skydio, to explore how autonomy is reshaping modern robotics and what it takes to build drones that can truly think for themselves. Ross shares his journey from Boosted Boards to Skydio, unpacking how the company pioneered fully autonomous flight, built a vertically integrated manufacturing operation in California, and created a foundation that blends cutting-edge software and hardware. It’s a conversation about leadership, innovation, and the engineering mindset behind one of the most advanced drone platforms in the world. Key Takeaways: Ross Yeager's journey into embedded engineering began with a passion for electronics and product development. Kickstarter projects provided valuable lessons in scaling production and managing customer expectations. Working at Boosted Boards allowed Ross to experience the challenges of building products from scratch. Safety is a critical concern in drone technology, with high stakes for reliability and performance. Skydio's unique approach involves vertical integration, manufacturing drones in the U.S. for quality control. The embedded engineering landscape has evolved, with new tools and technologies simplifying development. Testing and quality assurance are paramount, with innovative methods to ensure reliability in drone operations. Ross emphasizes the importance of curiosity and problem-solving in engineering roles. Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Teasers 03:30 Ross's Path to Embedded Engineering07:52 Lessons from Kickstarter and Early Projects12:35 Transitioning to Boosted Boards and Micro-Mobility17:52 Challenges in Embedded Systems and Hardware Development22:45 Skydio's Unique Approach to Drone Technology30:06 Manufacturing Drones in the U.S.35:01 Embedded Engineering Challenges and Safety Considerations39:29 Testing and Quality Assurance in Drone Development46:47 Future of Skydio and Career Opportunities56:18 Closing Thoughts & Reflections Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube [ADD Playlist YT Link from here)⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E20
Dec 11, 2025 · 55 min
#019: END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATION: Moments You Loved, Stories You Missed, and 2026 Predictions You Need
Summary In today’s Coredump Session, François and Chris wrap up the year with a special milestone celebration for the 20th episode of the series. They take listeners behind the mic to reflect on how Coredump began, the moments that defined 2025, and the lessons learned along the way. Expect highlights from the year’s most talked-about discussions, bold predictions for what’s ahead in 2026, and the biggest live Q&A yet—where nothing is off the table. Key Takeaways: Why Coredump Sessions started and how the show has evolved over 20 episodes The biggest engineering lessons guests shared throughout 2025 The most surprising device failures and field behaviors teams faced this year How firmware teams adapted to fast-changing toolchains and new requirements The rise of AI-assisted debugging, testing, and development in embedded work How security mandates tightened and reshaped device development The recurring theme that real-world conditions rarely match lab assumptions What François and Chris learned from producing the series behind the scenes What the hosts expect to define embedded systems development in 2026 The expanded live Q&A format and how the community is shaping future episodes Chapters: 00:00 Teasers 01:30 Intro/ Welcome 03:35 The Genesis of Core Dump 06:54 Favorite Moments and Lessons Learned 08:45 Clip Reaction: Nick Sinas's OTA Nightmare in the Snow 12:19 Clip Reaction: Lack of Security at Pebble 16:45 Clip Reaction: Dan Mangum on AI & Engineering 21:50 Clip Reaction: Vatsal at Ultrahuman Talks Always-On Devices 25:29 Clip Reaction: Chad from Gabb Talks Security 30:12 Looking Ahead: Predictions for 2026 35:59 The Rise of AI and Edge Computing 42:24 Evolving Skills for Firmware Engineers 47:01 Security in Embedded Systems 49:01 The Future of Testing in Embedded Development 53:15 Conclusions & Thank Yous ⁠Join the Interrupt Slack⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠iHeartRadio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠ ⁠GoodPods⁠ ⁠Castbox⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E19
Nov 26, 2025 · 58 min
#018: The Hidden Complexity of Sleep Tech: Power, Comfort, and 8 Hours of Reliability
In today’s Coredump Session, François and Chris from Memfault sit down with Charles Taylor, co-founder of Ozlo Sleep, to explore the journey from Bose’s original Sleepbuds to the rebirth of a product designed to help people truly rest. The conversation traces how Ozlo revived this beloved idea, balancing power management, all-night comfort, and reliability in one of the most demanding consumer tech categories. Along the way, Charles shares lessons from bringing a hardware product back to life, testing technology people use in their sleep, and building a community that believes better rest starts with better engineering. Key Takeaways: Charlie's journey from engineering to entrepreneurship was accidental but rewarding. The emotional connection users have with physical products is significant. Sleep tech addresses the problem of noise disruption during sleep. Kickstarter was used not just for funding but to build a community. Firmware updates are crucial for improving user experience and product functionality. Designing sleep earbuds involves unique challenges related to comfort and size. Battery life and efficiency are critical in hardware development. Sensing technology in sleep tech can provide valuable health data. Testing and quality assurance are essential in product development. Navigating FDA regulations is complex but necessary for medical-related devices. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Teasers02:02 Meet Charlie Taylor and the Ozlo Sleep Story06:13 Why Sleepbuds Exist and Why Noise Matters07:07 Rebuilding Bose’s Discontinued Sleepbuds09:15 The Hardest Parts of Hardware: Timelines and Vendors10:39 Kickstarter as Validation and Community Building15:57 Designing for Sleep: Comfort, Power, and Miniaturization23:16 The Ear as the USB to the Body: Sensing and Health Insights26:18 Testing Sleep Tech in the Real World33:34 Firmware as the Real Product and Ozlo’s Update Strategy45:38 Moving Toward Medical: FDA and Software Therapies55:17 Customer Feedback at Scale and Prioritizing What Matters Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube [ADD Playlist YT Link from here)⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E18
Oct 29, 2025 · 57 min
#017: Building and Scaling a Startup in the Ultra-Competitive Health Wearables Market
In today's Coredump Session, François Baldassari and Chris Coleman sit down with Ultrahuman co-founder Vatsal Singhal to unpack what it takes to build and scale a hardware startup in the fiercely competitive health wearable market. From transitioning from software to hardware to building responsibly with AI and machine learning, Vatsal shares what it means to blend deep engineering rigor with a mission to improve human performance. This conversation explores the challenges, surprises, and future of health-tech innovation at the edge. Key Takeaways How Ultrahuman transitioned from a software-first mindset to mastering complex hardware development. Lessons learned moving from large-scale software systems to building precision-focused health wearables. Why building hardware for health requires a fundamentally different level of accountability and rigor. The role of machine learning at the edge and how it enables better, faster insights while managing battery and compute tradeoffs. How responsible use of AI in health applications shapes product design and user trust. The importance of rapid iteration cycles and adopting software methodologies in hardware innovation. Insights into how Ultrahuman’s internal teams use AI not just in engineering, but across all business functions. A look at what’s next for health-tech — and where innovation is heading in wearables and bio-sensing. Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Teasers03:43 From Software to Hardware: The Leap of Faith07:49 The Harsh Realities of Hardware10:40 Iterating Fast Without Breaking People15:17 Redefining A/B Testing in Hardware21:40 Why Ultrahuman Built Its Own Factory26:56 Scaling Production Across Continents29:48 Managing Complexity: 20 Hardware Revisions in a Year35:08 Firmware Velocity & Observability with Memfault43:42 Health Tech Meets Regulation47:55 Shared Codebases & Fast Iteration Across Products50:39 Building the Machines That Build the Rings54:34 Responsible AI & The Future of Health Wearables56:35 Closing Reflections & Key Takeaways Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E17
Sep 17, 2025 · 1 hr
#016: From Startup to Global Brand: Scaling Engineering at reMarkable
In today’s Coredump Session, we sit down with Nico Comier, CTO of reMarkable, to explore the journey from early-stage startup to global brand. Nico shares insights on scaling engineering teams, balancing technical credibility with leadership responsibilities, and what it really takes to bring a hardware product to market. From the pressures of product launches to the importance of customer connection, this conversation dives into the realities of building impactful technology. Key Takeaways: Nico Comier emphasizes the importance of customer impact in engineering roles. reMarkable's journey from startup to global brand involved scaling engineering teams. Cross-functional collaboration is key to successful product launches. Understanding customer needs is crucial for product development. reMarkable focuses on creating tools that help people think better. The Paper Pro Move was developed in response to user feedback. reMarkable values a hacker culture and allows device jailbreaking. Telemetry and customer feedback are vital for product improvement. reMarkable's leadership believes in maintaining technical credibility. Cross-functional teams enhance empathy and collaboration within organizations. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to reMarkable and Nico's Journey 04:21 The Path to CTO: Insights and Experiences 07:21 Technical Leadership and Staying Relevant 10:03 Understanding Customer Needs in Tech Leadership 13:00 The Launch of Paper Pro Move: A Major Achievement 15:17 Preparing for Product Launch: Challenges and Strategies 18:07 Balancing Agile and Waterfall in Product Development 21:04 Product Decision-Making: Insights from the Paper Pro Move 23:39 Navigating Challenges in Hardware Development 26:30 Final Thoughts on Product Launch and Future Directions 29:30 The Importance of Hypercare Post-Launch 35:44 Scaling a Startup: Lessons Learned 39:41 Building Cross-Functional Teams 47:13 The Role of Firmware in Product Development 50:48 Integrating Accessibility and Customer Feedback 57:02 Leadership and Team Dynamics 01:00:00 Outro Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E15
Aug 20, 2025 · 57 min
#015: Developing kid-safe tech at Gabb: what it takes and why it’s so important
In today’s Coredump Session, we explore the rise of kids safe tech with leaders from the GABB team, creators of connected devices designed specifically for children. From designing products that prioritize child safety to integrating AI in ways that support families, this conversation unpacks the complexities of building secure, intuitive technology for the next generation. The team also shares real-world lessons on hardware partnerships, customer trust, and what it takes to innovate responsibly in the IoT space. Key Takeaways: Kids safe tech is an emerging category centered on digital safety for children. IoT connectivity is essential for building trust between parents and kids. Gabb’s mission is rooted in protecting families through intentional technology. Strong partnerships are critical to scaling hardware, firmware, and software development. AI enhances product safety by filtering content and flagging risks in real time. Security and data privacy are foundational to Gabb’s product design philosophy. Product development requires aligning launch timing, market needs, and platform strategy. Managing multiple product lines demands balance between innovation and sustainment. Kids often outpace parents in tech fluency—celebrating young users can inspire product direction. Efficient QA processes are necessary to uphold product quality and customer trust. Customer feedback and word of mouth are vital inputs for roadmap decisions. Data minimization is a core principle when designing for young users. Cross-functional collaboration drives more effective and family-first product development. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Teasers & Intro 04:46 Understanding Kids Safe Tech 10:25 The Role of Partnerships in Product Development 14:59 Navigating AI in Product Design 20:20 Balancing Needs of Kids and Parents 28:14 Ensuring Security in Kids Tech 32:31 Celebrating Advocacy and Security Solutions 33:45 Navigating Privacy in Child Analytics 37:30 Product Development Cycle and Timelines 41:31 Balancing Current and Future Product Development 45:53 Sustaining Products Amid New Launches 48:37 Customer-Centric Approach in Product Maintenance 52:42 Firmware Versioning Challenges and Strategies Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠
S1 · E15
Aug 5, 2025 · 57 min
#014: Why Your IoT Project Still Hasn’t Taken Off — And How to Fix It
In today’s Coredump Session, the team takes a hard look at why some IoT projects stall before they ever hit scale. From organizational missteps to product-market fit challenges, they explore the hidden forces that derail even technically sound products. You’ll hear candid insights on why being “connected” isn’t enough—and what it really takes to succeed in IoT today. Key Takeaways The biggest blockers for IoT teams aren’t always technical—they’re organizational, strategic, and systemic. Shipping a connected device doesn't guarantee product-market fit, especially if it's missing the right workflows or visibility. Engineers often build what's technically possible instead of what's valuable for the business. Collecting data from devices is table stakes—but what matters is how you use that data to drive action. Many teams lack a clear owner for post-deployment success, leading to blind spots in field performance. “Observability” should go beyond crash logs and include signals that help prioritize engineering work. Product-market fit isn’t static—it has to be reevaluated and maintained across the device lifecycle. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to IoT Challenges 01:54 Afzal’s Journey in IoT & Early Expectations 04:11 The 500K SIM Card Mirage 08:10 Why IoT Projects Stall: Internal Resistance & Misaligned Incentives 14:25 Rethinking the “IoT” Label: Lessons from Pebble 17:28 When Good Tech Still Fails: The Organizational Blindspot 20:43 Field Reality Check: Why Real-World Feedback is Critical 26:00 Who Owns It? Accountability After Launch 29:07 Designing for Fault Tolerance in Connected Devices 32:52 Fragmentation in IoT: Meeting Diverse Customer Needs 37:27 Niche Focus as a Winning Strategy 39:57 What IoT Can Learn from AI’s Go-to-Market Playbook 44:42 Drivers for Success in the IoT Space 47:14 The Future of IoT: Regulation, Trust & E-Waste 50:32 Final Reflections on Long-Term Ownership & Customer Impact Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E14
Jul 23, 2025 · 57 min
#013: Prepping Your AI Model for the Wild: Building Edge AI Models That Work in the Real World
In today's Coredump Session, we dive into the fascinating world of building Edge AI models that truly work in real-world environments. Joined by David Tischler, Developer Program Manager, and Alessandro Grande, Head of Product at Edge Impulse (A Qualcomm Company), we unpack what it takes to deploy AI on tiny devices, explore practical applications from wearables to industrial use cases, and discuss why customization, hardware choices, and continuous monitoring are critical for success. Tune in to explore how Edge AI is transforming device development and enabling smarter solutions. Key Takeaways: Edge AI empowers devices to process data locally, significantly reducing latency, bandwidth usage, and improving privacy. The best use cases for Edge AI today often involve video and audio analytics, wearables, and industrial sensor applications. Customization is the key value of AI, making it easy to fine-tune models for specific tasks or customer needs without extensive traditional coding. Effective Edge AI requires thoughtful pre-processing (DSP), not just AI models—this combination significantly improves model performance. Hardware selection is crucial; developers must balance model complexity with device constraints, such as available RAM and compute power. Many AI co-processors marketed for embedded systems today are essentially DSP units rebranded as AI accelerators, and usability matters more than raw performance. Observability and OTA (over-the-air) updates are critical components in Edge AI deployment, enabling continuous monitoring, data-driven refinements, and quick responses to issues in the field. Production readiness in Edge AI involves not only initial deployment but ongoing data collection, model retraining, and continuous improvement cycles. Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Teasers: Edge AI's Real-World Promise01:57 Meet Our Guests: David Tischler & Alessandro Grande from Edge Impulse05:19 How Edge AI Took Off: From Hyped to Essential09:21 Beyond Voice Commands: Emerging AI Use Cases12:02 Defining the Edge: Wearables to Factories19:09 AI's Hidden Superpower: Customization and Fine-Tuning26:15 Why AI Belongs at the Edge: Latency, Privacy, and Power28:38 Building the Software Stack: Edge AI for Embedded Engineers34:17 Choosing Your Hardware: Constraints and AI Accelerators45:42 Observability and OTA Updates: Essential for Edge AI52:28 Audience Q&A: Fine-Tuning, TinyML, and the Future Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E13
Jul 8, 2025 · 55 min
#012: Plug-and-Play Cellular Connectivity: Nearly Here or Never Happening?
In today's Coredump Session, we delve into the evolving landscape of cellular connectivity, particularly focusing on eSIM technology and its implications for IoT devices. The discussion features insights from industry experts on the challenges and opportunities presented by cellular connectivity, the cost considerations for device makers, and the technological advancements that are shaping the future of connectivity. Key themes include the vision behind Kigen, the role of SIM technology, emerging business models, and best practices for managing device connectivity and profiles. Key Takeaways Cellular connectivity is essential for modern IoT devices. Kigen aims to secure trillions of connected devices. Cost reduction in cellular modules opens new opportunities. Device makers must consider the total cost of ownership. Emerging business models include rental and subscription services. iSIM technology is gaining traction in the market. Device management and profile updates are critical for success. Security by design is a priority for device manufacturers. Interoperability between eSIM products is improving. Chapters 00:00 Intro & Teasers 03:54 The Vision Behind Kigen 06:36 Challenges and Opportunities in Connectivity 09:09 Cost Considerations in Cellular Technology 12:01 Innovative Business Models for Device Makers 14:46 Understanding SIM Technology 17:22 The Future of iSIM and SoftSIM20:19 Global Considerations for Cellular Products 30:25 Navigating IoT Network Choices 33:41 Choosing the Right Cellular Technology 36:56 Understanding eSIM and Network Management 42:05 Optimizing Device Connectivity and Provisioning 47:43 Key Considerations for New Device Makers 54:42 Outro Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E12
Jul 1, 2025 · 55 min
#011: Memfault Joins Nordic Semiconductor: What This Means for the Future of Connected Product Development
In today's Coredump Session, François and Chris share a major milestone in Memfault’s journey: Memfault is joining forces with Nordic Semiconductor. They’re joined by Kjetil Holstad from Nordic to explore Nordic’s history, how the acquisition came to be, and the exciting future they envision together. Along the way, they dive into the evolution of Bluetooth, the challenges of building complex embedded systems, and why developer experience is at the heart of it all. Key Takeaways: Nordic Semiconductor’s journey from design services to global Bluetooth leadership hinged on bold bets and developer-centric decisions. The inclusion of Bluetooth Low Energy in the iPhone was a pivotal moment that accelerated Nordic’s growth. Building robust embedded systems today requires deep attention to software complexity, which has significantly increased over time. Decisions that prioritize developer experience—like open documentation and accessible SDKs—have been instrumental to Nordic’s success. Memfault’s partnership with Nordic was driven by a shared vision to make embedded observability easy, accessible, and deeply integrated. Memfault’s pre-integration with Nordic’s SDKs and their collaborative engineering work have helped reduce barriers for developers. The vision for a “chip-to-cloud” platform is about delivering seamless device management, monitoring, and OTA updates with a scalable, unified solution. Both Memfault and Nordic are committed to supporting non-Nordic hardware, focusing on building solutions that serve the broader embedded ecosystem. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Teasers & Intro 02:59 The Origin Story of Nordic Semiconductor 06:11 The Evolution of Bluetooth Technology at Nordic 09:40 Bold Decisions and Learning from the Market 14:24 Nordic's Commitment to Developers and Software 17:32 The Shift Towards Software in IoT 20:04 Embracing Complexity: The Future of Nordic's SDKs 20:55 Understanding Trust Zone and Embedded Systems 21:46 The Importance of Strategic Partnerships 22:30 Building Relationships in the Tech Industry 25:09 The Value of Collaboration and Integration 27:38 Enhancing Developer Experience through Integration 32:24 Announcing the Partnership and Future Vision 33:07 Creating a Chip to Cloud Platform 36:05 Supporting Non-Nordic Devices and Ecosystem Expansion 39:10 Reactions to the Acquisition Announcement 44:58 Q&A Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E11
Jun 11, 2025 · 59 min
#010: From Pebble to Intel: can hardware startups beat the big players?
In today's Coredump Session, we explore the wild early days of Pebble and what it takes to scale a hardware startup against industry giants. From scrappy hackathons to 100+ person engineering teams, Kean Wong, former VP of Software at Pebble and now CTO at Igor, joins Memfault’s François and Chris to unpack how startups can outpace Big Tech by staying nimble, hiring wisely, and embracing constant change. Key Takeaways: Early-stage hardware startups benefit from direct engagement with developer communities for recruiting. Transparency and shared business context can create stronger, more motivated engineering teams. Scaling a hardware company requires embracing organizational change—not resisting it. “Trial by fire” can be an effective onboarding path for technical leaders in fast-moving environments. Engineering leadership should balance short-term firefighting with long-term vision setting. Hackathons and passion projects can be powerful hiring channels in embedded tech. Growth requires thoughtful infrastructure investments—even when it's tempting to keep things scrappy. A good leader earns respect by doing the hard work, not just delegating it. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Today’s Topic 06:00 Lessons from Scaling Teams at Pebble 12:00 Chaos, Structure, and Growing as a Startup 18:00 Building Process Without Killing Agility 24:00 Hiring Smart in Fast-Growth Environments 30:00 From Product Complexity to Organizational Change 36:00 Staying Productive Through Engineering Transitions 42:00 Applying Startup Lessons in Larger Organizations 48:00 What Kean’s Building Now at Eagor 54:00 Live Q&A and Closing Thoughts Join the Interrupt Slack ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E11
May 27, 2025 · 59 min
#009: Zephyr’s Meteoric Rise and What It Means for the Future of Embedded
In today’s Coredump Session, we dive into the origins and evolution of Zephyr RTOS with Kate Stewart, VP of Dependable Embedded Systems at the Linux Foundation. From Intel’s early ambitions to a thriving global community, Kate unpacks how Zephyr grew into a leading open-source RTOS and what makes it uniquely resilient and developer-friendly. This conversation also explores the technical shifts shaping embedded development and how governance, safety, and collaboration continue to steer Zephyr’s trajectory. Speakers: Kate Stewart: Vice President of Dependable Embedded Systems, The Linux Foundation François Baldassari: CEO & Founder, Memfault Thomas Sarlandie: Field CTO, Memfault Key Takeaways: Zephyr was born from Intel’s desire for a scalable, secure, and open RTOS, evolving from Wind River roots. Early adoption of Linux-inspired practices, like Kconfig and "signed-off-by" contributions, lowered friction and encouraged community participation. The project’s governance model, emphasizing multi-vendor participation and elected leadership, prevents corporate capture and boosts resilience. Zephyr’s pragmatic reuse of tools like MCUboot accelerated development and expanded capabilities. Long-term support (LTS) releases—now extended to five years—make Zephyr production-friendly and aligned with regulatory demands like the CRA. Innovations like the Twister test framework and open testing infrastructure set Zephyr apart for visibility and maintainability. Zephyr thrives as complexity in embedded systems increases, filling the gap left by simpler RTOSes ill-suited for modern MCU workloads. Not every project is a fit for Zephyr—especially ultra-low-end 8-bit systems—but it excels in growing, connected device classes. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 04:12 Building Zephyr: Intel’s Open RTOS Bet 06:39 Governance That Guards Against Capture 08:10 Borrowing From Linux, Avoiding Its Baggage 09:41 What Makes Zephyr Different 13:55 Zephyr in Production: LTS and Real-World Adoption 16:15 Scaling with Twister and QEMU 18:15 Taming Complexity Without Losing Performance 35:45 SBOMs and the Future of Compliance 38:20 A Head Start on Security Standards 43:02 Inside Zephyr's Safety Certification Journey 46:44 Real-World Use Cases and Industry Uptake 50:25 What's Next for Zephyr and the RTOS Landscape 53:12 Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts ⁠⁠Join the Interrupt Slack Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠Suggest a Guest⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E9
May 13, 2025 · 58 min
#008: Navigating the Changing IoT Security Landscape: A Survival Guide for Product Leaders
In today's Coredump Session, we dive into the evolving landscape of IoT security regulations with Giovanni Alberto Falcione, CTO at Exine. From the impact of the EU's CRA to the complexities of OTA updates, Giovanni, François, and Thomas unpack what these new requirements mean for product engineers and how to navigate the increasingly stringent security landscape. Speakers: François Baldassari: CEO & Founder, Memfault Thomas Sarlandie: Field CTO, Memfault Giovanni Alberto Falcione: CTO, Exein Key Takeaways: The EU's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) mandates stringent security measures for all connected devices marketed after December 2027, with a particular focus on runtime security monitoring. OTA updates are essential for mitigating vulnerabilities in the field but can also introduce challenges in regulatory compliance. Giovanni highlights that less than 1% of IoT device manufacturers actively monitor cybersecurity state awareness, a critical area of compliance under CRA. Implementing a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and tracking Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) are low-hanging fruit for product teams to start bolstering security. eBPF technology offers powerful, low-impact monitoring capabilities that can detect unauthorized activities at the syscall level without kernel-level intervention. Companies need to plan for at least five years of security updates under CRA, with potential for longer support based on device lifecycles. Even seemingly innocuous devices, like coffee makers, can pose significant cybersecurity risks as entry points for broader attacks. Giovanni emphasizes that while regulation can stifle innovation, it also raises the bar for security practices across the board. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction02:30 The Unseen Costs of Cybersecurity Regulation04:40 OTA Updates: Security Savior or Hidden Risk07:21 CRA vs. Other Regulations: What Matters Most10:30 The Rise of Runtime Security Monitoring12:23 Why Manufacturers Are Freaking Out About CRA15:09 The Hidden Cost of Legacy Firmware17:30 Inside the Automotive Cybersecurity Playbook21:22 eBPF: The Next Frontier in IoT Security55:38 Coffee Machines, Coffee Attacks, and Unexpected Entry Points ⁠⁠Join the Interrupt Slack Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠Suggest a Guest⁠ ⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E7
Apr 29, 2025 · 55 min
#007: AI, Open Source, and the Future of Embedded Development: How Much Code Will We Actually Write?
In today's Coredump Session, we dive into a wide-ranging conversation about the intersection of AI, open source, and embedded systems with the teams from Memfault and Goliath. From the evolution of AI at the edge to the emerging role of large language models (LLMs) in firmware development, the panel explores where innovation is happening today — and where expectations still outpace reality. Listen in as they untangle the practical, the possible, and the hype shaping the future of IoT devices. Speakers: François Baldassari: CEO & Founder, Memfault Thomas Sarlandie: Field CTO, Memfault Jonathan Beri: CEO & Founder, Golioth Dan Mangum: CTO, Golioth Key Takeaways: AI has been quietly powering embedded devices for years, especially in edge applications like voice recognition and computer vision. The biggest gains in IoT today often come from cloud-based AI analytics, not necessarily from AI models running directly on devices. LLMs are reshaping firmware development workflows but are not yet widely adopted for production-grade embedded codebases. Use cases like audio and video processing have seen the fastest real-world adoption of AI at the edge. Caution is warranted when integrating AI into safety-critical systems, where determinism is crucial. Cloud-to-device AI models are becoming the go-to for fleet operations, anomaly detection, and predictive maintenance. Many promising LLM-based consumer products struggle because hardware constraints and cloud dependence create friction. The future of embedded AI may lie in hybrid architectures that balance on-device intelligence with cloud support. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Teasers & Welcome 01:10 Meet the Panel: Memfault x Golioth 02:56 Why AI at the Edge Isn’t Actually New 05:33 The Real Use Cases for AI in Embedded Devices 08:07 How Much Chaos Are You Willing to Introduce? 11:19 Edge AI vs. Cloud AI: Where It’s Working Today 13:50 LLMs in Embedded: Promise vs. Reality 17:16 Why Hardware Can’t Keep Up with AI’s Pace 20:15 Building Unique Models When Public Datasets Fail 36:14 Open Source’s Big Moment (and What Comes Next) 42:49 Will AI Kill Open Source Contributions? 49:30 How AI Could Change Software Supply Chains 52:24 How to Stay Relevant as an Engineer in the AI Era ⁠⁠Join the Interrupt Slack Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠Suggest a Guest⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website
S1 · E7
Apr 15, 2025 · 1 hr 13 min
#006: Pebble’s Code is Free: Three Former Pebble Engineers Discuss Why It's Important (PART 2/2)
In today’s Coredump Session, the team reunites to unpack the behind-the-scenes lessons from their time building firmware at Pebble. This episode dives into the risks, decisions, and sheer grit behind a near-disastrous OTA update—and the ingenious hack that saved a million smartwatches. It’s a candid look at the intersection of rapid development, firmware stability, and real-world consequences. Key Takeaways: Pebble’s open approach to developer access often came at the cost of security best practices, reflecting early startup trade-offs. A critical OTA update bug almost bricked Pebble devices—but the team recovered using a clever BLE-based stack hack. Lack of formal security measures at the time (e.g., unsigned firmware) unintentionally enabled recovery from a serious update failure. Static analysis and test automation became top priorities following the OTA scare to prevent repeat incidents. The story reveals how firmware constraints (like code size and inline functions) can lead to high-stakes bugs. Investing in robust release processes—including version-to-version OTA testing—proved vital. Real security risks included impersonation on e-commerce platforms and potential ransom via malicious OTA compromise. The importance of "hiring your hackers" was humorously noted as a de facto security strategy. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Teasers & Welcome 01:22 Why Pebble’s Firmware Was Open (and Unsigned) 05:01 The Security Tradeoffs That Enabled Speed 11:00 The OTA Bug That Could Have Bricked Everything 15:26 Hacking Our Way Out with BLE Stack Overflow 17:47 Lessons Learned: Test Automation & Static Analysis 26:30 How Pebble Built a Developer Ecosystem 29:56 CloudPebble, Watchface Generator & Developer Tools 42:55 Backporting Pebble 3.0 to Legacy Hardware 49:02 The Bootloader Rewrite & Other Wild Optimizations 53:31 Simulators, Robot Arms & Debugging in CI56:40 Firmware Signing, Anti-Rollback & Secure Update 1:06:10 Coding in Rust? What We’d Do Differently Today 1:08:28 Where to Start with Open Source Pebble Development ⁠⁠Join the Interrupt Slack Watch this episode on YouTube ⁠Suggest a Guest⁠⁠⁠ Follow Memfault ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ Other ways to listen: ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts iHeartRadio⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Amazon Music GoodPods Castbox ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Visit our website

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